Ferrets range in size, females weigh 3/4 pound to 2 1/2 pounds.  Males weigh 2 pounds to 3 1/2 pounds.  Some ferrets do exceed that weight, usually un-netured males which can reach 6 pounds.  They range in length from 13-16 inches long with a tail that is 3-4 inches long.  Alot of people refer to them has furry snakes cause of their long slinky bodies.  Ferrets commonly live til 7-8 years old.  They come in a wide variety of colors, most common is sable and dark eyed white.   

 

Ferrets require a very strict diet.    The protein needs to be higher then 34% and fat needs to be higher then 20 percent fat.  The food should contain any byproducts or grains such as corn.  The main source of protein should always be meat.  Ferrets can not digest vegtables and grains contain hardly any nutriental value.  Dog foods do not meet the nutritional needs for ferrets.  Some cat foods do.  The only cat food I do recomend, which I do feed myself is California Nautral Cat & Kitten.  It is healthier then most ferret foods.  If you were to buy a ferret food, I would suggest 8 in 1 ultimate, Natural Gold and Ferret Store Superior Choice.  On the other hand I would recomend staying away from Marshall Farms as this food will make your ferrets smell worse.  Ferrets eat on their own schedules.  They have a very fast metaboslism.  Which means, they eat and poop very often!  Its best to leave food out for your ferrets.  Some ferrets do become obese like people.  But the best way to curb obesity is lots of excersise and climbing activities.     

 

Cage and Playtime:

 

Ferrets sleep about 18 hours a day.  They require 3-4 hours of excersise a day in either a ferret proofed area or playpen full of fun toys.  Ferrets are very flexible so whenever the playtime is convenient for you, they will be more then willing to wake themselves up.  Most ferrets only have enough energy to run around for about an hour before they curl back up to sleep again.  If possible, have your ferrets come out at various times to ensure they get the excersise they need.  Ferrets prefer to sleep in hammocks.  Most cages designed for ferrets are the right size to hang up multiple hammocks comfortably.  When its hot out, mine prefer to sleep on the floor.  Some also like the comfort of dark places.  If you let your ferrets loose in the house or room and they arent to be found, look in draws, closets or in the laundry bin.  I would recomend buying a large cage.  Just in case you decide to adopt another fur ball in the future.  Do not ever put a ferret in a glass tank like you would a hamster, they can't climb or have the space they need with this type of cage.  I personally like the Marhsall Mansion or Ferret Nation Cages.  These cages are huge and sturdy.  Today, there is specialy designed ferret playpens available.  Since ferrets can climb anything, these ensure there wont be too many escape artists!  The best websites to find ferret supplies are www.ferretdepot.com or www.ferretstore.com

Ferrets should never be kept outside, unless they are confined to a indoor house like mine.  They are very prone to heat exaustion and do get very cold.  They should be kept in a room thats semi-active.  So they can watch what you are doing but at the same time, get the sleep they need.  Baby ferrets (kits) are known for getting into very deep sleeps, so deep that you will think they are dead.  They eventually wake up soon after your on the phone to the vet asking why your ferret died in his sleep.  Just check for a heart beat and give him a little shake, he should wake up faster.  Ferrets use litter boxes (their supposed to anyway) just like cats.  But some try to find every way possible to avoid it, so it takes persistant training for some.  You should only use pellets such as "Yesterdays News".  Clay litters contain too much dust for your ferts little lungs.  They also love to dig, so you may find litter all over the cage everyday.  Pellets often do a good job soaking up the odors better then clay litters.

 

Buying A Ferret: 

 

I wouldn't recomend buying a ferret from a pet shop.  Just like with puppy mills, there is also ferret mills.  These are ferret farms that produce hundreds of ferrets a year simply for money.  The females (jills) are bred litter after litter.  The larget ferretry in the USA is Marshall Farms.  Most all pet shop ferrets or rescue ferrets come from there.  A newer ferretry is Real Canadian Ferrets.  These ferrets are bred far more healthier.  Other then the breeding portion, pet shops do not all the time take proper care of there pets.  Often, employees do not know much about ferrets and will give you false information.  The ferrets may also be very ill (like with my exprience) and not fed proper foods.  The ones I have seen at pet shops often have dry brittle coats.  I would recomend a quality breeder or rescue.  Buying from a quality breeder may cost up to $300 a ferret depending on the ferret.  But these ferrets very rarely have any health conditions throughout their lifetimes.  Most breeders do not neuter or decent their pets before selling them.  Which leaves this up to you, which is 100% nescesery for the health of your ferret.  I overall recomend adopting a ferret from a rescue.  The majority of ferrets that end up in shelters are from people that were not informed about the care or traits of ferrets before they bought them.  Unfortunatly, ferret shelters are over-flowing with unwanted ferrets due to lack of knowlodge for new owners. 

 

Health Conditions:

 

The most common health problem amoung ferrets is adrenal disease (aka. cancer).  It usually hits ferrets around 4 years old.  The most common sympton is hairloss.  It starts at the base of tail, eventually the whole ferret will be bald.  They will scratch aggressivly and cause cuts on their skin or ears.  On male ferrets they have a hard time urinating.  With ferrets the vulva will swell large.  They will feel very uncomfortable.  Surgery can be preformed to remove the cancer but is often very pricy.  Most people treat their ferrets with a monthly injection called Lupron.  This simply keeps them comfortable till the end of their lifetime.  This shot usually ranges from $30-$50 a month.  About 80% of all pet shop ferrets will contract adrenal disease.  If treated, the ferret can live another 3-4 years.  If not treated, they may only have 1-2 painful years to live.  The next common is parasites.  Like dogs, ferrets can have fleas that need to be treated.  The best way to treat them (if your ferret has fleas) is kitten advantage.  Place only one drop in between the shoulders and be sure to isolate that ferret till it dries away from other ferrets.  Ear mites are also very common.  Cleaning your ferrets ears on a regular basis can prevent these.  The final most common is tooth decay.  Ferrets must have their teeth scaled (cleaned) a few times in their lives to be sure they don't rot away.  Some ferret shelters provide this service for free.  I have't seen any other health problems other then these with my experiences.