by Zofia Zbiegiel

Created on: February 24, 2009   Last Updated: March 06, 2009

There are plenty of supplies available out there for pet ferrets, but not all of them are entirely necessary. Some, however, are quite important to have and shouldn't be forgotten. It's always best to get most things even before the purchase of a new ferret, so that you will be able to figure out where to put things, and how you'd like things to be set up.

Cage

The first, and most important, item to buy is a cage. Cage sizes should be relative to the amount of time the ferret will be spending in them. If you can allow your ferret to run around in a safe room for most of the day, the cage does not have to be huge. It should be big enough that their is good space between the litter box and the sleeping area and feeding area. Ideal setups will have multiple levels, with the food bowl located up high, far away from the litter box. If your ferret will be in it's cage most of the time because you have to be away for long hours, do not skimp on the cage. Get as large a cage as you can afford to get, with plenty of levels and lots of room to bounce around in. A good thing to look for is plastic or rubber coated wires, and large doors through which it will be easier to clean the cage.

Never, ever, get a ferret a cage that is made for rabbits or other animals. Even if there is a picture of a ferret on the cover of those cages, they will not be suitable for a ferret. Most rabbit cages do not have the correct spacing between bars. Spacing must be no more than half an inch, and quarter inch spacing is even better. Remember, if a ferret can fit it's head through, it will most likely force the rest of it's body through. The problem when ferrets do this with wire cage bars is that the bars stretch apart when the ferret squeezes it's hard head through, but then they snap back into place as the ferret tries to pull the rest of it's body through. This can lead to quite severe complications; the ferret can get horribly squeezed by the bars, it's blood flow to the rest of the body can get constricted, and if it happens at night, it will most likely be trapped like that for hours before rescue comes.

Litter Box and Litter

The next thing you'll need is to fill out the cage. A good litter box is essential, and usually the longer and larger it is the better. Ferrets like to get all four feet into the box, and you might have problems if the ferret can't. There are litter boxes available that are both long, and have a high back end. Since ferrets like to back into corners to do their business,

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