11 Ferret Facts: What To Know About Ferrets As Pets - PetMD

If you want an active, playful, mischievous pet that will bring endless fun, then a ferret may be the right pet for you.

But before you bring one of these rambunctious little creatures into your home, here are 11 things to know about ferrets and proper ferret care.

1. Ferrets are illegal in some areas of the United States.

Before you adopt or purchase a ferret, you should check out your local laws. Pet ferrets are prohibited in California, Hawaii, and New York City.

While veterinarians in these locations will still treat sick ferrets, the adoption or purchase of new ferrets is not allowed. If you live in one of these areas, it’s best to consider getting another type of pet.

2. Ferrets have a strong, musky odor, even when they’re de-scented.

Ferrets have scent glands near the base of their tails that produce a potent, musky-smelling oil.

For many pet ferrets, these glands are surgically removed during the process of “de-scenting” when the animals are very young—before they are sold. Ferrets that retain these glands smell so musky that most people would never want them as pets.

However, even after they are de-scented, ferrets will still retain a milder musky odor that some people find unpleasant.

So, if you are sensitive to odor, and you’re considering a ferret as a pet, you might want to spend some time around one to be sure you can tolerate the smell before you bring a ferret home.

3. Ferrets love company.

Ferrets are social creatures that typically live in groups or colonies in the wild. Because they love company, pet ferrets generally look for human family members or other ferrets to hang out with.

It’s much more fun to play when you have friends to play with. Consequently, many ferret owners end up owning more than one ferret.

On rare occasions, two ferrets might not get along. So, if you get more than one ferret, you’ll need to supervise their interactions for several days to ensure they get along before you can safely leave them alone together.

To minimize competition between ferrets, each one should have equal access to food, toys, hiding spots, and sleeping areas so that they’re less likely to fight over resources.

4. Ferrets need to run!

Ferrets love to curl up and sleep, particularly if they can find a warm place to nap, but when they’re not napping, they also love to run, jump, climb, and hide. Ferrets also love toys.

Young ferrets, in particular, enjoying skittering across the floor and chasing toys. Exercise for ferrets is key, or they will overeat from boredom and become obese.

So, if you’re going to own a ferret, plan on lots of out-of-cage time for them to run around.