What You Should Know About the Baby Ferret and Its Care
While a baby ferret can be weaned from its mother at or around 6 weeks of age there are still many requirements that need to be met in order for it to be healthy.
In order to provide the best care for the new addition to your home you should do your research before the babies are born.
It's unwise to handle the mother ferret while she is giving birth.
This can make her very hostile and unpredictable which can be unhealthy to the baby ferret.
A typical litter of ferret babies or kits as they are known ranges from 5 to 8 babies in general.
They are born both blind and hairless which means that for all intents or purposes that they are helpless.
After about 3 weeks their eyes will begin to open and their hair will begin to grow.
Until a baby ferret reaches 45 days of age it and its siblings will do nothing but eat, sleep, and grow.
When they are 55 days of age you want to take them to the vet.
Even a baby ferret needs its vaccinations to keep it and you healthy.
You can also have them neutered and de-scented at this time if you wish.
The next thing that you should do concerning your baby ferret is plan its meals.
Obviously as they get older they'll move away from their mother feeding them and begin to eat solid meals on their own.
If you purchased your ferret from a pet store or breeder make sure to find out what they've been feeding them.
Much like cats a sudden diet change can seriously upset your ferret's physical state so if you must switch do so carefully.
When feeding a kit you should warm the food up in water for a few minutes to soften it so it will digest easier.
While there is a plethora of high quality ferret food to choose from high quality cat food can work as well.
As long as the ferret is getting the proper amount of nutrition it will develop healthily.
Ferrets need food that has a good amount of fat and protein in order to grow properly so read the information on the food before purchasing.
Much like their adult counterparts young ferrets need plenty of fatty acids in their foods and they also need plenty of drinking water.
Make sure to change the water in their cages at least twice a day just to be safe.
If they keep knocking their water container over or moving it you might consider a water bottle for their cage.
Obviously a smaller one is needed due to the fact that they're not adults but it can help alleviate the frustration and lack of water in certain circumstances.
Baby ferrets like to borrow when they sleep and they also like to play vigorously.
That being said you need to purchase a ferret cage with plenty of room for them to move about in.
They need plenty of soft bedding that they can be comfortable on but it shouldn't be something that can be chewed or eaten.
Ferrets in general have a habit of eating things they shouldn't which can lead to stomach problems that require surgery to solve.
The best cage type is one that is made out of plastic and not plastic coated metal.
Despite these special needs caring for baby ferrets can be a rewarding experience.
They are very social just like their adult counterparts and will return your affections in kind
In order to provide the best care for the new addition to your home you should do your research before the babies are born.
It's unwise to handle the mother ferret while she is giving birth.
This can make her very hostile and unpredictable which can be unhealthy to the baby ferret.
A typical litter of ferret babies or kits as they are known ranges from 5 to 8 babies in general.
They are born both blind and hairless which means that for all intents or purposes that they are helpless.
After about 3 weeks their eyes will begin to open and their hair will begin to grow.
Until a baby ferret reaches 45 days of age it and its siblings will do nothing but eat, sleep, and grow.
When they are 55 days of age you want to take them to the vet.
Even a baby ferret needs its vaccinations to keep it and you healthy.
You can also have them neutered and de-scented at this time if you wish.
The next thing that you should do concerning your baby ferret is plan its meals.
Obviously as they get older they'll move away from their mother feeding them and begin to eat solid meals on their own.
If you purchased your ferret from a pet store or breeder make sure to find out what they've been feeding them.
Much like cats a sudden diet change can seriously upset your ferret's physical state so if you must switch do so carefully.
When feeding a kit you should warm the food up in water for a few minutes to soften it so it will digest easier.
While there is a plethora of high quality ferret food to choose from high quality cat food can work as well.
As long as the ferret is getting the proper amount of nutrition it will develop healthily.
Ferrets need food that has a good amount of fat and protein in order to grow properly so read the information on the food before purchasing.
Much like their adult counterparts young ferrets need plenty of fatty acids in their foods and they also need plenty of drinking water.
Make sure to change the water in their cages at least twice a day just to be safe.
If they keep knocking their water container over or moving it you might consider a water bottle for their cage.
Obviously a smaller one is needed due to the fact that they're not adults but it can help alleviate the frustration and lack of water in certain circumstances.
Baby ferrets like to borrow when they sleep and they also like to play vigorously.
That being said you need to purchase a ferret cage with plenty of room for them to move about in.
They need plenty of soft bedding that they can be comfortable on but it shouldn't be something that can be chewed or eaten.
Ferrets in general have a habit of eating things they shouldn't which can lead to stomach problems that require surgery to solve.
The best cage type is one that is made out of plastic and not plastic coated metal.
Despite these special needs caring for baby ferrets can be a rewarding experience.
They are very social just like their adult counterparts and will return your affections in kind
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