Ferret Behavior
Ferrets are smart, curious creatures that love to play. Affectionate and entertaining, ferrets recognize and respond to their name – and they can even be trained to do tricks and use a litter box.
Common ferret behaviors include:
- Chewing – Ferrets enjoy chewing on soft things, like items made of foam, rubber and plastic. To prevent ferrets from chewing on wires, personal items or things that could hurt them, give them toys they can chew on, remove personal items from their space, and cover any gaps/holes in walls (like those where appliances or cupboards may be).
- Climbing – Ferrets climb, jump, scurry and find other ways to explore their space. That’s one of the reasons why multi-level cages are recommended for ferrets.
- Burrowing – In the wild, ferrets live in burrows (typically those that other animals – like prairie dogs – have dug because ferrets are not typically good diggers). Domesticated ferrets will also burrow, usually in enclosed areas (like beneath furniture, in boxes, etc.). They also tend to like towels, blankets, and other soft items in their burrows.
- Investigating – Ferrets love exploring their surroundings, new people/pets, and the items/toys in their environments. To prevent ferrets from exploring areas or things that could harm them (like places where cleaners are stored, for example), keep these areas (and items) off limits (and out of the ferret’s designated space).
- Playing – Ferrets love playing with toys, people, other ferrets and other pets!
- Doing the ‘weasel war dance’ – This is a form of playing that involves a ferret hopping forward and/or backward in a frenzied manner (with its back arched and its tail especially puffed out). Usually done when ferrets are excited, the weasel war dance can include ‘clucking’ noises (known as dooking).It is thought that the weasel war dance is meant to disorient or confuse prey.
- Softly squeaking or hissing – When ferrets are scared, angry or feel threatened, they may make hissing or soft squeaking sounds. Ferrets may also hiss when playing.
Like many pets, ferrets have unique personalities and may display a range of other, individual characteristics.
Other Ferret Behaviors
- Sleeping – Ferrets typically sleep between 14 and 18 hours per day. They tend to adjust their wake times around owners’ schedules (so they can play when owners are around and awake). In general, however, ferrets tend to be the most active around dusk and dawn.
- Feeding – Ferrets have high metabolisms, meaning they tend to feed often (depending, of course, on the type of food being provided). Feeding ferrets high-quality, well-balanced foods (like those provided by Totally Ferret) can be the key to promoting the health, activity, and longevity of your ferret.
Need the Best Quality Food & Supplements for Your Ferret? Contact Totally Ferret Today!
Our friendly, knowledgeable professionals are ready to answer your questions and help you select the best products for your ferret. Since 1993, we have been helping people care for the health and nutrition of their ferrets.
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Based in Broomfield, Colorado, Totally Ferret is a division of Performance Foods. We ship orders to every state in the U.S., as well as various countries across the world.