If you’ve never been a ferret owner before you might be surprised to find out just how important the right ferret cage really is. There are still pet stores that sell ferrets out of aquariums filled with cedar chips, which is really an unhealthy environment for your little guys. The right cage, the right bedding, and the right ventilation can help your ferret live a long, healthy, and happy life.
It’s quite common for ferrets to come to their new owners as kits, and they will need to grow into their full adult size while in their cage. Try not to consider the ferret as a pocket pet because his needs are quite different. Offering your ferret a living space that allows for privacy, toileting areas, hide away sleeping spaces, and in-cage entertainment is essential to his overall health.
Play time in his cage will be very important to your ferret when he is left on his own. He will need enough space to do this. Without the ability to play on his own he may end up becoming destructive inside his cage from boredom. If he doesn’t receive enough out of the cage play time and has no way to play inside his cage, behavioral and health problems are bound to arise.
A lot of pet ferret characters are excellent at figuring out the puzzle that opens their cage door. If you build a cage at home you will have to pay very close attention to the doorway construction. It doesn’t take long for these smart little creatures to figure out their escape route. Once they learn it, they will never unlearn it. Thus, it is best to make sure they have a very secure door to keep them safe from their own curiosity when you can’t supervise play time.
The cage will need to be well ventilated in order to prevent health complications. The glass of an aquarium in sunlight can become very hot. Just as a car sitting in the sun can warm up to dangerous levels, so can a glass aquarium cage. Wire cages give your ferret much better ventilation.
Ventilation is equally as necessary when it comes to keeping them healthy around their bedding. It has been proven that the cedar chip bedding can be disastrous for ferrets, especially when confined to a cage without air flow. Recycled newspaper bedding is much healthier for them, but you still want to ensure that there is ample fresh air moving through the cage.
The more you learn about selecting ferret cages the more you start to see things from their perspective. Long periods of time at home alone will be a much happier and healthier experience if you take the time to understand what they need.
