Housing
The way in which you choose to house your ferret is up to you but it is one of the most important things to consider. Ferrets love to run around and play so the more space available, the happier your ferret will be.
Outdoors
For outdoors there are a wide ranges of enclosures you can keep ferrets in. These must be fully waterproofed and safe with no way your ferret could escape. Our ferrets are housed in a large shed renovated into a ferret enclosure. It also has two courts added on for maximum space. Inside it has tunnels for the ferrets to run up, which are a great form of exercise, different levels and also various places to sleep. Another way of keeping ferrets outdoors would be in large 2-3 tier hutches. If you choose this option of housing, you MUST make sure that the hutch you choose is weatherproof and that no other animals can get into the cage or knock it over.
Our Ferrets Home:
Indoors
For indoor cages, I'd suggest a very large double cage with access to all levels. Cages for any small rodent are NOT suitable for ferrets. If you are to keep your ferrets in the house and allow them time out you MUST make sure the areas which they have access to are completely safe and ferret proof. Ferrets are master escape artists so it is essential that there is no way they will be able to escape and get lost.
Indoor ferret cage options: http://ferretinfo.co.uk/ferret-housing/4541283933
Ferret proofing your home: https://www.thesprucepets.com/ferret-proofing-your-home-1238653
Build your own!
You also have the option to build your ferret enclosure yourself. Apart from the shed structure, our ferrets home is completely hand made! A few tips for you if you are thinking of building your own ferret enclosure:
○ You can make it as big as you like. As long as they have the option to exercise and play it will be suitable.
○ Have levels! Ferrets love to climb around so it's great the have platforms, shelves and tunnels for them to climb up.
○ For the wire, Welded mesh is recommended. Chicken wire is too weak and flimsy.
○ Have a suitable lock. As mentioned previously ferrets are masters of escape!
If you have any questions about ferret housing please feel free to ask!
Enrichment
As well as space to play in, ferrets need things to play with! A wide variety of enrichment should be available to your ferrets to ensure that they stay happy, this should include: varying levels of height, nest boxes, hammocks, dig boxes and anything you can find to entertain them! A box of shredded paper makes a great nest box or activity to forage for treats , an old sock is a great thing for them to stash, Ball pits are also a brilliant activity to keep your ferrets entertained, tunnels are amazing for ferrets as they keep them fit and as you can see from my set up photos, we have a lot of them! Hanging baskets are a strong favourite here as they love sleeping up in high places! Recycling items is a great way to save money on enrichment toys for ferrets.
Walking ferrets!
Another great way to keep your ferrets active is by taking them on a walk! For harnesses I wouldn't recommend H harnesses. From my experience, ferrets can slip out of these too easily and they are very difficult to adjust to smaller ferrets. Instead, I'd suggest a figure of 8 harness. These are easy to adjust to your ferrets shape, big or small and are secure. If you are going to take them on walks, it's recommended that you jab them against canine distemper.
