Anyone who has ferrets knows how much they get into things and how hard it is to watch them every second. Ferrets are intelligent, curious, and persistent! In order to keep your ferrets safe while they're roaming around (and also to keep your belongings safe from them), it's very important to make sure that your home is ferretproofed.

Ferretproofing means looking at your home from the viewpoint of a ferret, and taking precautions to establish a safe play area for them. Do you have an open garbage can in the area where they play? Unless it is moved, it will likely be tipped over and strewn about. Do you have fragile knickknacks on a table next to the couch? Move them or lose them! Do you burn candles in your home? Make sure they are high enough that your ferret can't get to them and singe his whiskers or worse.

Does the task of ferretproofing seem overwhelming? If you're not sure where to begin, sit down in the room where your ferrets will be playing and make a list of everything that you think could be dangerous for them. Here are some places you will probably want to start.

Furniture

Recliner chairs are very dangerous for ferrets, as they can climb up into them and get crushed. Remove recliners from the ferrets' play area.

Ferrets love to dig and burrow into sofas; unfortunately, sofas can be very dangerous for them. A ferret could lose an eye on a spring or staple, or get a blockage from ingesting the material inside the couch. If the couch sits up off the floor, staple a heavy fabric or nail a piece of plywood across the bottom of it. Use slipcovers to keep your ferrets from going down through the cushions and into the couch. You may want to consider only using futon style couches if your ferrets are especially persistent.

If your ferrets are in your bedroom, make sure that you affix something to the bottom of the box springs to keep the ferrets out of there as well.

Appliances

Ferrets can very easily fit behind or under many major household appliances, such as refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, dishwashers, etc. This is dangerous for multiple reasons. Ferrets could be injured or killed if the appliance is on or if they chew on the electrical wires. big ferret cages It is best to keep them out of the kitchen or laundry room altogether. However, if you are going to let them into these areas, it is very important that you ferretproof these appliances. Use wood, cardboard, or duct tape to block access to the underside and backs, and always verify that there are no ferrets in or around them before using them.

Cabinets & Drawers

There are frequently items in cabinets and drawers that you wouldn't want ferrets getting into, especially in the cupboards that contain household cleaners. Many child safety devices are ineffective because they leave a small gap that ferrets can squeeze through. It's best to use magnets, Velcro®, bungee straps, or other things such as these that will hold the door or drawer firmly closed.

Ferret Supplies

That's right, even ferret supplies will need to be ferretproofed. Always check your ferret's toys, bedding, and other items to make sure that they are not dangerously worn. If there are threads, fabric, or parts hanging off that they could chew off and swallow, discard the item immediately and replace it.

Moving Things Out of Reach

When you ferretproof, you have to think like a ferret. It sounds silly, but the best thing you can do is get down on your hands and knees and look around the room. Anything that is at your eye level or lower is something they can easily reach with little effort. Couches, shelves or other things they can climb could provide access to items that are higher up. Make sure that all breakable items, candles, wires and other such things are out of reach or, in the case of wires, outfitted with covers or protective sheaths to keep your ferrets from chewing on them. Ferrets also love to chew on rubber-type items, so be sure to keep remote controls, computer mouses, and other items with rubber buttons in cupboards or away from ferrets.

Preventing Escapees

Ferrets are very adept at getting into small spaces. Why? Because most ferrets can get their bodies into a space as long as it is big enough to accommodate their heads. Many ferrets are small enough to fit under doors, behind furniture, through open laundry vents or spaces around plumbing and in other 1" spaces. If you have spaces like that in their play area, block them off.

Ferrets can also tear through window screens, so if you aren't supervising your ferret during playtime, close all windows that your ferret can reach or open them from the top. If you have to leave them open for ventilation, never leave your ferret alone in a room where he can climb up in the window.

If your ferrets play in a room with a door to the outside, keep a close eye on them. It only takes one person who is not aware of how quick and sneaky ferrets can be to open the door and unwittingly allow them to escape to the outside. The safest things to do are block off the door (a Playpen works well to create a small barrier in front of the door), hold your ferret when people are coming and going, or put your ferret in his cage when there will be lots of people entering and exiting your house. Many people lose their ferrets each year because they underestimated how quickly a ferret could slip around someone's feet.

Maintaining the Safe Environment

These aren't even close to all of the ferretproofing tasks that you will need to do, but they are a good start! Every ferret's personality is different, so you will need to ferretproof different things for different fuzzies. Some ferrets will be fascinated by trying to dig inside the couch while others will try desperately to dig their way under the door, and still others will spend endless hours pulling your books or movies off the shelves. Tailor your ferretproofing to your individual ferret's behavior for the best results.

And finally, a word of caution! Ferretproofing is a never-ending job. Ferrets are very persistent and very intelligent. They will often find a way around your ferretproofing, and you will need to come up with other ways to thwart them. Give the room a good once-over before letting your fuzzies out to play. Review your ferretproofing measures thoroughly at least once a month, and always keep an eye out for new items in the room that may catch your ferret's eye and need to be ferretproofed.

Everybody wants to live in a clean and safe environment. Comfort and style are next.  If we want these for ourselves, then we must know that our pets need this kind of environment, too.  For ferrets, having a clean environment is the key to minimizing musky ferret odors and is also a way to avoid unwanted diseases.

How do we do this?

Ferret-proofing your home is one good way of making sure that your ferret is safe to wander in your house. For cages, always consider the note, the bigger, the better. A significantly ferret nation cages large cage with at least one litter box, food dish, beddings and water bottles would be nice.

Proper ventilation is important, as well. However, remember that ferrets are not cage animals. They need at least four hours a day outside their cage to run, play, explore and learn.

Where is the best place to find ferret cages?

eBay.com, there are a wide selection of ferret cages on ebay ranging from Large Bird Cage Finch Cockatiel Sugar Glider Ferret for $149.95 to Ferret Nation Two Story Cage by Midwest Model 142 for $170.00 and a huge LARGE Double Bird Cage Cockatiel Ferret Sugar Glider B for $289.00.  In any case these cages will work great for you pet ferret, don’t forget to get him a hammock which your furry friend will love, you can pick these up for around $5 to $10.

Stay tuned for Secret #4 where we’ll share the “Pro’s and Con’s between Frozen Thawed Whole Prey and Live Whole Prey”  This is really interesting info.  If you would like more great articles please visit: www.Ferrets-as-Pets.com