All you can do is give them a designated digging area to keep them occupied. Are you looking for a food or water bowl for your ferret? So, I was back to square one. Is Catnip Safe For Ferrets? Dig boxes help satisfy a ferret's natural desire to dig. While you need not be concerned for your ferrets health or safety, you may want to intervene before they cause costly damage to your home or furnishings. Here is a list of the things ferrets need in their cage: A suitable bed or beds (ferrets love to snuggle into hammocks) Litter tray/toileting area with litter chosen for safety and odor control. 2023 The Pet Savvy. The causes can vary from fleas, lice, infections, allergies, et cetera. But this is normal as long as the ferret doesnt exaggerate. It might look rough, he says, but its usually nothing you have to try to stop. However, if youre tired of constantly refilling the water bowl and cleaning soiled substrate from the cage bottom, you might try some of the following strategies to get them to quit it already! Its almost always a good idea to have two ferrets so they can play and socialize with each other without getting bored. I will send you high-quality content about ferrets. By consistently discouraging undesired behaviors and directing them towards what wed rather they be doing at that time, we begin to communicate our expectations to them. The tents would refuse to stay up at all and both the eyes and mouth will be dry. [It] can mean anything from Oooh, a new smell or new ferret! to Im a happy, happy, happy boy! Saunders said. Otherwise, its just one of many quirks that make our ferrets so wonderfully special. Your ferret doesnt seem to be breathing and you freak out because you think he is dead. If your ferret hasnt touched a drop of water in over 30 hours, the situation can easily turn fatal. Lower The Body Temperature The sloppy ones just really get into digging, Dutton said. When it comes to the price, they are right in the middle between ceramic and plastic although they are much closer to the ceramic price than the one for plastic bowls. When they hoard household items, its an offshoot of stashing away prey animals theyve caught.. Ferrets are curious pets and often exhibit unusual behaviors that leave us scratching our heads. Hope this helps! Some ferrets have been known to actually take their kibble and place it in the water bowl to wet it before eating. Check out this example of such a fountain. They may want something comfortable to sleep on, too. Ferrets play very hard, and sometimes they really need that deep sleep to recuperate after all that activity.. However, when the ferret wants to play, the water bowl is often collateral damage. If your pet gets some of the water it needs from the food, then it makes sense to reduce the water it drinks from the bowl. A water bowl needs to be cleaned every day. Dental damage can cause long-term health consequences including dental decay and disease which may lead to gingivitis, oral infections, and/or eventual loss of the teeth making eating difficult. I hope to share my tidbits with you. If you own a small ferret, it will likely honk as a sign that its nervous. Your pet might also drink a bit too much water when the heat is unbearable. This one comes inside the plastic bowl and it is used for food and water. (3 reasons!). The ferret might also be hissing at the same time, Dutton adds. Moreover, if your water supply contains other elements like a high dosage of salt in case you are living in a mountainous area, try to find sources of clean water or use an RO (reverse osmosis) filter in your home. Stainless steel bowls are the best ones for every pet, not just ferrets. Upset ferrets will bark loudly or whimper quietly. ferrets dream similarly to humans and dogs, Do Ferrets Bite? If your ferret doesnt mind about that, then you are one of the lucky ones and the only thing you have to worry about is the material of the ferret food and water dishes. But, not every plastic is safe and you cant use them all for feeding bowls, no matter the animal or even human. Some ferret enthusiats claim that having dig boxes available for their ferrets to use can help decrease a ferret's anxiety, prevent destructive digging, provide a source of enrichment, decrease a ferret's natural body odor and even help them shed their old coat. This is normal. somehow I feel like I may never win. Digging is natural and often no indication that anything is amiss. Your ferret is in something called a dead sleep. 2) Ferrets are natural diggers, and they want an outlet to do so. There are some critical verbal cues from ferrets that you should know to care for them properly. What does this mean? Of course, ferrets can drink tap water. Learn more about: cookie policy. Its not unusual to find them digging into their bedding, substrate, water bowls, and even digging in various places around your home, including carpeting, couch cushions, clothes piles, and more. This is also when the tenting would be at its peak. Check the previous answer for the specific amount. A water bowl should be impossible to tip over so the ferret wont cause a mess and remain without water. Ferret Dying Signs? Because ferrets usually eat the ferret food they've scattered, most pet owners just learn to live with it. This is usually done by dominant ferrets that are very territorial, said Donna Spirito, co-founder of the Educated Ferret, a shelter and educational association in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Ferrets are social creatures. But if your pet has a habit of picking fights with the water bowl, you can attach a water bottle to the side of the cage as well. Try wet ferret food, raw food, or toppers to entice your ferret to whet their appetite. Some of the most common signs of a dehydrated ferret are: . He is starting to show his age but, Why is your ferret digging in their water bowl? I have a kitty pool I would fill up (very shallow) with water and through in some toys and they had a blast. Give them a bin of pellets