Care for Ferrets – Making Sure Your Ferret Has an Adequate Play Area

Care for ferrets can be an extremely broad and very complicated subject.  There are so many things that a ferret owner needs to know in order to care for their ferret properly.  One of the most important parts of taking care of a ferret, however, is making sure that your ferret has plenty of space to play and get exercise.  Ferrets need lots of play and exercise daily and without it, your ferret is unlikely to be very healthy or happy.

First and foremost, you need to make sure your ferret has a large enough cage.  Your ferret will most likely be spending the majority of its time in a cage – mostly sleeping and eating – however, it is important that your ferret is not cramped into its cage with barely enough room to turn around.  Tiered cages are great for ferrets because they allow the ferret to move around without taking up so much floor space.

Second of all, you will need to make sure that you allow your ferret out for several hours during the day so that it can get the required amounts of exercise.  There are several ways you can do this.  You can take your ferret outside on a leash, you can set up a playpen either outside or in your home for your ferret to play in, or you can ferret-proof your home so that your ferret can remain out of its cage for several hours at a time.

If you choose to put your ferret on a leash, make sure the leash is equipped with a properly fitting harness and that your ferret has been leash trained – if not, you’ll be in for quite an adventure!  While ferret proofing your entire house is great for your ferret, it can be costly and time consuming for the ferret owner.  The best option is to set up an adequate play area for your ferret.

Your ferret will enjoy having its own space outside of its cage, and you will enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing your ferret is safe and sound.  You can set up the play area with toys, snacks and anything that is safe for your ferret (several ferrets love to bury themselves in piles of clothes) and as long as you make sure that the play area is large enough for your ferret, you and your ferret will love it.  Having a too small playpen for your ferret is like having a too small cage – the purpose (care for ferrets) is defeated.