Before you purchase or adopt a ferret, ask yourself some important questions.  Click on each link for information.

Can I properly care for a ferret?  Do I want a pet that requires time spent with it each day?

Do you go out of town a lot?  Will you be leaving the ferret alone for long stretches of time?  It's okay to leave it while you go to work, but you should spend a few hours each day playing with it and letting it romp around your house for exercise.  Ferrets bond very strongly with their owners, so they will definitely miss you and react with sadness and other behavioral problems if you are gone much of the time.

If you are gone for days or weeks at a time on business trips on a regular basis, you might not be the best "parent" for any kind of pets at all.

Okay, maybe fish.

Can I properly house a ferret, now and in the future?

To Cage...
Ferrets are not like hamsters or gerbils or other small animals that stay caged all the time.  Think of ferrets as being more like cats, but not as independent as cats; they require more care than cats.  Your ferrets can live in a wire cage (the larger, the better), but they should be allowed to run around outside their cage (but inside your house) for several hours each day.  See our Ferret Products page for companies who make ferret cages.

Or Not To Cage...
Many ferret owners dedicate an extra bedroom or bathroom in their homes to be "the ferret room" so that the ferrets can be more or less free-roaming.  However, if you decide to keep your ferrets in a free-roaming state in an extra bathroom, make sure to always keep the toilet lid DOWN.  Ferrets are good climbers and jumpers.  If they fall in your toilet, they may not be able to get out and they could drown!

Are they outdoor pets at all?

You cannot keep ferrets outside, or even let them run around outside without supervision.  They are fast runners, and can get away from you in an instant. (If you want to take them outside, we recommend a leash.  Yes, they make leashes for ferrets.)  All ferrets are domesticated versions of the polecat - they have been bred for centuries to be dependent on humans for survival.  They will NOT survive in the outside world by themselves.

But don't they have a homing instinct?

They do NOT have a homing instinct like cats and dogs.  If they get out, they will likely go exploring and never find their way back to you.  They may suffer a cruel death -- hit by a car, attacked by other animals, or having someone shoot it or beat it to death thinking it is a large, funny-looking rat.

They're really rats, aren't they?

Ferrets are NOT related to rats.  Yes, they have that little "mouse face" and sable ferrets have facial mask markings like raccoons.

But ferrets are not rodents.  They are mustelids, in the same family as minks.

Are they more like hamsters or more like cats?
Ferrets (even most older ferrets) typically exhibit behavior similar to kittens.  They are playful, active and downright hilarious.  Unlike hamsters (which are much smaller creatures), ferrets should not remain caged all the time.  They need to run around in larger spaces from time to time, preferably a ferret-proofed room.  This could be a bathroom or extra bedroom.  Just make sure you remove things you don't want broken, or things that may harm the ferret.  They are extremely resourceful and will get into everything if you are not careful!

I live in a hot climate.  Is that okay?

Ferrets are cold climate pets, for the most part.  We don't recommend letting them outside as a general rule anyway, but especially in hot climates.  Their habitat in your home should be normal room temperature.  Ferrets can die within minutes in temperatures above 80 degrees.  Their living space should not be too cold either.  Keep the room temperature where the ferrets are housed between 65 and 75 degrees.

Am I willing to train my ferret, or tolerate certain behaviors?

Don't they bite?
We hear about a lot of people who want to give up their ferrets not long after acquiring them "because they bite."  Most very young ferrets will nip when teething, but they should be taught not to do this, or you may wind up with an adult ferret that bites (and hurts!).

A little flick on the nose is usually enough to discourage this behavior.  In conjunction with a strong "NO!" from you, they can learn by your voice, along with the nose-flick, that the nipping is not acceptable.  Before long, all you need to do is just say "NO!" loudly and they understand.

Never hit your ferrets on the head or anywhere else to discipline them.  That will only result in an abused and hostile ferret.  Some ferret owners do not like the idea of even the little nose flick to discourage nipping, so instead, they spray Bitter Apple on their fingers and/or toes when playing with their ferrets.  When the ferret attempts to bite your finger, they will taste the harmless but nasty tasting Bitter Apple and this helps teach them that human digits are not for chewing!

Give them Cheweasels to teeth on, or at any time for a snack/toy.  These are treats made from protein-based, human-grade food materials and are 100% digestible.  You can purchase Cheweasels from many sources, especially ferret supply stores.

