The answer should be obvious: ferret clothes are not needed at all. Mother Nature provided your ferret with all the clothing it really needs – a nice warm coat designed to protect it from the elements. The only time your ferret may actually need ferret clothes is if it recovering from surgery or an injury. In that case, ferret clothes can provide a little added protection to help the site heal.

Still, there are many ferret owners who just enjoy dressing up their pet ferrets whenever they go out.  Ferret clothes can make it easier to distinguish their pet when socializing with other ferrets. They can also make it easier to find a ferret if it goes wandering off.

But, face it, most of the time ferrets wear clothes because the owners find them cute. Thus there are ferret clothes for just about any occasion: sweaters, hoodies, and T-shirts are available for just about every interest, including sports, holidays, and so on.

There are also many types of ferret hats on the market, including baseball hats, Santa hats, Cat-in-the-Hat stovepipes, and countless others.

Often, ferret-related organizations, such as rescue groups, will host a ferret fashion show as part of their regular meetings. These are great places to meet other ferret owners while having fun and raising money for an excellent cause.

Naturally, ferret clothes are available from a variety of vendors – and at a variety of prices. The largest supplier is, not surprisingly, Marshall, which produces many other ferret products as well. Because the ferret world is a clothing-optional one, only buy the outfits you can afford and will actually use. If possible, check the quality of the items – usually less expensive items will be of lower quality and be more likely to tear or shrink. If you buy online, be sure to carefully read the vendor’s return policy and get a receipt.

If you want to save money, you may be able to find used ferret clothes and other supplies at online classified advertising sites. As with any other purchase, you need to know exactly what you’re buying and that the seller is being honest. Check each clothing item to make sure it is intact. If the item has been worn by another ferret, find out about its health to ensure your ferret won’t “inherit” a skin disease or other health problem.

Surprisingly, while there are a variety of ready-made ferret clothes, there are seemingly few patterns for them. A crafty ferret owner may be able to adjust patterns for dog or doll clothes to fit, but it takes a certain amount of know-how to do it.

If you choose to make ferret clothes, watch out for dangling parts that could get caught between cage bars or on other obstacles. Remember, your ferret loves to chew things and could easily gnaw off and swallow that cute bell or button. Drawstrings can become knotted and easily strangle your pet. Wool clothing can be chewed and swallowed, obstructing the digestive tract. Ferret clothes can be dangerous for your pet.

Also, remember that ferret clothes should not be worn all the time. Your ferret’s skin and fur need to breathe. If clothes are kept on constantly, your pet ferret’s skin will dry out, and his fur will become matted. So take off the clothes and let your fuzzy kids run free. Be sure to wash the clothes regularly to remove any germs or bacteria they may have been picked up along the way.

You may discover that as much as you love that adorable winter coat, your ferret will balk at putting it on. In that case, you have two options. The first is trying to persuade your ferret to sit calmly while you put the item on it. Set the ferret on your lap and feed her a favorite treat or gently stroke her fur while you carefully put the item on.  No matter what you do, your ferret may or may not fight you every step of the way.

The other option is to simply accept your ferret’s answer and try again another day or send the item back to the retailer who sold it to you. (You did keep the receipt, didn’t you?)

Ferret clothes are not for everyone or every ferret, but they can be a fun part of pet ownership. Have fun with your fashionable fuzzy. And find out more about the many aspects of ferret “parenting” here.

When nature calls and our little fuzzies have to run to the bathroom, they run to a corner. Then they turn around and back up to the corner where the walls meet and do their business. So my advice is to get a ferret litter box with a fairly high back. Or you will find “surprises” on the floor in the bottom of the cage.

The litter boxes I have for Rikki and Possum are triangle shaped so they will fit nicely into a corner where my fuzzy babies like to do their business. These litter boxes also have high backs (two sides of the triangle) with a much lower front side to allow easy access. They work very nicely in the corner of the cage.

I would also advise getting locking litter pans. If your pet store is out of locking kind or doesn’t carry them, then I would highly recommend that you tie the litter pans down in some way. You can use C-clamps, twist ties, or small bungee cords. Just make sure they are secured in the cage, usually to the bars of the cage wall.

You can also purchase suitable ferret litter boxes from Amazon or form the Marshall site. And you can order them from Doctors Foster and Smith.

I have three litter boxes in Rikki’s and Possum’s cage. They are not the locking kind, so I tie them down with twist ties.

If you don’t use locking litter boxes or if you don’t secure your non-locking litter pans, you will soon find them turned upside down. And you will also find litter and unwanted surprises all over the bottom of the cage.

