Ferret-Proofing

Fuzzies love to explore! It is ingrained in their nature to get into everything! Ferrets are famous (or infamous!) for hiding, digging, chewing, and escaping, and your little one won’t be any different. As a ferret owner, you need to do everything possible to keep them out of trouble. Therefore, it is important to ferret-proof before letting your little fuzzy out to play. The best advice to properly ferret-proof your home is to get down on your hands and knees and inspect each accessible area from a ferret’s-eye view to find hazards. Here are some things to look for while inspecting:

• Their favorite hiding places are under things and inside holes.
• They will fit into even the smallest places.
• The rule of thumb is: if their head can fit through, their bodies will follow!

Places to look out for are any areas where openings are wider than an inch in diameter, such as openings in and around dishwashers, dryer vents, refrigerators, stoves, air conditioning ducts, furnaces, window and door screens, walls and floors, cabinets, stairwells, and plumbing pipes.

Ferrets also love to sleep in their hiding places. This can be very dangerous when the hiding place is inside recliners and sofa beds where, when opened, a ferret can be crushed; in clothes hampers where they can be thrown into the washing machine with the wash; inside clothes or towels on the floor where they can be stepped on; or between cushions and mattresses where they can suffocate.

As mentioned, ferrets love to dig and burrow. They will dig at or burrow into couches and mattresses and eat the foam rubber stuffing; carpeting, especially in corners and under doors; household plants that could also be chewed and may be poisonous; and stereo speakers.

Ingesting foreign material is a common yet serious problem with ferrets. It can cause intestinal blockage which is only correctable through surgery. The most commonly ingested foreign materials include foam rubber soles and insoles of shoes, styrofoam or packing material, pipe insulation, paper, sponges, cotton balls, rubber bands, toilet paper, electrical cords, holiday decorations, antifreeze, and anything made from vinyl, soft rubber or plastics. Keep this in mind when choosing toys for your little one. Many regular cat toys have parts that ferrets can bite off and swallow. Look for hard rubber or plush toys, small stuffed animals (without eyes and nose parts that can be bitten off), and most importantly, squeaky or jingly toys. For reasons unknown to humans, ferrets love certain sounds and are especially excited by the sound of plastic bags rustling. We recommend cutting off handles and cutting a hole in the bottom of your plastic bags before turning them over as playthings. Also, because ferrets love to burrow and hide, they thoroughly enjoy chasing each other through endless lengths of dryer tubing. There are a lot of expensive toys out there, but you may find, like the rest of us, that an empty box and some plastic bags end up being much more valuable.

Ferrets can climb and jump and will endlessly explore heights. It is not uncommon for ferrets to fall from dangerous heights so SUPERVISION IS A MUST DURING PLAY TIME. Ferrets can get onto tables from chairs and onto coffee tables from couches, so watch your furniture arrangement to prevent access paths. Staircases can also be dangerous and your ferret will love to run up and down them. Keep open windows out of reach so as to prevent escape.

Ferrets are very resourceful and can open cabinets and drawers so use child-proof latches to secure these or make these areas off-limits. Bathrooms should also be off limits. Ferrets can drown in toilets or bathtubs filled with water. Also, these areas often have cabinets containing dangerous household chemicals. A note about using household chemicals around ferrets: be careful with carpet powders, air fresheners and aerosols. They can cause irritation to the ferret respiratory tract. Also, always use nontoxic cleaners (ex. Simple Green) in areas where your ferrets are allowed. A 10% bleach solution may be used to sanitize non-porous items such as cages, toys, etc. One last very important note: KEEP ALL DOORS TO THE OUTSIDE CLOSED and be very careful to secure any possible access to the outdoors. If your ferret gets out, you very well may never see him again. FERRETS CANNOT LIVE IN THE WILD. They do not know how to fend for themselves and can become very sick and die within a few days.

Preventive Measures

• Make sure rooms where dangerous furniture is located are off limits.
• Make kitchens and bathrooms off-limits due to the dangers of getting into appliances and cabinets.
• To help prevent your ferret from chewing on objects such as electrical cords, use Bitter Apple paste as a deterrent.
• Attach hardware cloth or a thin board such as masonite underneath couches and mattresses to prevent burrowing.
• Finally, try laying down plastic carpet runners in those favorite digging spots.

Remember, ferrets are curious and intelligent, and they love problem solving. Therefore, ferret proofing needs to be an ongoing process so as to make sure they haven’t found any new ways to climb, get into or get under things that could be harmful or dangerous.

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