Baby Ferrets – What You REALLY Need to Know
Whether you have purchased your own baby ferret or if you have your own litter, there’s no sweeter moment than looking at how sweet and cute these babies are. Upon birth, a normal-sized litter is usually made up of 7 or 8 kits. They are tiny, blind, pink-skinned and mostly hairless. Most of the time, they spend their time suckling, sleeping and growing. Because they are still young, they also have special needs that need to be taken care of. 1
FOOD and WATER
Wean your baby ferrets at six weeks and provide them with the same calorically-dense and nutritious ferret food that was provided by the mother. As carnivores, their diet should be high in meat-based proteins, high in fat but low in fiber. Soak the food in warm water for 10 minutes to make it easy to digest.2
Baby ferrets need to have access to fresh water and food 24/7 because food only stays in their system for three hours or less. Don’t forget to also provide a water bowl for drinking. Avoid water bottles first so that with a water bowl, they can maximize their water drinking. 3
HOUSING
The cage should be spacious, safe and easy to clean. It should also have a large door to offer easy access for ferrets in sleeping in their nest box. Cover the flooring with linoleum or just make it solid so that their feet or toes won’t be trapped in between. The bedding materials must be cleaned weekly. Hammocks, sleep sacks and other beddings can also be used. Don’t forget to introduce the kits to the litter box as early as now. Place a small amount of waste in the new litter to remind the babies what to do and where to do it.4
VACCINATIONS
For initial checkups and vaccinations, look for a god veterinarian. Baby ferrets can receive their baby booster shots for canine distemper at 9 weeks and their first adult distemper will be at 12 weeks of age. For specific information about this, talk to your vet. 5
PLAY
Just like their parents, baby ferrets love to play. You can take your ferret out of its cage twice a day. They also need to exercise despite their age. You can also provide them some toys that they can play with. Make sure that these are safe and are not made of cloth, foam, rubber and latex. How about providing tunnels to help them out in their hunting instincts? Toys which produce sounds are also attractive to these little creatures. 6
SOCIALIZATION
After a month, baby ferrets can now be introduced to other ferrets and humans. Adult ferrets will be sniffing the cage for a while to be comfortable with the kits. Supervise while they interact with each other and gradually increase their time together every day. Always be there for your baby ferrets every time they are out of the cage because they may hurt themselves or get injured. When they nip, teach them to stop by firmly saying NO. The earlier you teach them about this, the better. 7
SOURCES:
1,4 http://www.weaselwords.com/page/ferret_art033.php
2,6 http://www.ehow.com/how_2247657_care-baby-ferret.html
3,5 http://www.pathvalleyfarm.com/baby_ferret_care.htm
7 http://www.helium.com/items/1351196-how-to-care-for-baby-ferrets?page=2
FOOD and WATER
Wean your baby ferrets at six weeks and provide them with the same calorically-dense and nutritious ferret food that was provided by the mother. As carnivores, their diet should be high in meat-based proteins, high in fat but low in fiber. Soak the food in warm water for 10 minutes to make it easy to digest.2
Baby ferrets need to have access to fresh water and food 24/7 because food only stays in their system for three hours or less. Don’t forget to also provide a water bowl for drinking. Avoid water bottles first so that with a water bowl, they can maximize their water drinking. 3
HOUSING
The cage should be spacious, safe and easy to clean. It should also have a large door to offer easy access for ferrets in sleeping in their nest box. Cover the flooring with linoleum or just make it solid so that their feet or toes won’t be trapped in between. The bedding materials must be cleaned weekly. Hammocks, sleep sacks and other beddings can also be used. Don’t forget to introduce the kits to the litter box as early as now. Place a small amount of waste in the new litter to remind the babies what to do and where to do it.4
VACCINATIONS
For initial checkups and vaccinations, look for a god veterinarian. Baby ferrets can receive their baby booster shots for canine distemper at 9 weeks and their first adult distemper will be at 12 weeks of age. For specific information about this, talk to your vet. 5
PLAY
Just like their parents, baby ferrets love to play. You can take your ferret out of its cage twice a day. They also need to exercise despite their age. You can also provide them some toys that they can play with. Make sure that these are safe and are not made of cloth, foam, rubber and latex. How about providing tunnels to help them out in their hunting instincts? Toys which produce sounds are also attractive to these little creatures. 6
SOCIALIZATION
After a month, baby ferrets can now be introduced to other ferrets and humans. Adult ferrets will be sniffing the cage for a while to be comfortable with the kits. Supervise while they interact with each other and gradually increase their time together every day. Always be there for your baby ferrets every time they are out of the cage because they may hurt themselves or get injured. When they nip, teach them to stop by firmly saying NO. The earlier you teach them about this, the better. 7
SOURCES:
1,4 http://www.weaselwords.com/page/ferret_art033.php
2,6 http://www.ehow.com/how_2247657_care-baby-ferret.html
3,5 http://www.pathvalleyfarm.com/baby_ferret_care.htm
7 http://www.helium.com/items/1351196-how-to-care-for-baby-ferrets?page=2
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