I have learned through experience to make sure Rikki’s and Possum’s litter boxes are securely tied down. That way, we are all happy.

You can find out how to litter train your ferrets in Getting Started with Pet Ferrets.

Do you know your ferret history? Many people consider owning pet ferrets a fairly new fad. But ferrets have a long history as domesticated pets. You’ll be surprised at the illustrious history of your woozle.

Ferret Varieties

The ferret is, of course, a mammal belonging to the Mustelidae family. The most common is the Mustela putorius furo. Wikipedia notes that the ferret “is a very close relative of the polecat, but it is as yet unclear whether it is a domesticated form of the European Polecat (Mustela putorius), the Steppe Polecat (Mustela eversmanii), or some hybrid of the two.” Polecats and ferrets often interbred, and there are even wild colonies of these hybrids that have damaged native plants in New Zealand.

The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) looks a lot like the domesticated ferret, but the black-footed ferret, in addition to the black markings on its feet and tail, also has a black mask. While the black-footed variety is native to the US, it is illegal to own one. It is endangered because settlers have pretty much eliminated prairie dogs, the black-footed ferret’s main food source. (If you come across someone who owns a black-footed ferret, you should contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.)

Ferret History

Ferrets have been used since the days of ancient Greece and Rome to control rats and other vermin. They are cited in the biblical book of Leviticus among the “unclean” animals the ancient Hebrews were not to eat. (Some Bible translations specify “weasel” instead of “ferret.”)

In addition to destroying vermin, ferrets have also been used to chase rabbits from their burrows.  Although ferrets were formerly able to survive in the wild, the domesticated variety has become so dependent on us that it cannot survive alone in the wild and would likely die within a short time.

Ferrets once played a vital role in European life. In some areas of England, they were known as fitchets, from the word ficheaux. They were so valuable that settlers brought ferrets with them when they came to the colonies. Farmers and hunters found them effective tools for controlling pests and sniffing out small food animals. Once chemical pesticides became available, the use of ferrets for pest control died out. Today, it is generally illegal in the US to use ferrets for hunting purposes.

Just as humans don’t always have the most impressive pedigrees, so it is with ferrets. There’s a reason that the term “ferret” is synonymous with “thief.” Ferrets are the compulsive thieves of the animal world, so never be surprised if your keys, coins, treats, and other items suddenly turn up missing.

Cultured Ferrets

You can also find many depictions of ferrets and references to ferret history in Western art and literature. No less a personage than Leonardo da Vinci painted La dama Con L’ermellino in the late fifteenth century. While the title describes the animal in the subject’s arms as an ermine, a symbol of purity and incorruptibility, animal experts say it is actually a ferret. (An ermine, a wild animal, would be too difficult to capture and pose for a painting. What’s more, the animal depicted is too large to be an ermine, but is about the right size for a ferret.)

Writer Virginia Woolf once called playwright Noel Coward as “clever as a bag of ferrets and trivial as a perch of canaries.” Speaking of playwrights, William Shakespeare himself has the character Brutus describing Cicero as possessing “looks with such ferret and such fiery eyes as we have seen him in the Capital being crossed in conference by some senators” (Julius Caesar, Act 1, Scene 2).

In more modern literature, Richard Bach, author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, wrote a series of short novels called the Ferret Chronicles. (They are now available in one volume called Curious Lives.) Each novel treats ferrets involved in human-like adventures. The recently deceased author Brian Jacques referred to ferrets in The Outcast of Redwall in his Redwall series, which recreate medieval times, albeit with animals as the main characters.

Scientific Ferrets

Ferrets have been important in more than vermin-control and art history. For example, ferrets played an important part in the study of human illnesses such as swine flu, influenza, SARS, and cystic fibrosis. They continue to be used in construction projects that require cables to be inserted in pipes too small for humans to enter.  Ferrets were used, for example, to help lay the television cables needed to broadcast Prince Andrew’s and Sarah Ferguson’s wedding in 1986.  In a more recent royal wedding, ferret races were among the festivities in Kate Middleton’s hometown of Bucklebury, England, the day she married Prince William in 2011.

Modern Ferrets

Experts estimate that there are now about four million ferrets in the US, making them the third most popular pet, behind dogs and cats. Several celebrities, including Paris Hilton and Madonna, have had pet ferrets, mainly because the animals are so sociable and easily carried.

While ferrets probably didn’t come over on the Mayflower and Shakespeare didn’t write any sonnets to his favorite fuzzy, it’s rather interesting to know that ferrets are not exactly newcomers in the world of domesticated pets. Without a doubt, pet ferrets have a long and illustrious history with humans. Found out more about our fuzzy friends in Getting Started with Pet Ferrets.

