Question about my ferret

Question
I just bought a ferret at a local pet store. The pet store assured me that the ferret had a clean bill of helath. Since I have brought him home he has not been very active. I am wondering if this is something I should be worried about. or if he is just trying to adjust to his new surroundings and or missing his cage mates that were with him at the pet store. He has also been sleeping alot. He is eating and drinking though. I thank you for any advice you can give me on making my new friend as happy as possible. Can you please e-mail you advice to my e-mail address  AMCR0406@aol.com

Answer
Thank you for being concerned with your ferret's health and wanting to do the right thing for him.

Ferrets do sleep a lot, even young ones (which typically are the only ones you see in pet stores, which is why shelters get older ferrets regularly, unfortunately). I'm assuming your ferret is no older than a few months and it wouldn't be unusual for him to be sleeping 10-12 hours a day or more. This is normal for ferrets, who need to spend a lot of time recharging their batteries.

Since ferrets are very social, and do best with other ferrets, it is also possible that he bonded with his mates and is feeling some loss. If at all possible, we always recommend that people get 2 or 3 ferrets instead of just one, for that exact reason. Plus it's twice the fun for you.  :-)  Perhaps introducing him to a ferret at a local animal shelter or ferret shelter (much less costly than a pet store) would be a possibility for you. This to me would be the likeliest reason why a young ferret recently acquired from a pet store is not active.

I don't know how long you've had him or what sort of set-up you have for him but he may still be adjusting. If you aren't interacting with him a lot, play with him and hold him as much as possible. Wave socks and towels at him or tickle him with your hand.

Ferrets are naturally & instinctively playful and if he is not that way AT ALL, especially a very young one, then something is likely to be wrong inside him. Also, the best thing you can do for his energy is to feed him the very highest quality food you can (premium ferret foods such as Totally Ferret, Path Valley Farm, The Ferret Store, ZuPreem, or Shepard & Greene.....poke around on the internet & you'll see what people in the ferret world prefer to use).

In any event, once he's 6-8 months old you should take him to a ferret-knowledgeable veterinarian (if you haven't done so already) for a basic wellness exam anyway, including a basic blood panel as a baseline for future exams (once a year). Mention your concern to the vet if he doesn't perk up. A "clean bill of health" from someone at a pet store is meaningless. Their motivation is to sell you a ferret. Only a veterinarian with significant experience with exotics/ferrets can determine if a ferret truly is or is not in good health.

Finally, take a look at websites such as www.ferretcentral.org and books such as Ferrets For Dummies and The Simple Guide To Ferrets, both of which are available everywhere online and contain lots of useful tips and advice along these lines.