| Ferrets Need Proper Care Too! |
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Ferrets Need Proper Care Too! Before you bring your first ferret home, make sure you have an appropriate enclosure to house your new friend. Ferrets love den-like surroundings. Wire cages are usually best. Aquariums do not provide adequate ventilation for ferrets. Multi-levelled enclosures will give your ferret space to play and explore during its waking hours. Make sure the cage is secure. Ferrets are very good at finding their way out through easy to open latches or small openings. Line the floor of your ferret's cage with a linoleum or soft washable carpet designed for animals. Wire floors will hurt his feet. Be wary of using newspaper or wood chips for floor covering in her enclosure. Linoleum and carpet are much easier to disinfect which means a cleaner environment for your ferret. Ferrets enjoy sleeping. They may sleep much of the day or night. However, they then like to be very active during their waking hours. Make sure you spend time playing with your new friend. If you cannot spend much time with her, give your ferret toys and other objects to play with in her cage. Tubes, cardboard and paper bags are some low cost ways to provide entertainment for her. Of course, there are hundreds of items to purchase from your online pet supply store. Ferrets are meat eaters. They need a diet which contains animal protein and fat. You do not need to provide fresh meat, but cat or dog food will not meet the dietary needs of your ferret. Ferret food can be purchased from most pet stores. Avoid feeding him vegetables and fruit. Vegetables are hard for ferrets to digest and fruit is too high in sugar. Turkey and chicken snacks are a good addition to your ferret's diet. Unfortunately, ferrets do have strong scent glands and sometimes the odor can be unpleasant. These glands are used to mark their territory. In order to minimize their odor, it is okay to spay or neuter your pet. Weekly bathes are another good way to keep their odor to an acceptable level. Frequent bathing can have the opposite effect as your ferret's glands may end up secreting more scent and natural oils. Ferrets may not be the ideal pet for everyone. But if you are looking for a fairly low maintenance pet, choose a ferret and be sure to give it the care it needs! Duane L. Zimmerman |