First, the sleeping area in the ferret cage should be roomy enough for your ferret to stretch out in and sleep. But also keep in mind that your fuzzy kids will also need room to burrow, dig, and create “nests” for themselves. These are instinctive behaviors in ferrets, and you need to provide for them.

Ferret bedding materials can be something as simple as an old T-shirt loosely draped in a corner of the cage. Others like to use old comforters, blankets, rugs, sweatshirts, towels, etc. Anything of that nature can be used to make a secure, dark, comfy sleeping space and would make a great ferret bed. (Just one caveat though: Do not use items that have stuffing or fibers that your ferret could chew up. They could become lodged in your pet’s digestive tract and create health problems down the road.)

If you’ve spent any amount of time researching ferret supplies, chances are you’ve fallen in love with the many cute ferret hammocks, sleep sacks, and other similar items available online or in many pet stores and magazines. They are undeniably fun to have, and ferrets love to curl up (or, in the case of many ferrets, pile up) in them. Before you buy, make sure they are made of machine-washable fabric and that they can be adapted to your cage. The cutest hammock won’t do any good if you don’t have a place to hang it.

If you’re on a budget, you may find it less expensive to make your own ferret bed. There are many patterns available online that will show you how to make your own sleep sacks and hammocks.  Making your own ferret beds will allow you to personalize them somewhat. For example, you can use fabric from your children’s outgrown clothes. Or you can go to a fabric store and select materials that would go with your home’s décor.

Whatever you use, make sure that it will withstand ferret wear and tear and (especially in the case of used items) that it doesn’t have any buttons or other things that your ferret could chew off and choke on. When you do create the item, be careful to make all seams secure. You’d hate for your fuzzies’ hammock to suddenly collapse with the whole gang inside it.

Once you have your ferret bed completed, you need to place it correctly. It’s best to put it as far as possible from your pet’s food, water, and litter box. Not only will this make it easier for you to clean, but ferrets tend to avoid sleeping near their toileting areas.

Most ferret experts advise letting a ferret explore his cage. That way, you can see where it chooses to toilet. Place the litter box there and then choose another spot for the ferret bed. Some savvy ferret owners will place the litter box and food/water bowls on the lowest level of a cage and reserve all the upper levels for sleeping/nesting/play areas. Such an arrangement confines the greatest possible ferret mess to the lower level, making it easier to refill the bowls, empty the litter pans, and so on.

A multi-level or multi-compartment ferret bed also allows your ferrets a chance to get away from one another for privacy. While ferrets are social by nature, they also need a chance to be alone. If you have more than one ferret, you may need more than one bed/nesting area.

A ferret bed is a perfect example of “doing unto others as you would have done unto you.” You yourself probably love a bed that is comfy, soft, warm, and that provides a certain amount of privacy. Provide those same qualities in your ferret bed, and you’ll have healthy, happy pets.

For more information on ferret beds and ferret care, take a look at Getting Started with Pet Ferrets.

Well . . . it’s you.

You’ve probably realized that for pet ferrets (as with children), play time is really work time. Ferrets learn a lot about their world when they play. For example, exploring games satisfy your ferret’s instinctive need for stimulation. Likewise hide-and-seek and chasing games hone a ferret’s predatory skills. Tug-of-war games fill a ferret’s need to conquer. Digging feeds a ferret’s tunneling instinct.

Just in case you didn’t notice, when your ferret is nipping at your shoes and your pants leg, it’s trying to tell you that it’s play time. It’s time to get down on ferret level and have a blast.  Here are some great games you can play with your ferret.

Exploring Games for Ferrets

• Take your ferret for a “magic-carpet ride” by pulling it around on a blanket as it watches the world go by.
• Create a maze by lining up a multitude of boxes. Hide a treat inside and watch your ferret go.
• When your ferret is harness trained, take him for a walk outside.
• Twist a ferret-sized flexible hose into any configuration and let your fuzzy go wild.
• When you’re finished wrapping presents, let your ferret play with the left-over cardboard tubes and the scraps of wrapping paper. (But make sure your ferret doesn’t try to eat the scraps.)

Hide-and-Seek Ferret Games

• Hide a treat in a shirt, a shoe, or a blanket or in your ferret’s dig box.
• Fill an old suitcase (including all those nifty pockets), with toys and treats. Then let your fuzzies help you unpack.
• Wrap a “present” for your ferret by putting a treat inside a box and then wrapping it in old newspaper. Like anyone else, your ferret will love to get a gift.

