What supplies do I need for a new ferret?

[Deleted]

I'm new to this forum so I haven't figured out how to search for old posts yet, so I have a few questions about ferret supplies (don't own a ferret yet) before I make my way over to the nutrition section and tackle that

So far I have:
-a Ferret Nation 142 Cage
-a fabulous bedding set-up and play matt and drying sacks for bathing ordered from little feet ferret bedding
-2 nest boxes (made as per Bob Church's instructions in "ferrets for dummies" - rubbermaid container with plastic spout going in)
-a bunch of books / magazines on ferret care (Taking everything I read with a grain of salt of course)
-some toys, hideouts

I know I still need litter boxes, litter, food dishes, water bottles, and more play tunnels, enrichment toys, as well as am going to make first aid kits, get a good travel carrier, leashes, etc. But my questions are:

-What kind of litter box do you use and why?
-What kind of litter works best? and why?
-What kind of water bottle (plastic vs. glass) / what brand works best?
-What toys / tunnels / enrichment things are must-haves for ferrets?
-Does it matter if I use toniclax (cat hairball medicine) or should I get a ferret specific hairball medicine?
-What about ferretone? Or is straight oil better? What kind is best?
-What "dental care" products do you use? If any?
-What about brushes? De-shedding tools? Does any one use the "furminator small animal tool"? (Saw it in a ferret magazine)


Is there anything else that is good to have as far as initial set-up supplies go?

Thanks!!!

[Sherry]

Litter box has to be large enough for them to fit their whole bodies in, so most won't use corner boxes. They need to be high enough that poops don't drop over the side. A number use rubbermaid tubs that fit half the cage, with the side cut out. You could even make one with a hole and a short tube, so they have privacy. As long as it fits well in the cage. Also, you'll need a few to put around outside the cage as well. It's seldom a fuzz will go back to the cage to potty.
Litter, I use either World's Best Cat Litter, or Swheat Scoop. They are both natural, biodegradable scoopable litters with little to no dust. Stay away from anything clay based.
I don't bother with bottles. Mine bite at them, and I don't want their teeth worn/broken. I use croc-locs, and put them up high enough that they have some trouble getting their "elbows" into the action for digging it all out, although there's always one who manages . The problem with bottles is they can't get enough water to keep them hydrated.
Toys? Cardboard boxes duct taped together to make tunnels/mazes, etc. Dig boxes, especially rice. It helps absorb oils from their bodies in a more natural way than bathing(not a good idea to do often). Cat teaser toys are a favourite here. Jingle balls also.
For normal routine, I use 1/2 tsp of pumpkin per ferret per day. It takes the place of fur from whole prey. During shedding season, I'll give about 1" of toniclax twice a week.
I use ferretone for nails, or as a training tool to help fearful ferrets.
Dental care is bones. Takes all the tartar off.
Brushes- a kitten slicker brush, and a static brush.
Not a clue what the "furminator" is ;D

[taratee]

-What kind of litter box do you use and why? i got a 20 quart steralite tub and made one that covers half the bottom of my fn it works well when you clip it to the cage
-What kind of litter works best? and why? i use worlds best cat litter its a corn based litter that clumps!! most cat litters wont work for ferrets and wood shavings would be awful painful also watch for litters that include things like lavender because i dont think its good for them
-What kind of water bottle (plastic vs. glass) / what brand works best? i use a lock on croc and refill it every day or so, its plastic
-What toys / tunnels / enrichment things are must-haves for ferrets? my guys really like cat teasers, the feather ones the best toy for a ferret is another ferret, as most toys they like to play with can be eaten, but not digested and that makes them dangerous lol i went to my local hardware store and got some dryer tubing and they like running through those alot also my guys love cat cubes and grovery sacks, grocery sacks must be watched when used
-Does it matter if I use toniclax (cat hairball medicine) or should I get a ferret specific hairball medicine? if you give them olive oil it works better less unnatural elements, you could use something like fish oil and it improves their coat as well
-What about ferretone? Or is straight oil better? What kind is best?extra virgin olive oil is what people recommend i use wild salmon oil in capsules just poke a hole in it and they will like it right up
-What "dental care" products do you use? If any? if your ferret is going to eat raw you dont have to really worry about this
-What about brushes? De-shedding tools? Does any one use the "furminator small animal tool"? (Saw it in a ferret magazine) if my guys get really sheddy i just plop them in the shower, with no soap, and let them soak it off for a bit

i love answering questions!!

[katt]

I'm new to this forum so I haven't figured out how to search for old posts yet, so I have a few questions about ferret supplies (don't own a ferret yet) before I make my way over to the nutrition section and tackle that

So far I have:
-a Ferret Nation 142 Cage
-a fabulous bedding set-up and play matt and drying sacks for bathing ordered from little feet ferret bedding
-2 nest boxes (made as per Bob Church's instructions in "ferrets for dummies" - rubbermaid container with plastic spout going in)
-a bunch of books / magazines on ferret care (Taking everything I read with a grain of salt of course)
-some toys, hideouts

I know I still need litter boxes, litter, food dishes, water bottles, and more play tunnels, enrichment toys, as well as am going to make first aid kits, get a good travel carrier, leashes, etc. But my questions are:

-What kind of litter box do you use and why?
I use a rubbermaid container with a hole cut in it. It is cheaper than a covered kitty litter box and the high sides *kind of* help keep the litter in. Kind of. Like maybe a few grains. lol (I think they spill it on purpose). With Koda, I used to use a small kitten litter box because the low sides were easy for him to climb over - he was a tiny kit. And it made for more room in the cage. Along comes Kenai, and if the box is too dirty neither will use it. A small box gets "dirty" faster so the bigger box keeps them using it longer.


-What kind of litter works best? and why?
I have used pelleted litter, World's Best Multi Cat, Swheat Scoop, and Swheat Scoop Multicat. Pelleted is nice because of less tracking, but it is bad for odor control, and EXPENSIVE. Yeah, it is cheaper. But it goes so fast, and there is a lot of waste, so overall you have to buy it a lot more often and end up spending more money.
World's Best and Swheat Scoop are the ONLY 2 scoopable litters that are safe to use with ferrets. (though I think Arm and Hammer came out with a corn based litter recently that is ok too but I don't know for sure). WB works very well, but when it gets wet it Smells funky. I hate the smell. Dry it smells fantastic. Pee on it and it stinks like something funky. It clumps very well though. It is more expensive than SC.
SC litter is great. I far prefer it over WB. It smells much better, is better at odor control, and clumps ok. The single cat kind does not clump as well as WB litter. However, the new Multicat one clumps Fantastically. It is cheaper than WB, smells better, better at odor control, clumps just as well (if you get the multicat) and well enough for single cat. Also both SC and WB are flushable. No wasting plastic bags or filling the trash with stinky litter. AND they are both eco friendly, bio degradable, etc.


-What kind of water bottle (plastic vs. glass) / what brand works best?
If you are set on a water bottle, glass. Plastic is porous and can hold bad chemicals. However, a water Dish, like a lock crock is FAR FAR better than a water bottle. Honestly, don't even bother with a water bottle. The water comes out too slow and ferrets are not patient enough to stay and get the amount of water that they need. This can lead to dehydration. A dehydrated ferret is a stinky ferret. Their odor comes from the oil they produce from sebaceous glands in their skin. When they are dehydrated, their skin gets dry (just like us) and the oil glands go into overdrive to try and compensate. This leads to a smelly ferret. They will make a mess with a water dish (get a lock crock, a bowl will just be dragged around, tipped over, etc) but putting the lock crock high enough can reduce this. And overall it is just better for them as they can get the hydration that they need.


