Cages & Housing
Pro Tip: If your ferret is biting the bars of the cage, it means he’s bored and WANTS OUT!!! (Remember, they’re most active in the mornings and evenings!)
Pro Tip:
Please remember to ALWAYS cover the cage floor so they have a stable (and soft, preferably!) support to walk on. Would you like to walk around on wire or thin metal bars all day? No! It’s very uncomfortable and their toes can get stuck and broken. It has happened, so please furnish their cage in a way that you’d be happy to live in, too. :)
Here’s a horror story of a ferret who had no liners/support and only had wire to walk on:
Nov 18 2017 Dec 2 2017 Feb 23 2018
Ferret-Safe cages
By Holly
Ferret Nation & Critter Nation are the best cages to use - the others are too small, too flimsy, or just unsafe for them (falling off the very top shelf - ouch!). It’s also a good idea to get a “double” (two story) critter/ferret nation, that way if you need to separate a ferret, they both have their own living space during cage-time.
A lot of cages aren't built for the shenanigans ferrets can cause - the shelves can fall off, the ferrets can fall and hurt themselves, the ferrets can figure out how to get out, they can pinch their toes, etc etc :(
If you're on a budget, you can search FB marketplace or craigslist for FerretNation or Critternation (someone in the group just found one for 60$ the other day!). But I would definitely not risk their safety to save a bit of money 😊
Cleaning your Cages
By Holly
Spot-clean daily as needed.
Deep-clean (pull out ALL blankets, litter boxes, etc, and wipe down trays) weekly.
Wash water & food bowls every other day (Tip: Would you drink that water? No? Then switch it out and wash the bowl!)
Wash blankets, hammocks, etc as needed (longest I'd let them go is a week)
Wash actual cage as needed (typically every 6 months or yearly depending how messy your ferrets are. People use old tooth-brushes to get the small awkward areas of the bars)
Wipe down litter boxes daily. Fully wash them weekly.
Recommended cleaners:
- Kids n Pets (enzyme cleaner)
- Nature's Miracle (some people dislike the smell)
- Vinegar & water (50/50)
- You CAN use Lysol/bleach wipes, just make sure the cage completely dries before putting blankets/ferrets back in.
Recommended laundry detergent:
- Anything is fine as long as the fragrance isn't super powerful. Most harmful fragrances will get washed out by the time the load is done.
- But most opt on the safe side and go for unscented or natural laundry soaps (ex: Amway SA8, Biokleen, Molly's Suds, Seventh Generation, etc)
Cage Arrangement
By Holly
Typically you'll want a litter box, food bowl, water bowl (and bottle if you choose) on EACH LEVEL. This makes sure everyone can access food/water, and can quickly get to a litter box. Litter box typically in the far, dark corner, since they prefer to poo in the dark.
Blankets blankets blankets! If you have a chewer, linens (bed sheets, pillow cases) are a good choice.
Minimal toys - anything that can be chewed on and accidentally swallowed, claws snagged on, etc should NOT be left in the cage unsupervised.
Multiple sleep spots - just ONE hammock is limiting and boring (they do like to switch it up!). Even an extra pile of blanket in a corner works!