Raising Your Baby Ferret
Ferret Care
Just like any infant, baby ferrets also need a lot of care. Even though baby ferrets can leave their mothers as early as six weeks old, they will still need lots of attention and supervision in order to live a long and happy life. Makes sure you know how to care for baby ferrets long before they are born. A female ferret, or jill, must not be handled during the birthing process. Doing so could be dangerous for the babies and for you, as well, as she could become hostile.
Kits (baby ferrets)
A typical litter of ferrets is usually around seven or eight babies, or “kits”. The kits are blind and pretty much hairless at birth. The next few weeks are spent eating, sleeping and growing. After about twenty days their color will darken from the pink complexion they had a birth and their eyes will start to open. At six weeks old they are old enough to leave their mothers. Your baby ferret’s first visit to the veterinarian should happen around seven weeks of age. At this time they should get their first set of vaccinations and you should discuss having them de-scented and fixed with you vet.
Baby Ferret Diet
A kit needs to be weaned from their old diet. If you have purchased your baby ferret from a breeder, check with them to see what brand of food they have been giving the ferret. Should you decide to use the same brand of food, you should soak it in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes before feeding it to your baby ferret. If you plan to switch the type of food, start with the old brand and gradually introduce the new brand into their diet over several days. Before high-quality ferret food was available a lot of people would feed their pets with a premium quality cat food. During infancy, ferrets need higher quality protein that cannot be provided by cat food. Make sure that whatever food you choose that it contains at least 35% protein and 20% fat. Poultry fat supplies a better balance of essential fatty acids and is well tolerated by baby ferrets. Make sure your kit has water all the time and change the water at least once a day.
Ferret Cages
Choose a large, ferret-friendly cage for your baby ferret so they will be comfortable and have plenty of room to move around in safely. Ferrets can be very active and a ferret-specific cage will make sure they can play and run around without worry of injury. It’s best to avoid cages with metal bottoms as they can corrode easily. If you purchase a cage with plastic coated wire, you’ll need to make sure that your baby ferret isn’t chewing on it as ingesting the plastic would be harmful. Baby ferrets also like places to hide so provide some soft padding for them to burrow into and sleep in as well. Check their bedding on a regular basis to make sure your pet isn’t eating it. If they are it could cause a dangerous blockage in their intestines.
Your baby ferret will needs lots of love and attention. They can be very active and need to receive proper care as they grow so they can live a long and healthy life.