Don't they always land on their feet? 
No.  Never drop ferrets to see if they will twist in the air and land on their feet like cats do.  (They don't.)  Although they are hardy and can usually survive a fall from a table just fine, you do not want to put them at any needless, unnecessary risk for injury.

The Poop Meisters! 
Ferrets are also "kings and queens of poop."  They will "make" in almost any corner in your home, so it is best to keep them confined to a specific area most of the time.  They can be trained to use cat litter boxes, but they may still want to "mark" corners of a room by eliminating in them.  Place the litter box relatively near their sleeping area.  They usually relieve themselves almost immediately upon waking.  If you want them to free-roam your house, you would do well to keep newspaper or plastic in the corners, or at least put some out while the ferrets are out of their cage.

Hitting your ferrets to discipline them for pooping outside the litter box will not train them.  It will only abuse them and turn them into either fearful, skittish creatures or aggressive, angry animals.  This is true of any pet.  You should keep an eye on them -- if they go for a corner instead of the litter box, say "NO!" loudly, pick them up and put them (gently) into the litter box.  Be consistent with this training and they will learn.  They may still go for the corners sometimes, so you MUST accept this behavior about ferrets and be willing to put up with it.  If you cannot, do NOT get a ferret in the first place.

This baby ferret is stealing a camera tripod! Photo by The FerretLady at FerretCity.com

Stop, Thief! 
Ferrets are famous for being little thieves.  They will "steal" all sorts of things (keys, socks, etc.) and hide them under beds or in corners.  It's best to "ferret-proof" your home -- keep small items (rings, earrings, keys, etc.) up and out of their reach.  This is very entertaining behavior, so give them hard plastic balls or edible toys they can "steal" and hide.  Don't give them balls or other toys made from foam rubber type material.  They will bite off and swallow little pieces, which may cause intestinal obstructions, and sometimes, death.

Another tip: Don't leave open glasses or bottles of water around; they will knock them over and get everything wet.

Am I willing to spend the money required for all vaccinations and other veterinary treatment?

Wait a minute, did you say we're going to the (gulp) DOCTOR? 
Just like having children, you should be financially capable of caring for animals before bringing them into your life.  Ferrets require regular shots, medical treatment, and ongoing health monitoring, just like any other pet.  Ferrets must be vaccinated for canine distemper and rabies (see http://www.ferret.org/vaccinations.htm).  They are susceptible to adrenal gland tumors, Aleutians disease (see http://www.ferret.org/96aleutian.pdf) and ECE (see http://www.ferret.org/95ece.pdf).

Ferrets are not usually any more disease-ridden or disease-prone than dogs or cats.  But you should be aware of what diseases can occur in ferrets so that you can have them inoculated and you can monitor their condition from time to time.  Ferrets are generally hardy animals; many bounce back from illness with incredible resilience.

Mom, my stomach hurts... 
If your ferret accidentally eats something that creates an intestinal blockage, you must be prepared to treat it with special cat or ferret laxatives (see http://www.ferret.org/96medical.pdf), or have the blockage surgically removed to avoid having it kill the animal.  To read more about ferret medical care, see some of the many ferret information websites on the internet.

How big do they get and how long do they live?

How big do they get? 
Adult ferrets generally weigh anywhere from 1 to 5 pounds, and are usually not much larger than about 1 foot in length.  Males are usually larger than females.

How long do they live? 
7 to 9 years, sometimes longer.

Am I willing to continue to seek out information on caring for my ferret?

This is true of any pet.  You should research information on your pet at least once a year (or more) regarding any new diseases that may have been discovered, or any new treatments for existing problems, etc.  Animals are members of your family, not just toys.  They deserve humane treatment, which involves you putting some effort into maintaining their well-being.

Where can I get more information?

In the U.S. alone, there are hundreds of ferret clubs, rescue organizations, shelters, books, websites, and monthly or quarterly magazines and newsletters -- plenty of places to go for information.  Ferrets are very popular house pets, so information is easy to find.  Just a small number of these sites are listed on our Ferret Information & HealthCare page.

For a listing of ferret clubs and shelters in your area, see our Ferret Clubs page.

After all that...!
We don't mean to discourage you from making one or more ferrets part of your family.  They are WONDERFUL creatures.  They are funny, energetic, loving, soft, silky, adorable animals.  You will absolutely fall in love with them.  But they require more care than some other kinds of pets, and they have their little idiosyncrasies.  We just want you to be aware and have as much information as possible, so that you can make an educated, informed decision on whether or not to take on that responsibility -- just as you should do before acquiring ANY kind of animal for a pet.

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