Ferret Suddenly Scared of Me

Question
My three month old ferret all of the sudden one day freaked out on me she is scared and will not come to me any more nothing has happened she has not been hurt the only thing i can think of is she did not get let out that morning like normal is it that she hates me or scared of me? please help me

Answer
Hi Sarah:

I'm sure that your ferret isn't just mad at you for not being let out that morning.  Ferrets are very forgiving!  However, I think  maybe something may have happened when you weren't home or watching and possibly she is in pain - that's the only thing I can think of that would cause her to act differently towards you.

They can get things like their toe nails stuck in blankies or carpeting or even toes hurt in cage bars, she could have a tooth hurting - so many things it could be.

I would strongly recommend that you take her to your vet and just have the vet do a once-over and see if he/she can see any reason for your ferret's recent behavior.

I really encourage you to not put this off - do it right away - your ferret really needs to come out of her cage everyday and play or she will become depressed and sickly. They require daily playtime with you and if she's not wanting to do that, I would strongly suspect that there is something wrong with her.

Is she eating a normal amount?  Does she have fresh water available to her at all times?  Are her toe nails kept short so they don't get tangled in fabrics or the cage? Do her poops look normal?

Take all the above information to your local vet and see if he/she can give you an idea of what may be going on.

Best of luck - hope you will let me know when you find out what is going on.

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers