Domestic ferrets: characteristics, features of keeping and breeding

The decorative ferret, better known to breeders as a ferret or furo, is a domesticated variety of the steppe ferret. In recent years, it has become fashionable to keep him in an apartment, and this is not surprising - with knowledge of some of the subtleties, caring for such a pet does not present any problems.

The ferret is a fairly brisk mammals, a distinctive feature of which is an elongated torso and a long fluffy tail. The name "fretka" came to us from the Polish language, it was in this country that the first ferret ferrets were bred. In European countries, another designation is accepted - ferret.

Ferrets are predatory animals from the marten family. Their elongated body reaches 40 cm in length in females and 50 cm in males. The paws of the animal are short, but at the same time very strong and hardy. Due to the developed muscles in the limbs, the ferret moves easily from one tree to another and digs deep holes. It is very popular with breeders due to the large fluffy tail, the length of which is 20-25 cm. The weight, depending on the variety, varies from 0.25 to 2 kg.

Under natural conditions, animals are common in Russia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, as well as in America and Central Asia. Certain ferret species have also been introduced even to Australia and New Zealand to combat a rapidly expanding rodent population.

These are fearless and bold animals that bravely throw themselves at snakes, moles, muskrats, although all these animals are often much larger and stronger. In previous years, ferrets were often taken for hunting - due to their dexterity, animals quickly coped with smaller animals.

Thanks to its cute appearance and friendly nature, the animal has been bred as an exotic pet for decades. Domesticated ferrets took quite a lot from their wild ancestors, primarily their appearance, character, habits and color. Despite the fact that ferrets are pets, they prefer to lead a night life. In the daytime, the ferret loves to sleep, and closer to night wakes up and starts to stay awake.

In the natural habitat, ferrets dig deep holes, the same habits are inherited by their domestic varieties. If you have a lot of indoor potted plants in your house, then most likely your pet will not fail to take the opportunity to dig through all the pots with plants.

The wagons have a rather flexible body, so they can penetrate even very narrow holes, but they are often unable to get out of there - this can pose a threat to the life of the pet, therefore in captivity the ferret is better kept in a fairly spacious aviary without the possibility of self-walking in your absence.

The following popular colors of ferrets are distinguished.

• Sable - This is the most common suit of the animal. Usually the tails and limbs are painted in dark colors, the body is lighter, beige. A distinctive feature of such animals is black circles near the eyes.

• Champagne - this color is formed by a combination of tones of milk and light chocolate. Their eyes usually have a shade of pomegranate, and the nose is pale pink. It is these ferrets that are most often raised at home.

• Pastel - here many colors are allowed at once - from light to dark colors, but the main tone is still white. The nose is brown or pink, the eyes are dark coffee, almost black. In the wild, such ferrets are widespread, but in captivity they are quite rare.

• White - These ferrets look like albino animals, but only in the color of their fur. Such animals usually suffer from deafness, but their cost is much higher than all other varieties, which, however, does not affect the popularity of animals of this suit among breeders.

• "Cinnamon" - Another variety of ferrets common for home breeding, the spine in this case is brownish, but the hair darkens closer to the tail. The eyes are usually maroon, but may be brownish pinkish.

• Silver - This animal is characterized by beige wool with delicate tints of grayish shades. The color is very rare, so such animals are highly regarded among experienced breeders.

• Panda - one of the most exotic varieties. Such ferrets outwardly resemble big pandas: they have a white body, dark legs and an almost black tail.

Ferrets are very active and inquisitive, and, as a rule, friendly, but at the time of puberty (about six months) and during the rutting season their character begins to deteriorate.

If the house already has other pets, then the ferret will certainly become a leader in their relationship. These are rodents with high intelligence and commanding manners. Ferrets are best placed in contact with dogs, especially guard breeds. Often they become real friends and communicate well with each other.

But with "pocket" dogs, the interaction is much more complicated - the fact is that these animals are easily excitable, because ferrets use this and often offend them. But acquaintance with hunting dogs can end badly for the ferret - they can perceive it as prey and even kill it.

Relations between ferrets and cats can develop in the most unpredictable way - there can be great friendships, and absolute indifference and aggression.

The relationship between the ferret and rodents and birds is quite risky - in the wild, such animals become the prey of a ferret, so it is better to keep the cages out of the reach of the ferret at home.

No need to start ferrets in families with young children - the fact is that furry pets have very sharp teeth and claws and they can harm the baby. Children often accept new pets as new toys, and if dogs with cats can endure such actions stoically, ferrets will certainly react with aggression and anger.

If your children are a little older, then this unusual pet will pose absolutely no danger to households - in comfortable conditions he is not more dangerous than an ordinary cat.

The content of ferrets has many advantages.

• These pets are very quickly accustomed to the tray, and all care for them comes down only to periodic cleaning of the cage and washing of the litter.
• During communication with a person, a ferret learns his name pretty quickly, assimilates such concepts as “good” and “bad”.
• Tamed animals are very popular with both children and adults - they are quite soft and very playful. Ferrets are very original in their entertainments - during games he fancifully jumps and adores rustling bags, tumbling in dug holes in the summer, and making tunnels in the snow in winter.
• Ferrets are adapted to a variety of conditions, they can walk in any weather and can breed in different climatic zones.
• The animal is extremely unpretentious in food - they can eat both specialized feeds and receive food from a common table.

Despite the abundance of advantages, the owners of such a beast face many difficulties that need to be known in advance.

Keep in mind that this is a very sociable and sociable animal that requires constant attention from its owner. To maintain mental comfort and a stable mental state, the animal needs at least 3 hours of communication with the owner per day.

Think in advance whether you have enough time. If you belong to the category of busy workaholics who do not have the opportunity to once again sit on the TV or chat with friends, then all you can give the animal is to sprinkle food and clean the cage. Such people are more suitable for a turtle or fish.

It is very important to be patient - this is an animal whose energy literally beats over the edge, it is characterized by shyness and an irrepressible thirst for activity. Any animal can spoil things - for example, a dog nibbles on slippers, and a cat likes to sharpen its claws on furniture, but the ferret does it all at once. You must be mentally and financially prepared for the damage that the animal can cause to plants, furniture, toys and wallpaper.

It’s important to understand that keeping a ferret is not cheap at all. The purchase of such a pet will cost a pretty penny - the cost of the animal in the market is estimated from 2 to 20 thousand. You will also have to equip a comfortable aviary for him, the price of which reaches 15,000 rubles. In addition, you will have to purchase a feeder and a drinking bowl, a variety of toys, a hammock, a sunbed, a house. You will need a carrying for visits to the veterinarian, a leash and a claw point - this is also a plus of several thousand to the cost of arranging a pet’s home.

The animal needs full balanced nutrition, vitamin and mineral supplements that contribute to its full growth and development. Be sure to include items such as a veterinarian exam every six months and vaccinations.

In case of illness, the average check of treatment is about 20,000 rubles.

When creating favorable conditions, the ferret in captivity lives 7-9 years - this is a pretty good term for such a small animal, and for its owner - another reason to think about whether he is ready to take all responsibility for maintaining the animal’s comfortable living conditions in the apartment . Do not forget that this is not about a hamster who lives a couple of years and at the same time spends most of his time in a cage.

The ferret sleeps 13-15 hours a day, most often during the day. This means that at night, all family members will sleep peacefully, and their pet will make every effort to prevent this, wake up their owners and attract them to active games. In order to prevent him from turning his house upside down, the animal will need a good spacious cage, preferably an aviary, the minimum dimensions of which should correspond to 1x1x0.7 m.

In order for the pet not to be bored, several hammocks should be hung in the cage, in which the ferret will spend his entire free time. If you have a large house or a spacious apartment, it is better to build something like a zoo paddock - in this case the ferret will have enough of such space and the need for walking a pet will completely disappear. In such constructions it will be useful to suspend stairs and ropes.

A small kennel should be foreseen in the dwelling - it is usually collected from improvised means, paying special attention to the safety of the house for pussies. Inside, be sure to put bedding from old, warm and very soft cloths, for example, from wool and terry. Feeding troughs and drinking bowls are better to buy small and at the same time strong. It is advisable to use suspended structures, otherwise the active animal can simply turn them over.

Ferrets adore squeaking and rustling toys, balls, fabric cuts, teething teeth and many other entertainment devices.

As a toilet, you can use the most common tray, like for cats, and sawdust or pressed mixes are taken as filler.

The duration and quality of life of a pet depends on its nutrition. In their natural habitat, ferrets eat birds, insects and small rodents. At home, adhering to such a regime is hardly possible, therefore, breeders transfer their pets to finished feed.

There are 4 main types of feed - economy, middle class, as well as premium and professional mixes. The first two categories belong to the most budget ones - it is undesirable to use them for ferrets, it is better to purchase more expensive products that contain all the necessary vitamins, micro and macro elements. They also have less fat, so they are much better absorbed by the stomachs of furry pets. Preference should be given to dry mixtures - firstly, they are odorless, and secondly, contribute to high-quality cleaning of teeth from plaque and stone.

If you wish, you can feed the animals with natural food, most of the diet in this case should be meat - it is chopped into small pieces or grinded in a meat grinder. Such food is given to the ferrets twice a day, and approximately every 7-10 days they are supplemented by this mix of marine fish and chicken eggs. By the way, such feeding is not cheaper than buying ready-made mixtures.

Too often it is not necessary to bathe a ferret - a couple or three times a year is enough, while shampoos must be special, harmless to animals. Daily cleaning of fur is carried out using napkins and sprays - they can be purchased at any pet store.

Do not forget about the toilet for animals. The fact is that the urine of these pets contains quite a lot of ammonia, therefore, it has an unpleasant pungent smell. To prevent it from spreading throughout the house, the tray should be updated daily.

The animal requires special care during molting. Usually it occurs in March - then the pet takes off long hair and stays with shorter, rarer hairs. The second molt occurs in October-early November - at this moment the hamster prepares for wintering and forms a thick coat with dense undercoat. Shortly before the start of molting, the animal usually begins to itch very strongly, itching often disturbs the animal even during sleep. In such conditions, he will not be able to fall asleep until he gets rid of discomfort.

This period usually lasts no more than 1.5-2 weeks, but causes a lot of inconvenience to both the pets themselves and their owners. Breeders are very frightened when they notice small small blue spots on their pets - but let it not scare anyone, so a new coat paves the way for ferrets. During this period, the animal needs vitamins, then changing the coat will be much easier for the pet.

Ferret breeding usually begins with the right selection of animals. It is best to cook the largest individuals with no signs of illness for mating. It is better to take animals from different nurseries and different families - crossing between relatives gives unfavorable results and cubs are born weak and sick.

Females of ferrets are able to give birth several times a year, and there is no framework defining a specific hunting period. During breeding, the female becomes quite aggressive, often begins to rush about in the aviary - at this moment, it is necessary to plant an adult male, the animals will do the rest without the participation of their owners.

Females hatched calves for about 40-42 days. As the birth approaches, their mammary glands swell and begin to increase in size. As a rule, each female gives birth to 3-10 cubs.

During pregnancy, special attention should be paid to the quality of the feed, and in the fourth week, increase portions by 2-2.5 times.

Childbirth is easy and does not require human intervention - wild genes allow the female to cope with everything on her own. However, if they last more than 12 hours or are accompanied by the release of a sharp unpleasant odor - you should immediately contact your veterinarian, otherwise the risk of death of the mother and her puppies is high.

In the first month, young animals are breast-fed. If the newly-minted mother is fed in sufficient quantities, she will be able to cope with the feeding of all her 10 cubs. After a month, you can gradually transfer it to special feed or finely chopped "natural".

If you do not plan to breed ferrets, then the female is better to sterilize - at the time of the hunt she is extremely aggressive and if she can’t get the male, she soon stops drinking and eating, falls into apathy. This is accompanied by hair loss, sometimes even before alopecia.

Males not intended for breeding are neutered. If this is not done, they will begin to label everything and residents will have to deal with such a problem as unpleasant odors in their own home, which are quite difficult to get rid of.

Ferrets are naturally immune, but nonetheless susceptible to certain diseases.

Among infectious diseases, the greatest danger is plague and rabies, from which there is no cure and the affected animal dies, therefore, as a child, kittens should be put vaccinations.

Non-communicable diseases include the following.

• rickets - most often this problem is encountered by young animals that do not receive a balanced diet;
• vitamin deficiency and hypovitaminosis - another problem due to errors in the animal feeding system;
• aplastic anemia - usually appears in females during estrus in the absence of mating;
• gastroenteritis- ferrets encounter such a problem if the feed contains too much plant food;
• stones in the kidneys - Another consequence of an overabundance of the plant component in the feed;
• congestive cardiomyopathy - pathology of the cardiovascular system caused by a lack of taurine in the body;
• stomach ulcer - Becomes a consequence of stresses and mistakes in the organization of food;
• urocystitis - occurs as a result of hypothermia of the animal;
• cataract - most often, old or previously injured pets encounter it;
• prostate cyst - castrated males, whose age exceeds 2 years, are faced with this ailment;
• tumor processes, including oncological.

Often animals suffer from parasite infection:

• ear mites - transmitted from one sick pet to another, they are not contagious to people;
• fleas - most often, a ferret is attacked by human lice, as well as cat or dog fleas.

Testimonials from breeders indicate that ferrets are kind, but overly active pets. It is best to purchase them at the age of 2-3 months. During this time, they completely switch to adult food, and in addition, the mother accustoms them to the basic survival skills. This greatly facilitates their adaptation to a new place.

When buying an animal, special attention should be paid to its appearance - the coat should be smooth, glossy, the appearance of bald spots is undesirable. The nose should be moist and the eyes clean. The animal should be moderately well-fed and active enough.

For people who do not have much experience in caring for pets, it is best to take a female into the house. The difference is that girls are more obedient and understanding, much smarter and more intelligent than males. The feedback from the breeders emphasizes that the ladies of the ferret get used to the new house faster, get accustomed to the tray and in a short time study the new territory.

These animals are big fidgets, they are in constant motion, they literally need to stick their nose into each slit, try everything and feel with their paws.

Males are more imposing, sedate, they are calmer and stronger attached to their master.

The male is more attracted to the owner’s person than the territory, so they will often spin around you for a walk, but don’t be too happy - ferret boys rarely go hand in hand, allowing such treatment very rarely, and then in the mood.

See the following video about the care and maintenance features of a domestic ferret.