Chasing Games

• Chase your ferrets up and down the stairs, and let them chase you back.
• Let your ferret sniff a treat you’re holding in your hand before you toss it away. Then watch the chase. (This is especially fun to do with several ferrets.)

Tug-of-War Games

• Dangle something over your ferret’s head so it will “attack.”
• Play tug of war with your ferret. When it has a good hold on the towel or blanket, gently drag it around the room.
• Bat some ping-ping or tennis balls or cardboard tubes at your ferret and watch the reaction.
• Roll a ball of yarn toward your ferret and see what happens. (And if you have any readily accessible yarn balls, your ferrets will make a tangle of them anyway.) You decide whether you want to continue to hold the end of the yarn or not.

Digging Games

• Fill a box with Ping-Pong balls or even wads of newspaper (or both!).
• Loosely cover your fuzzy in several blankets and watch her work her way out.

Just-for-Fun Games

• Hang a basket low from a plant hook (no more than two feet off the ground). Let your ferret climb in and help him swing back and forth.
• Stack some boxes or some paper cups, and let your ferret knock them down.
• Dance with your ferret. When she does her little war dance, mimic her moves.
• Lay a blanket loosely across your bed and gently place your ferret on it. Gently bounce your bed for a trampoline. (For even more fun, use a large sheet or blanket and add more ferrets.)

Of course, this is only a small sampling of all the possible home-grown ferret games your pet ferret can play with you. Who ever heard of a toy that could do so many things? What a bargain. Now, go see what your ferret wants to do with his favorite toy – you.

First of all, remember that ferrets are very active. They won’t sit still for an elegant portrait, so there is no point in trying to pose them. You’ll just have to shoot fast – and probably quite a bit – and cull the good pictures from the not-so-good.

Also, try to get your pictures without your fuzzy subjects being aware of it. You may want to time your portrait session when your ferret is just waking up, so it will be relatively calm and still.

Lighting is important, and natural lighting is usually best for pet photography. If you want to pick up the feeling of your ferret’s soft fur, try to brush his coat thoroughly right before your photo session and position lighting so that it comes from the side. Position your pet ferret near a window so the light captures the contrasting colors in the fur.

If possible, have the camera at your ferret’s eye level, rather than shooting from above. This adds immediacy to the photograph and is generally more pleasing to the viewer. Offer your ferret a favorite treat or toy and make your usual noises to attract her attention.

If possible, keep the background plain and uncluttered. A blank wall makes the best back drop.

Have someone else hold the ferret while you take the picture. Show them interacting with each other. Remember, kids and animals are always winners when it comes to photography subjects. (However, use caution if the child is not familiar with handling ferrets. Always supervise and remove the ferret if either becomes anxious or aggressive.)

There are many cute ferret costumes and hats and shirts available. Try one on your ferret and place her in an appropriate setting that matches the outfit.

Beware of flash photography – the bright light could frighten or startle your ferret.

Once you have a photo you like, you may be able to use scrapbooking accessories to create a cute montage. Consider adding cartoon “thought balloons” to add a humorous or sweet touch.

Set some photographs aside that are dated and show important characteristics of your pet ferret (unique colorings, etc.). Compare them over time and alert your vet to any changes you notice (unusual growths, drastic changes in weight, etc.). These photographs can be invaluable in diagnosing your ferret.

Photographing your pet ferrets is a great way to bond with your fuzzy and create lasting mementos. If you get what you consider to be a great shot, why not enter it in a photography contest or submit it to a ferret publication? You and your fuzzy could become famous.

One reason for your fuzzy’s aggression and nipping could be as simple as fear. This is often the case when your ferret is new to your home.

Think about it. How do you feel and act when you’re in a new, unfamiliar place and are around strange people? You probably don’t enjoy it all that much and get at least a little nervous. And because you are nervous, you will act in ways that show that nervousness. You may eat more than usual, smoke more than usual, talk too much, become withdrawn, and so on

Well, in the same way, your ferret may bite, hiss, and/or screech. He may even attempt to hide if he can. These are natural reactions to the new setting. So the trick is to do everything possible to make your ferret feel safe and comfortable.

The best thing you can do for new pet ferrets is to handle them a lot, talking to them in a very reassuring tone. The best advice I ever got on this was from Kim Schilling in her book Ferrets for Dummies. And that is to get a sleep sack or small backpack, place your ferret in it, secure it around your front, and carry your fuzzy around with you. Also, when you’re sitting or lying on the couch, keep your hand inside the sack, and pet and love on your fuzzy. This will help your fuzzy become a cuddler instead of a nipper.

