Ambient Temperature

Question
Hello,
I was wondering what the ideal temperature is for a ferret, that is for their environment not body. Whats too cold and whats too hot specifically.
Thanks

Answer
Hi Chase:

What a great question!  Ferrets *can* live in temperatures as low as 25 degrees Fahrenheit and as hot as 80 degrees Fahrenheit - those are the EXTREMES, but neither are really recommended.  The BEST is somewhere about low-room temperature, 60-degrees or so year round.  Since this isn't possible to be able to maintain these temperatures AND have our precious little friends IN OUR HOMES WITH US, given the choice, ferrets would much rather be WITH US - so, we just watch the extremes and make sure they are never in temperatures below 25 degrees nor above 80 degrees.

Interestingly, since ferrets have no way to cool their bodies, a fan placed in a too-warm room does absolutely NOTHING to cool a ferret. However, a fan blowing over a WET BLANKET causes evaporation of water (the secret to cooling!) and that will lower a room temperature!  So, if we always remember that, in the absence of central air conditioning, when we have ferrets, we must provide not only MOVING AIR, but ALSO A SOURCE OF WATER FOR EVAPORATION. When those two are present, cooling can take place. Other ways to accomplish cooling can be by providing a fan and: wet blankets affixed around the outside of the cage, frozen water bottles inside the cage with fabric around them that can thaw as the fan hits them, wet ferrets (will work for a short time until the ferrets dry anyway). The important thing to remember is that it always takes TWO things to cause cooling in the absence of central air conditioning - MOVEMENT OF AIR *AND* A SOURCE OF WATER FOR EVAPORATION.

Ferrets do handle colder weather better than weather that is too hot. A ferret regularly subjected to cold weather will grow a heavier coat. A ferret in warmer weather will shed his coat, however, a ferret who is accustomed to air conditioned environment and maybe the air conditioning has stopped working, etc... in just a matter of minutes, the ferret can become overheated, the pads on his feet and his mouth and tongue will get very very red in color as the blood rushes to the surface to try to cool his body. When his body is unable to cool itself fast enough, the ferret will begin to pant (like a dog does, except with a ferret, panting means the ferret is in extreme distress and MUST be cooled immediately or he is going to DIE). Within just minutes, if the ferret is not moved to a cooler temperature, an overheated panting ferret will die, as a ferrets body is just not equipped to cool itself like other animals such as dogs, who can pant and pretty effectively cool themselves.  PANTING IN FERRETS ALWAYS MEANS THE FERRET IS IN SEVERE DISTRESS - EMERGENCY!

Hope that answers your question. It's very important to get information like this about ferrets out not only to ferret owners (many of whom are unaware of how dangerous panting is!) but also to the general public that may come across a wayward ferret on a summer day, maybe wandering along on a street, lost or abandoned, his/her life endangered because nobody knows that his/her panting means he/she is moments from death. Let's hope your question helps at least one little one somewhere. Thanks again for the opportunity to share this important information!

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers