how do i train my farret

Question
i have a farret now.i got it yesterday and i was hoping to have help to know how to take care of her.

Answer
Hi Atiyah:

As a new ferret owner, the very very best thing you can do is learn all you can about how to take care of your ferret. Ferrets are very very different than any other pet. They are not like dogs, not like cats - more like two year old children!  They require you to play with them every single day for at least two or three hours. They cannot be left in a cage like other small animals - they MUST be talked to and played with every day!

There is a book called "FERRETS FOR DUMMIES" by Kim Schilling that is the very best book for new ferret owners. You can get it at your local bookstore, or here:
http://search.half.ebay.com/ferrets-for-dummies_W0QQmZbooks

There is also a lot of information online here:

http://www.ferretcentral.org   Click on FAQs and start reading...it's so much that it's almost like a book.

You must be sure the area your ferret plays in is FERRETPROOFED - in other words, anything that your ferret can get ahold of that he would tear up, swallow (that he could get an intestinal blockage from, get poisoned from, or ruin), any soft plastic or rubber or foam or foam rubber items, any shoe insoles (the foam rubber type). There are so many things that ferrets (especially young ferrets) like to chew on and IF they swallow it, it gets stuck in their intestines and they have to have surgery to remove it. Surgery can cost a LOT of money, so you want to prevent that by preparing beforehand AND watching your ferret very closely when she's out playing.

Also, be sure you are feeding a really good premium food like Totally Ferret and your ferret has that and FRESH water available to her at all times (empty the water, wash the bowl and give fresh water every day).  

Your ferret should have a nice cozy place to sleep. This can be a nice ferret hammock, some warm blankies, a nice sweatshirt or big towel, something she can snuggle down into.  She also needs a litterbox with Yesterday's news or clay litter (NOT the clumping kind of litter) in it.  To get your ferret to use the litterbox, you can cover all floors of the cage with fluffy t-shirts/towels/bedding, so the only place left for the ferret to poop is the litterbox, because they won't poop in their 'bed' :-)

Your ferret will LOVE toys like empty cardboard boxes with little doors and windows cut in it, connect several boxes together with tunnels for more fun.  A box of play sand is a lot of fun for ferrets too!  It vacuums up easily. Sometimes you have to wet it down or it is too dusty and makes them sneeze.  They do LOVE to dig the wet sand tho. My ferrets LOVE it when I walk thru the house pulling a sheet behind me.....they love to jump on the 'magic carpet' and go for a ride thru the house!  

Always be sure your ferret doesn't climb up on things she can fall from and get hurt. Ferrets don't seem to be aware of height and the danger of falling.  

It would be a good idea to get to know your ferret really well - to learn all her talents, to let her get to know and love you - before you try to "train" her as such. Litterbox 'training', yes, that's important to start on, but other than that, just enjoy having her and get to know her, to love her and to take care of her.  I think you will be surprised how much fun ferrets are!  They are so much work, but they pay us back with so much love!

Read back thru the ferret questions and answers on this website and that will give you lots of information too.  Read at Ferret Central (the link above that I gave you) and get the book FERRETS FOR DUMMIES.  Watch your ferret closely when she is out playing.  To be the very best ferret mom, you will HAVE to learn a LOT and it's an ongoing process of learning once a ferret enters our life.

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers