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Health information for your ferret

About Ferrets
Baby ferrets are called "kits."
Aging your ferret:
- Infancy - birth to three weeks of age
- Toddler - 3 to 6 weeks of age
- "The Terrible Two's" - 6 to 10 weeks of age
- Adolescence - 10 to 15 weeks of age
- Teen years (Puberty) - 15 weeks through 12 months of age
- Adult - over 1 year of age
- Senior - A ferret over 3 years is considered middle-aged
Ferrets, by law, must be vaccinated against rabies.
New Ferret Owners
Although ferrets are very loving, cute, and playful, among other things, you should ask yourself a couple of questions before buying/adopting/rescuing one:
- Are ferrets allowed where I live?
- If I have other pets, will they get along with a ferret?
- Do I have enough financial security to care for a ferret?
- Can I set aside time every day to play with a ferret?
- Can I set aside any necessary time to train a ferret?
- Do I have the time to ferret-proof my house, to ensure a ferret's safety?
Before bringing a ferret into your home, you will need to ferret-proof your house and buy any needed supplies.
Supplies:
- A multi-level cage
- A food dish and water bowl
- Litter boxes (corner ones work well for many ferrets) and litter (wood stove pellets or Yesterday's News)
- Bedding (e.g., hammocks, sleep sacks)
- Toys (tubes, chew toys)
- Ferret-approved food (e.g., Totally Ferret, Zupreem)
- Any book on ferrets you can find to read
- Nail clippers
- Ear cleaner
- Ferret shampoo
- A brush
- A harness and leash (if you intend to take your ferret outside)
Before buying/adopting/rescuing a ferret, you should first educate yourself about their behavior and care (resources include books and the Internet).
For more information
If you're a new ferret owner, you may want to check out the Your New Ferret section.
What People Say
“I would like to thank Dr. Weiss personally for taking such great care of Cinnamon and for calling me personally to explain in detail how the surgery went and specifically what was done during the surgery. Overall, everyone made a delicate situation much easier to handle and I am grateful for that. Thank you.”
— Laurie, Mt. Ephraim, NJ