-What toys / tunnels / enrichment things are must-haves for ferrets?
They love tunnels. Foraging toys are a must IMO. They can help keep the ferrets busy and stimulated while you are gone, and are great mental stimulation. Dig boxes are also GREAT. It helps them get their natural urge to dig out of their systems.

-Does it matter if I use toniclax (cat hairball medicine) or should I get a ferret specific hairball medicine?
Do no bother with either. Canned pumpkin, squash baby food, and some salmon oil or olive oil will do the same job only much much better, and is much much healthier for them.

-What about ferretone? Or is straight oil better? What kind is best?
Salmon oil is best. Ferretone is great, but has all kinds of sugars and byproducts in it and is not really healthy for them. Salmon oil is healthy, a favorite treat, and makes their coats silky soft.

-What "dental care" products do you use? If any?
Raw meat chunks, raw meaty bones, and whole prey (fur+meat+bones) keeps their teeth pearly white, jaws strong, breath clean, bacteria minimal, and ferret healthy.

-What about brushes? De-shedding tools? Does any one use the "furminator small animal tool"? (Saw it in a ferret magazine)
A small soft bristled brush is good to use. They really don't require brushing, but it does help distribute the oils in their coats. A rice or dirt dig box helps as well. As for shedding....duct tape? ;D jk I find that giving them "Baths" helps during shedding season. I don't give them a real bath, but just wet them down a little (snorkeling time, spray bottle, quick dunk under the faucet with no soap) and then either towel dry them or stand back and watch as they dry themselves. ;D A light brushing after will help. OR wiping them with a damp cloth will do the same thing. Again, it is really not necessary though.


Is there anything else that is good to have as far as initial set-up supplies go?

Read this thread: www.holisticferret60.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=talk&action=display&thread=71
There is some good info on ferret proofing in there, foraging toys, etc.

[Deleted]

To add, I believe the sterilite containers that fit half of the FN are 28 QT size.

[Deleted]

Wow, thanks everyone!

I am glad you cleared up the water bottle thing, I personally DISPISE the things, but all the books said "don't use a dish because they will just dump it or put food in it or play in it" but I totally didn't think about lock-on crocks - brilliant!

Are the crocks that lock onto the side of the cage best for food dishes also? Should I stick with plastic ones or if I can find something like stainless steel or ceramic are those better for not harbouring germs?

Also forgot to ask what the best cage / food dish and water dish cleaning product is? I use a veterinary pet-safe cleaner called Chlorhexidine for my hedgehogs products then do a 50/50 water-vinegar rinse, but I'm not sure what's safe for ferrets?

Thanks for the litter box tips too - I was having a hard time finding non-corner litter boxes anywhere. I will have to purchase some rubbermaid bins for that!

I am planning on getting 2 ferrets so they can keep eachother company but I'll get some awesome toys too!

Thanks again everyone!

[whipple]

I should probably own a share in rubbermaid, and the ting is I'm considering switching the cage litterboxes to the 28 qt sterilite boxes Jackie mentioned. I think walmart carries them.

Anyhow, you've got an awesome list going on. I came home with vixen, a dog kennel, kibble, and a tiny corner box. And I had done this before. So you're way ahead of the game!

FYI, if you get kits, don't even bother buying kibble. Just put them straight on raw. Siren still eats anything I put in front of her. Tried to eat my boyfriend's dogs kibble tonight

[Sherry]

To be honest, unless I'm giving commercial raw, I don't even bother with dishes. They just pick their meat off and go to their separate corners to eat anyway ;D Here's a thread on feeding dens, though:
holisticferret60.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=enrichment&action=display&thread=74

[Deleted]

I know most people hate the water bottles, but I have a ferret that just absolutely will not tolerate water in a dish (in any form) in the cage. He will find ways to empty the dish, so I have a large water bottle also for my other two when that happens (it is inevitable).

looks like this one, only it's a lot larger.
www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=17614


also, my ferrets don't really enjoy playing with toys. stuffies? crinkle balls? jingle balls? teasers? nope. don't want anything to do with them. They mostly just like tunneling through stuff.. their favorite toys are a blanket, a pair of old, cut up jeans (I cut the pockets off and removed the button/zipper), and a series of 12-pack soda cartons cleverly duct taped together.

the point I'm just trying to make is, don't spend a whole ton of money on toys because you might get picky ferrets! start small and build up when you find out what they like.

