Foods taken in by ferrets are fats and protein and less carbohydrate type but high in quality than cats and kittens. The best food is always expensive but considering that they only eat small quantity of food, they deserve the best. Buy a ferret food that has a content ingredient of 35% protein and 20% fat. Always check the back label for these. This is the best you can do in caring for a baby ferret.
Water should be available fresh either in a dish or in a ferret’s bottle. Most ferrets love to drink not in bottles but in bowls. Ferrets enjoy dairy products but you must refrain from offering them these unless you want your ferrets to have diarrhea for eating ice cream.
TIPS to care for Young Ferrets:
1. Provide good shelter – a good shelter would mean a spacious area for ferrets to move and for cleaning purposes. The space for cage bars should be thin so that the ferret’s head will not fit in or you end up chasing your ferret back in the cage. Make it a habit to let ferrets play outside the cage. Beddings of the ferret must be cleaned once a week or daily. You can also train your ferrets when and where to waste just by placing a little amount of waste in the litter area. You’ll see ferrets learn so easily. Just patiently show to them when and where to waste and soon you will be surprised to see they are disciplined and waste only in the waste box.
2. Give toys – Like human babies, ferrets enjoy a toy. Be it baby rattles or baby toys. But make sure you don’t leave a toy unattended to ferrets. Sooner, young ferrets might eat it and it is going to be expensive to have a surgical procedure if they swallow foam of toys or rubbers.
3. Regular vaccination schedule and exams – All ferrets have birth papers. A regular schedule is needed. Schedule the first shot of vaccine 6 to 7 weeks followed by the second shot after 10 to 11 weeks and the last shot in 13 to 14 weeks. Part of the vaccination routine is for veterinarians to check signs of ear mites and congenital disorder. Ferrets suffer diarrhea because of bacteria. Their waste is green in color. Isolate and separate the infected ferret and provide attention and love.
4. Start cuddling them when they are 30 days old and above. They may not see you yet but ferrets feel great to be touched and cuddled by humans. Have physical contacts with them 6 times daily for an interval of 5 to 10 minutes. Kids should be under adult supervision when cuddling with ferrets. Young ferrets react to tickling and other sorts of human interaction while mature ferrets need love and attention. Speak slowly to a baby ferret that is sleeping. Support the belly as you would support a human baby and lift with one hand. When the ferret is awake, it becomes active. Let the kit play in its surroundings and let kits play with toys.
For Ferret’s, the “chookie” noise will tell its human caregivers that all is well for them and you will feel more secured and more confident that your baby ferret is healthy.
Toby Rutherford is a popular specialist on pet ferrets. To find all your queries answered concerning child ferret visit his taking care of ferrets blog.
