TOP TEN THINGS FERRET OWNERS SHOULD KNOW
#5: FERRETPROOFING YOUR HOME

Although your ferret should be caged (or kept in a 100%, completely ferretproofed "ferret room") at all times when you are not at home or are sleeping, your ferret will need to have "run time" every day to keep him happy and healthy. Ferrets are extremely inquisitive, mischevious little devils, and they will want to examine every inch of your home every time he/she is left out. This can be dangerous, even fatal, in ferrets.

Ferrets can fit into any area as small as 2 x 2 inches, so gaps in your woodwork, crevices under refrigerators, cabinets, and other household appliances are common places for ferrets to get into. Many times, the areas your ferret will fit into are places that humans can't get into to retrieve their ferret. Dryer vents lead to the outdoors, and the hoses that connect your dryer to the outdoors are favorite play places for ferrets. They can, and will, climb through these hoses and you may never see your furry again. Household plants, cleaners and other poisons, and things made of plastic, rubber, and foam are favorite no-nos that ferrets will get into if left in their reach.

When you bring a ferret into your home you must literally crawl around your house on your hands and knees, checking for any area that a ferret might want to investigate. Remove anything that you think that your ferret could possibly get into, even if it seems unlikely. Remember that ferrets can open cabinet doors, dresser drawers, can climb into bathtubs and toilets, and can dig holes into garbage bags. With ferrets in the house NEVER leave your garbage bag on the floor "for just a minute" before it goes to the curb. That's all it will take for your ferret to get inside the bag, then get a one-way ticket to the dump. Similarly, every single time you do laundry, shake out each piece of clothing before it goes into the washing machine. If you pick up a handful of laundry and put it in to be washed, you could be giving a horrible death to a ferret peacefully sleeping in cozy clothes. Also, get into the habit of checking inside of your dishwasher, garbage compactor, and refrigerator every single time you close their doors. It really only takes a second for your ferret to get into them, and the results can be horrible.

Finally, the best method of ferretproofing is to watch your ferret closely when he/she is out. You will learn the places that your ferret is likely to get into trouble, and you will find places that need to be ferretproofed that you hadn't even considered. For more information about ferretproofing, contact us.

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