General Ferret Information
The American Ferret Association is a national organization of ferret owners, health care professionals and people with a lot of political savvy. The AFA is active in the political and information arenas and can always use the support of ferret lovers.
Below is some general information on ferrets. If your ferret has a medical problem for which you would like a medical consultation or your vet would like some guidance and advice, please go to out Ferret Consultation page.
Ferrets are inquisitive, busy and very adaptable. They love company, whether it's human, ferret, or a special canine or feline playmate. They are not rodents. In fact, they were domesticated several thousand years ago specifically to hunt rodents and keep households clear of pests. They are not wild animals and cannot survive without human care and protection. They are related to their wild cousins, the Black-Footed ferret in the same way that dogs are related to wolves. Domestic ferrets do not interbreed with Black-Footed ferrets and private ownership of the endangered Black-Footed ferret is prohibited by law.
We suggest you acquire more detailed information on ferret ownership and general care from Ferrets Magazine , which is a good resource for answering questions on housebreaking, socialization and many other aspects of ferret ownership. If you have questions on common medical problems you can go to MiamiFerret.org which has excellent and detailed information on adrenal disease, insulinoma, ECE, heartworms and other medical issues. If your veterinarian needs help on a specific problem, go to the Ferret Consultation page on this website.
If you are thinking about a ferret as a pet, there are some drawbacks you should consider. Ferrets will use a litterbox, but they are more difficult to litter-train than cats. They are also diggers, and can put holes in furniture and carpets. They are very good at opening cabinets and getting into things and they love to chew up anything made of any kind of rubber. They also suffer a higher incidence of cancers than dogs or cats, and medical care can become quite expensive.
On the upside, ferrets are a lot of fun. They love being with people and they are extremely playful. If they have other ferret companions, they don't require a lot of social time with owners, but are very good at self-entertaining. They are quiet and are a good fit for people who live in apartments or other small living quarters. People who own ferrets tend to own more than one, because their playfulness can become addictive!
Most ferrets come from pet stores and are bred at one of several large "ferret farms" such as Marshall Farms in New York or Path Valley Farms in Pennsylvania. These places breed and sell tens of thousands of ferrets every year. I urge people to buy from small local breeders when possible; this way you can see the parents and know the breeding of the ferret you buy.
Ferrets purchased from pet stores are already neutered and descented. Routine medical care consists of annual vaccinations against canine distemper and rabies as well as a a complete physical exam. I cannot stress enough the importance of an annual check-up, as many medical problems can be detected and treated early. In areas where heartworm disease exists in dogs, ferrets should also take heartworm preventive. Although heartworm disease in ferrets is more unusual than in dogs, it is also much more difficult to treat, so prevention is the best cure. Ferrets do get hairballs and should take hairball laxative regularly to prevent surgical removal of hairballs. Surgery is often necessary in older ferrets who accumulate large masses of hair in the stomach from years of grooming.
It is a very good idea to provide natural or fluorescent lighting for ferrets, rather than incandescent. There is some good scientific evidence that unnatural light cycles play a big part in adrenal disease, one of the most common problems in older ferrets. Adjusting the lighting to give nine hours of light and fifteen of dark may help prevent your ferret from getting adrenal disease.
We highly recommend microchip ID's for ferrets, as we do for all pets. We see plenty of lost ferrets who could have been reunited with their owners if they had only had some form of identification. Collars and tags do not work well for ferrets, since they are so adept at removing them.
Ferrets are strict carnivores and need a high quality diet. Feeding cheap cat food can predispose ferrets to medical problems. We highly recommend Totally Ferret which is in my opinion the best quality ferret diet. If ferret food is simply not available to you, use a very high-quality cat food such as Iams or Science Diet.
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