Or maybe your fuzzy is acting aggressively because he is in pain. He may have a tummy ache, or maybe his ears hurt due to an ear-mite infestation. Or there could be other health problems causing the pain and the ferret aggression. In this case, when you treat the health problem, the aggression usually takes care of itself.

If you have a kit, it could be, like all babies, teething and using you as a chew toy. Give him something to chew on besides you. You can try treats made especially for ferrets or a toy that is ferret safe. Do not use a rubber toy made for puppies or kittens. Parts of the toy, broken or bitten off, could be swallowed, causing blockage in your ferret’s stomach and intestines. So make sure the toy is ferret safe.

Another possibility is that your fuzzy just wants to play tag. Tag is their all-time favorite game. Rikki and Possum will run and jump at my feet and nip at my ankles. That is my cue to run at them and tag them. Actually, I’m on my hands and knees after them. This way, I don’t run the risk of stepping on them.

Now that we have covered some of the reasons for aggressive behavior in ferrets, let’s see what can be done about it.

The one thing I want to stress is this: DO NOT strike your ferret. That will cause more fear and probably more biting. Your fuzzy will associate hitting with you and so may not want to have anything to do with you. This could also physically harm your fuzzy baby.

One method I have learned to curb ferret aggression that really works is what I call “scruffing.”

I nab my fuzzy by the scruff of the neck (in the same way a mama ferret would do to carry her baby or to discipline her baby) so I can have control of his head. Then, just like a parent, I scold my fuzzy and shake my finger at him. At the same time, I tell him, “No bite.” I then proceed to pet him and love on him. Ferrets respond better to affection and a loving tone of voice.

This procedure may have to be repeated and so may take a while to work, but never give up on your fuzzy. They never give up on you.

In going over this list of post topics, it occurred to me that I haven’t written anything about Rikki and Possum in a while. And they are the main reasons I started this website.

So, here goes . . .

Rikki is still my “ADHD” albino fuzzy. I have had her 2 years now, and she is still going strong.

Possum is my 1-year-old panda woozle. He was my laid-back chubby woozle. He’s still laid back, but he finally lost his baby fat. He isn’t as active as Rikki, but he still plays a lot, especially when he can get Rikki to play in the dig box with him.

I think their favorite game to play is tag, especially if I play with them. It seems like I’m the one who is always “IT” because they are a lot faster than I am – and I can’t fit under my bed and dresser. That’s where Rikki and Possum always run to keep me from tagging them.

After a game of tag, which usually lasts 15 to 30 minutes, then it’s dig-box and tube time. And that will last around 2 hours. After that, it’s nap time. By then, I’m ready for a nap too.

So Rikki and Possum are still doing great. And they are as ornery as ever.

No, my friend, ferrets do not cause warts. But – and this is something a lot of people don’t know – ferrets can get warts. And through some research, I found that ferrets cannot pass warts to humans.

Warts on a human are skin growths caused by a virus in the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) family. This virus causes rapid growth of a hard protein (called keratin) in the top layer of skin, which then results in warts.

After doing some research and talking to veterinarians, I found that the “warts” on our little fuzzies are actually Subaceous Epitheliomas, wart-like tumors that are usually benign. If your woozle has anything like these, you should take your fuzzy to the vet. You should never take a chance with your fuzzy baby!

So, the answer to the original question is: “No, pet ferrets cannot pass warts to us, their human parents.”

Find out much more about ferret health and ferret care in Getting Started with Pet Ferrets.

I’ve seen a lot of searches lately for ferret gifts for humans. Well, now, I have a great idea for all the ferret lovers who visit this site . . .

Donna Cartwright, an artist from Wales – yep, that’s the UK Wales, land of unpronounceable names and misty mysterious legends – recently contacted me. She explained her work and told me about how she had been commissioned by a woman to paint ferrets on a . . . chair.

When Donna contacted me, I immediately went to her website – www.donnacartwrightcreates.com – to look at her artwork. At the time, the ferret art wasn’t done, but I totally fell in love with her other work, especially the painted vases.

When she got the ferret-painting-adorned chair finished, Donna sent me pictures of it. I loved it!

Now, I want a chair with my fuzzies painted on it. I told my husband, and, of course, he said, “No.” But I’m still working on him. I’m the type who doesn’t really take “No” for an answer.

I encourage you to go to Donna’s site – www.donnacartwrightcreates.com – and take a look at her very impressive painting. You will love her work!

You can also contact Donna Cartwright here. I’ll keep you posted about Donna’s work (hopefully, more ferret stuff) as information and pictures become available.