So you have made the decision that you want to house a pet ferret, now you need to get all the ferret supplies that your new pet will need to live a happy healthy life in your home. With their cage, you can get a multilevel condo so they can go up and down the different floors, you can get a standard cage with one floor, or you can go the full hoot and give them the allowance of an entire room that you ferret proof. Obviously you will want to do what’s best for your ferret but you may also be limited to the amount of room you can give to your ferret. Remember that they don’t always stay in the cage, so if you have to settle for a smaller cage, you can make it up to them by allowing them plenty of freedom around the home too.
You could also house your ferret outside, although if you do this, it is best to let them outside in the summer months first, this way they can naturally adjust with the weather as it changes to colder temperatures. If you keep your ferret outside they must have shade to shelter under from high temperatures and should never be left in direct sunlight. You must provide a shelter box for them to sleep in with plenty of straw or other warm nesting to keep them warm. The entire enclosure should be covered with a roof so they are protected from wind and rain at all times.
The majority of ferret owners will house their ferret in a cage or a condo; you can find many examples of these in your local pet store. There are many second hand cages that can be found on the Internet, in local newspapers and in specialist ferret magazines. Any cage design you decide to get should have a litter tray, feeding area and a sleeping area. Ferrets love to get into dark places and curl up to get away from everything, the cage should be equipped with a box or a fabric bag where the ferret can hide away in the dark, this is natural behaviour for your ferret to get away from the household.
A ferret condo has a few different levels for your ferret to explore, they usually come fully equipped with hammocks, tubes, ladders, and have perfect places for ferrets to hide away in. You should not allow baby ferrets to explore the upper levels of a condo at first until they grow a little older and mature, it is easy for accidents to happen like falling off ramps or attempting to go somewhere they maybe shouldn’t.
Ferrets were once housed in aquariums sometimes, this is not recommended as they do not provide adequate air flow for your ferret, instead get a cage, condo or dedicate a room to the ferret. When choosing a cage and ferret proofing areas in your home, it is important to remember that if a ferret can squeeze it’s head through a gap, they can also get their body through.