Baby Ferret

Taking on a baby ferret (also known as a kit) as a pet can be a very interesting experience.



However, before you decide to pick out a baby ferret for yourself, there are a couple of things that you may want to take into consideration, like whether you want a male or female ferret, where you should get your ferret from and how old your ferret should be. Where you get your ferret from matters a lot, because while most pet stores sell ferret babies, some of them have been separated from their mothers too soon which is why they may not socialize well with humans. Such baby ferrets need a lot of patience and special care.



Instead of buying a baby ferret from a pet store, you can check with local pet breeders, to see if they have any ferrets on sale. Ferrets that are sold directly by breeders usually spend more time with their mothers and do have regular interaction with the breeder, which is why they are more sociable. Another option is that you could check with animal shelters for the adoption of a ferret.



However, in most cases, ferrets adopted from a shelter are a bit older than ferret babies.

Adopting a ferret that is slightly older may seem like a preferable option than going through the steps of baby ferret care and training, which includes socializing, taking care of the ferret’s medical needs, playing with the ferret and feeding the right baby ferret food. However, if the ferret is too old, you may have trouble getting rid of some bad habits that he has already developed. Moreover, the average lifespan of a ferret is only about 6 to 10 years. Therefore, it may not be a very good idea to buy a ferret that is already 8 or 9 years old.

Most ferrets can be weaned when they are a few weeks old. Soon after that, the baby ferrets need a lot of nourishment to help them grow. Though the most ideal baby ferret food is specially designed caloric dense ferret food, it is alright to offer kit food to the baby ferret too. However, there are some people who feed cat food to baby ferrets, which is not advisable, as they require more amounts and a different quality of fat as compared to cats. At the same time, they need less carbs as compared to kittens. Therefore, a good brand of ferret food should be offered to ferrets on a regular basis.

Baby ferrets eat a small amount and complete their skeletal growth quite quickly. As the ferret weans off and needs to be put on to the same food that is more suitable to adult animals, it is best to consult a veterinarian, before changing the ferret’s diet.