[katt]

Agreed! I still recommend foraging toys though. I have an entire box of toys my boys cannot play with. Some basic things to look for...
NO RUBBER no matter how "tough and chew proof" You can ask Koda why that is not a good idea
Small pieces that can be chewed off - hard noses and eyeballs on stuffed animals are a BIG no-no here. The boys take less than 0.0002 seconds to find them and start trying to chew them off. Scrivener's Retreat toys are awesome because of this. No pieces to chew off, and very tough/high quality.
Jingle balls - careful that they do not crack or break or have big holes or flimsy plastic - if they ferret gets to the jingle ball inside it can be tragic,

Um there's more but my brain is fried. Back to BioChem.

[Deleted]

I think water/vinegar is the best cleaning product. I use regular dish soap for most general things too.

[Sherry]

Oh, yes! Forgot about the cleaning ;D I also use 50/50 water/vinegar as well!

[Deleted]

Thanks everyone!!!! I will have to have myself a ferret shopping spree!

[miamiferret2]

litterbox: I don't use them, i use newspaper instead (i have tile floors so no big deal)

water: i use a heavy crock (my ferret has free run so its just a big heavy crock on the floor--yes, he goes snorkeling in there once in a while). i also keep a large plastic water bottle attached to a large travel cage but they never drinks out of it).
treats: wysong dream treats in either chicken, pheasant or beef (Sonny LOVES them), I also use linatone hair & coat from lambert kay its the blue and white bottle. just a few drops a day. he loves it. its like crack for him. no ferretone. my ferrets have actually never liked ferretone and i hear it might be bad for them?
dental care: i have used velcro in the past but i monitor them while they chew on it and then i take it away afterwards. for Sonny I use a cat toothbrush and cat toothpaste and i brush his teeth once or twice a week.
for hairballs: raw pure pumpkin and i also use tomlyn natural laxatone (sugar free and petroleum free)
for shedding: i have one of those marshalls ferret grooming brushes. it kind of sucks and it doesn't really remove dead hair so i tend to use a flea comb for removing dead hair. it works much better. i also use the dog's metal bristle brush and that also removes the dead undercoat fur (not so great either). also wash their bedding frequently because it gets full of fur.
food dishes: i have a big crock but he doesn't eat over it. he takes the food and carries it off into one of five feeding "dens" (i.e., cardboard boxes, plastic tubes, etc) around the room. i use a shallow bowl for soupies.
toys: crinkly tubes, plastic tubes, plastic crinkly bags (with the handles cut),
bottle caps, dragging a towel across the floor.

[katt]

For your emergency kit:
Canned pumpkin (try to always have one emergency can)
Vaseline (pure petroleum jelly)
Septic Powder
Self-Stick Gauze (def had an incident where I wish I had it!)
Emergency Vet Contact Info
Description of what happens to them in case of natural disaster, fire, You are hurt, etc.
Bottle of Water
Antiseptic - Silver Sulfadiazine is awesome. You can also use Neosporin (NOT the kind with pain reliever, just the plain old fashioned kind).
Betadine (antiseptic liquid)
Freeze dried food
Q-Tips and Cotton balls
Karo syrup
FerreTone
Towel/blanket
Hot-Hands heat pack
small Kennel/carrier
nail clippers
small scissors (in case of stuck nail, tangled ferret, etc)
Syringe (for meds/force feeding)
Carnivore Care

I am sure I am missing stuff but that is what comes to mind...