Cat and ferret

[Deleted]

My boyfriend and I have been considering adopting a friend for our ferret for awhile now, the only thing holding us back is cost. With the vet cost we've already had for our boy we aren't sure that would be the most responsible choice. I've grown up with cats and had them around my whole life and they are much lower maintenece with vet care and special needs in general. I just wanted some input on what you guys think about us adopting a kitten to fill that companionship void. I figure if we adopt a kitten from a young age (Our local shelter has TONS and they pay for spay/neuter and microchip!) he/she will grow up used to the ferret and they can be buddies! If anyone has done this before or has any advice/experience I'd appreciate it

[LindaM]

How old is your ferret? A young kitten is a good idea, but not too young. The kitten will need to be at an age where it can recognize danger and be able to get away fast enough, and even up high out of danger's reach (4 months old is a good start). The reason for this is that ferrets play incredibly rough, a cat, especially a kitten, doesn't have the same tough neck skin that a ferret does. And since ferrets are also hunters, if it is your ferret's personality to hunt or even be aggressive, your kitten may well become the prey.

I did the opposite, I got a kitten first, and at 5 months of age, I added a 12 week old ferret kit. Same rules apply as all introductions. New animal should be bathed to remove all other possible animal smells, introduce on neutral ground, swap out blankets, timed playtime together under supervision. And don't trust them together, unsupervised, for a good while. Anything can happen at any moment that may require you to step into the fray. Your kitten should also be allowed time to discover their new home, uninterrupted or stressed about another animal being there already. If your ferret free-roams, it may well see the kitten as an intruder to their territory for a while.

You also need to take into account the personality of both animals. They don't always get along, period. There is no surefire way to make animals get along, if they decide not to like each other, then that's it. My cat, Hades, is very indifferent and reserved. Loki, my male ferret is very mellow. Athena, my newest female ferret, is very bouncy and energetic (we got her 3 weeks ago, she's 5 months old). But all three are overall gentle, and friendly. I was lucky that they all have accepted one another without troubles. All three of them play together, and at times each of the ferrets will play by themselves with the cat, or just with each other. My cat, gentle as he usually is, will bat with his paw at an offending ferret, claws fully sheathed (EVEN if Athena nips at his toes). Another cat might, if easily annoyed, add some claw into that smack that could seriously hurt a ferret. And a ferret could as easily harm a cat in turn. So supervision during play time (or any time everyone is out together) should generally be advised.

Another thing to keep in mind is food. What does your ferret eat? Are they raw fed? Kibble fed? Ferrets find cat food to be like crack, and it's horrid for them (or at least the grocery store bought crap, which is bad for your cat too really). My ferrets are partial kibble, and partial raw fed. The kibble mix I give them, is the same as I give my cat, thus there is always a kibble left in the kitchen for whoever is hungry during the day, and often they'll eat together too. I use a blend of green and one blue listed kibbles from this kibble comparison chart: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ugt4k4JPUw8X-WDsxbbOIBUqIKkTubrkpyba4YsUeEg
I use Wysong Digestive, NV Instinct Duck & Turkey/Rabbit/Lamb/Chicken, and Wellness Core Original/Kitten. I'll usually blend about 3-4 of those ones together. And as it's also cat food (other than the Wysong), everyone gets to eat it. But if you buy the grocery store kibbles for the cat (Friskies, Purina, Iams, Whiskas, etc.), or even lower "upper class" brands (Organix, Royal Canin, etc.), they need to be kept away from your ferret at all times. And hey, even some of the good brands that do have kibble ferrets can eat, have some flavors/mixes that aren't good for ferrets to eat, so again, need to be kept away from any ferrets.

Whatever litter you use for the cat also has to be ferret compatible. We use corn litter (great for absorption and keeping smell low) for our cat, and we use it for the ferrets too, but with a little bit of paper litter (which sucks for absorption but is still useful for the following) tossed on top of theirs in their enclosed litter boxes so any wet litter doesn't stick to their little feet when they come out, and also helps keep litter scatter down. Thus, in a pinch if my ferrets need the bathroom and they're nearest to or inside our spare bathroom that has the cat litter boxes, they'll use that too (the cat poops in one, and pees in the other, they'll potty in the pee box).

And of course, some cat toys are bad for ferrets, so you need to always keep an eye on what any of them gets.

But if you can get through all of the above, a cat and ferret household can be very rewarding. I love watching my babies play together.

[Sherry]

You also need to keep in mind your ferret's personality. I have 2 ferrets who do their best to kill the cats. That is their only interest in them.

[Deleted]

My youngest male fert, Bruno decided he was going to ride one of my cats like a bucking bronco.  He ended up with a mouth full of fur and a ripped off toe nail.  I can't even describe how mad the cat was.

I think the key is to make sure they can get away from each other.  I put a cat bed on top of one of my bookcases for the cat to escape to when the ferts are out.

Suzie

[raebees]

My 2 ferrets are almost a year old and our cat is 2 or 3 years old. The cat doesn't particularly care about the ferrets (except to get out of their way) and Bella doesn't really care about the cat but Moxie wants to eat her. Every. Time. We have switched bedding/smells, tried positive reinforcement, even firm 'no's' when Moxie starts 'hunting' to no avail. The moment the cat comes into the vicinity, Moxie's nose is to the ground trying to find her and eat her. They will never be buddies and we do everything we can to keep the cat safe. She's growing more savvy to the fact that she is in dire danger when Moxie's out and will choose to stay on the bed out of reach or go outside. Be aware that if it doesn't work out, you may have to juggle the out and about time and allow the cat safe spaces your ferret can't reach. It's much like adopting another ferret. They don't always take to one another and you need to have a back-up plan. Good luck!