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Ferret

The domestic ferret has been kept for at least two thousand years, bred from the European polecat for hunting rabbits in burrows — a practice still called ferreting.

It is a true domesticate, not a tamed wild animal.

It is a long, low, extremely flexible carnivore weighing between 0.7 and 2 kilograms, with males roughly twice the size of females. Ferrets sleep for eighteen hours a day and spend the remaining six in relentless, inventive, often destructive play. They are obligate carnivores with a very short gut, which makes their dietary needs quite unlike a rodent's.

Origin
Domesticated from the European polecat, 2,000+ years
Size
0.7–2 kg; males much larger
Lifespan
6–10 years
Diet
Obligate carnivore — high-meat protein and fat, no grain or fruit
Temperament
Playful, inquisitive, mischievous, highly social
Legal
Restricted or prohibited in some places — check first

Related: Albino ferret · Black sable ferret · Blaze ferret

3 ferret photos, newest first

Ferret feed
  • Loki, a ferret

    Loki

    Loki went into the blanket at one end and emerged somewhere else entirely.

    FrostyOtter · 5 days ago

  • Kasha, a ferret

    Kasha

    Kasha opened the curtain, the lemon pyramid came down, and she is presenting those two facts as unrelated.

    FrostyOtter · 1 week ago

  • Kasha, a ferret

    Kasha

    Kasha heard the treat bag from two rooms away.

    MerryBadger · 2 weeks ago

Living with a ferret

Check the law where you live. Ferrets are illegal in California, Hawaii and New York City, and restricted elsewhere.

They are obligate carnivores. A high-quality ferret or kitten food, or a raw diet — never rabbit or rodent food, and no fruit or sugary treats, which contribute to insulinoma.

They need several hours out of the cage daily in a genuinely ferret-proofed room; they get into gaps you would not believe and swallow rubber, which causes fatal blockages.

Vaccinate against canine distemper, which is almost invariably fatal. Adrenal disease and insulinoma are both very common in middle age.

General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual critters vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.

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