Is Your House Ferret Safe

Is Your House Ferret Safe

Ferrets are great fun – but like toddlers, they get into everything! Ferrets are highly curious, and for this reason, they often do not live as long as they possibly could, which is anywhere from eight to twelve years, with the average being eight to ten years. You must help to protect your ferret from his own curiosity by ferret proofing your home.

Ferrets are born without fear. They only experience fear when something bad happens to them – but whether or not they fear that thing depends on how painful or upsetting the results were. For example, if someone abused them with a shoe, they may fear shoes eventually – but if they fall or get stuck someplace once, that won’t be enough to deter them from trying to get to that same place again.

Ferrets are not only fearless; they are also highly determined creatures. When they want something, they will try and try until they get it. This means that you must really take some serious security steps to keep your ferret away from things that hurt him.

Start by locking up all of the chemicals. Ferrets can chew through bottles and many cardboard or softer plastic containers. Their jaws are strong enough to break bones. Remember this when storing items. Use child-proof locks on drawers and cabinets. Ferrets are also very smart, and use their teeth and paws very well. Remember this also and go ahead and spring for the really good child-proof locks, instead of the cheap ones.

Next, keep small objects picked up and put away where the ferret cannot get to them. Try putting them in those locked cabinets and drawers. Really think about what your ferret is capable of, and act accordingly – just as you were baby-proofing your home. Consider the ferret an extremely intelligent baby.

Your ferret is not a good climber, but this doesn’t mean that he won’t attempt it – over and over again. Make sure that things he might climb are secured against the wall, so that he doesn’t pull them over on himself.

Beware of small spaces because your ferret isn’t. If he can wiggle his head through something, he will assume that the rest of his body will fit nicely – even if it won’t. If it does fit, he may not be able to turn around to get out, or able to back himself out of the fix he has gotten himself into. Make sure that you leave space between furnishings and appliances, such as the icebox and stove.

In fact, try to prevent your ferret from having access to the ice box, stove, washer and dryer. If he can get under it, he might climb through the bottom, up into the mechanics of the appliance. When the appliance is turned on, it very well could kill him.

Also note that ferrets are not as delicate as they may appear. They can rush head first into a wall and hit it hard enough that if you hit the same wall, with the same force, it would probably knock you out, or make you see stars at the very least. Your ferret, however, will get up, shake himself off, and keep right on going!

Information on the care and feeding of the loveable ferret

Next Article: Before You Get a Ferret as a Pet

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