Do these teeth look sharp to you?

A: Any animal can bite and while this may be the first association most people make with ferrets, there is a reason behind this which makes the ferret a very mis-understood animal companion. Ferrets naturally nip each other to entice play and will do the same to you. Sometimes this nip may be a little painful as a ferret’s skin is thicker than ours and they can tolerate a much harder play nip. When a nip draws blood, that is the line between a play nip and a bite. In spite of this, statistics show that ferrets have a lower bite rate than dogs and cats.

Mazuri Ferret Diet

Purina 1 Kitten

Walmart Max Kitten

Ennova Gold

Pro Plan Kitten

Science Diet Kitten

A mix of two or more of these is best.

Insure that chicken or turkey (not chicken "meal") is the first ingredient in a kibble diet. Treats should also be meat based and ferrets enjoy Pounce treats as well as Bandits meat based treats that can be found either at your local pet store or online at a number of ferret supply websites. Sweet treats like raisins should be given sparingly and vegetables and dairy products should be avoided as a ferret’s system can not digest them. Never give your ferret chocolate. Ferrets also have very short digestive tracts and should therefore have food and water available to them at all times.

A: Yes, although they are not "like" a dog or cat in many ways, they are quiet and easy to care for. They enjoy being around people and as they sleep in shifts of 4-5 hours a day, they can thrive happily on playtime and attention from you for 4-5 hours per day. When they play, they play hard and fast which makes them tire easily and will then require a 2 hour nap or maybe more.

They are smart enough to organize with each other and analytical enough

to accomplish their mission at hand.

A: Ferrets are very intelligent and clever creatures. Their paws are more like little hands. They can grasp objects which can lead to mischief like opening cabinet doors and climbing up on tables. With proper training they can also be taught to do tricks, and with careful proofing of your house, your ferret can be allowed to roam freely while you are home. Ferret proofing is similar to baby proofing.

A: Your ferret will adapt to your schedule. Even though they spend 18 hours a day sleeping, they do so in short naps and will be happy to be up to play when you have time. Some ferrets are deep sleepers and you will need to take care when waking them up. Always support their head so they aren’t injured if they do the "dishrag ferret " or "coma ferret" on you. (Not waking up immediately when you pick them up, flopping their head around) They will play for 1-2 hours before they are ready for a nap again,…which they may also prefer to take with you, but watch your toes under the covers!

A: The very first place you should go to is a local ferret rescue. There are only a few in the MD area and they are over run with ferrets that have been dumped off because most people go to pet stores to buy ferrets and they do so inspired by that cute little face without getting an education about the animal they are buying. Rescues need your support to continue their work as most state run animal control facilities are not able to accommodate unwanted ferrets. Private rescues are the only hope for these wonderful creatures that fall into the hands of uneducated and too frequently, uncaring humans.

Ferretone time at Somethin Up My Sleeve.

Mmmmmmmm

A: Primarily, this is due to lack of education when purchasing a ferret or any animal companion. While some people undergo life changes that cause them to surrender their ferret, most people lack commitment to their new companion or didn’t realize how much work was involved with caring for a ferret. A rescue can easily become over run from out of control back yard breeders that need to be bailed out of running neglectful operations.

A: You will pay more for an appropriate cage and supplies than you do for the ferret himself. You can expect to invest approximately $300 for these items. You can adopt your ferret from a rescue and pay a lot less than you would at a pet store. After your initial investment it’s not expensive to maintain your ferret with food and nutritional supplements. We recommend that you have a savings account set aside for your ferret’s health care as if they become sick, vet care can be expensive but very helpful in adding years to your ferret’s life.

Cartoon depiction of a ferret after surgery, most likely adrenal disease.

A: Most importantly, ferrets are susceptible to human colds and influenza. When you are sick, you should take extra precautions when handling your ferret, wearing an allergy mask and washing your hands frequently. Excessive sneezing in your ferret should be addressed immediately with your veterinarian as a simple cold can quickly turn in to pneumonia in a ferret. Ferrets are also prone to adrenal tumors. Signs of adrenal disease include excessive hair loss, weight loss and their skin being feverish to the touch. There are several remedies for adrenal disease which we recommend discussing with your veterinarian and rescue professionals.

Kim’s ferret Taz, her sweetest boy that lived to the ripe old age of 10 years old, surviving adrenal surgery at 6 years old, passing on Father’s Day 2007 of cardio-myopathy.

Kim’s nephew Zach holds his beloved Vin Diesel weasel. Zach was raised around ferrets from the young age of five and with close supervision and education has always exhibited a loving and exceptionally responsible nature with the ferrets.

A: As with any animal companion, children should be closely supervised around a ferret or any animal. It is possible to teach a child as young as 6 to be a responsible human companion to their ferret but this is the exception, not the rule and we recommend the child to be at least 10-12 years old.

Sam, Kim’s cat dines at his food bowl with his best buddy Albi the ferret, allowing him to eat before him.