and watch them go to town!. You may notice that some ferrets like to dig in their food bowls, eating the food they knocked onto the floor. Your ferret is doing what is referred to as the dance for joy., This is a direct result of an animal having so much joy and energy that it cannot be contained, Faulkner said. Whenever you hear this sound, they could be saying many things, like: Im super happy to be playing! Or, Oh my gosh, a new smell! While this behavior varies, if your ferret barks and its tail isnt fluffed, its a happy noise. Why Ferrets Steal/Stash Things & What Can You Do About It? this post deserved to be sharedlots of gems! This might be especially crucial to consider if you observe the ferret bringing their food to the water bowl to give it a dip before eating it. But what if the ferret does not want to drink the water? Burgess says this is the equivalent of ferret graffiti. SOLUTION: what finally worked for me is getting a small bowl filled with 1/4 water and 3/4 kibble. Some ferrets absolutely love playing around in your bathtub. If you wet their food a bit before giving it to them, they will stop messing with the water bowl very quickly. The earliest stage that is detectable is at 6% dehydration. Because ferrets live short lives, its important to remember that if they seem weak and unplayful, something may be going wrong. Whats Up With That? Why do ferrets dig in a water bowl? Now lets also talk about different stages of dehydration so you can figure out how serious the problem is when you cant get a vet on the line. Occasional treats, such as boiled egg or cooked chicken. However, if you notice your ferret biting himself more intensely or more often than whats typical for him, have your ferret checked out by a veterinarian. What are the disadvantages of shielding a thermometer? Just make sure the bowl is heavy enough not to be tipped over. In addition, ferrets can take bigger sips from a standard bowl versus a bottle. This behavior is normal, but you can mitigate this by establishing a poo pad instead of a litter box when potty-training your ferret. Ferrets have very thick skin, and so what is a painful bite to us would not be felt by another ferret.. But lets say you want to give your ferret water. Theyll even use their whole bodies to assist in moving larger objects too. These creatures are natural diggers and digging in their water bowl can be a lot of fun. You see, most ferrets are natural swimmers, they do not necessarily need to be taught or trained to swim - it's an innate action. . If your ferret eats dry food, then its more likely that they will need a lot of water each day. When youre cleaning the litter, take 2 minutes to clean the water and food bowls. The good thing is that ferret wont be able to move the bowl, but you will see the ferret digging in water bowl. But some of the most common signs are dry mouth, sticky saliva, dry and sticky gums, dry eyes, diarrhea, weakness, exhaustion, and decrease in the amount of urine and how often they use the little box. Probably not, said Mark Burgess, DVM, an exotics veterinarian in Beaverton, Oregon. Simply letting them roam free (while supervised, of course) might be just the thing to curb the behavior. To prevent this, try anchoring the bowl to the side of the cage with clips (special stick-on ones made for litter boxes work well, but so do plain old binder clips), or use a special bowl designed to lock onto the side of the cage. You look forward to spending time with your special furry friend every day, but youve started noticing something strange your , We love our ferrets. Ferrets are natural diggers and can disturb you during the night by playing with the bowl water. Almost every ferret food and water dishes that come with a cage arent good choices. You know, plastic is plastic. Or perhaps your rambunctious ferret is leaping around the house and suddenly zooms into the wall or a piece of furniture and drops to the floor. They're also really easy for you, the owner! If your ferret feels threatened or frightened, He might poof-out his tail, literally making all the fur stand on end, Dutton said. digging and tunneling remains strong. For your ferret digging in their water bowl, the stakes are significantly lower, and there should be no cause for concern or fear. They may dig into the litter and think it feels pretty good doing it, and for some ferrets, that may be self-reinforcing., When ferrets are happy, contented or excited, they often make a chortling or clucking sound known as dooking.. At first, wash the bowl and replace the water as ferrets can detect if theres something wrong with it before you do. That can be from digging in your plant, rummaging through your trash bin, etc. Most can only see a couple feet in front of them, and they have very bad depth perception, which explains a lot of their klutziness.. Ferrets drink quite a lot of water but its perfectly normal. Ferrets are strict carnivores. High levels of dehydration can be fatal, so do not hesitate to go out and meet a doctor. Yes Here are 5 Tips To Stop The Naughty Habit, 100+ Fun and Unique Gecko Names You Will Love, Breeding Hedgehogs Everything You Need to Know, Djungarian Hamsters Everything You Need to Know, Albino Hamsters Breed Profile, Photos and Care, Brian From OC Dumbos Tells Us What Its Like To Be a Rat Breeder, 6 Rat Breeders Show Us How They Set Up Their Rat Cages, 30+ Rat Breeders Share Their Best Tips For First-Time Rat Owners, Jumping, Zoomies, Dooking, Wagging, Dancing, Barking (sometimes), Whimpering, Whining, Screeching, Screaming, Barking. Burgess says this is also when the heat is unbearable it ] can mean from. Inside the plastic bowl and it is used for food and water dishes that come with cage... Would be at its peak actually take their kibble and place it in the bowl. You freak out because you think he is starting to show his age but, Why your. A bin of pellets and watch them go to town! stage that detectable... 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