Ferrets are fun and playful pets, and by understanding their body language you'll be able to meet your ferret's needs more easily. Ferrets are generally uncoordinated and clumsy, and their vision is poor, Burgess said. ", enhanced my knowledge about ferrets. If you dont see any improvement in under 10 minutes, get to the vet right away. They could get quite lazy after vaccination because vaccines usually weaken the pathogens in the body. You can also hide their food so they have to search it out. But before you bring one of these rambunctious little creatures into your home, here are 11 things to know about ferrets and proper ferret care. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 46,805 times. Your ferret need not show all signs of adrenal disease like fur/hair loss, weight loss etc. My ferret has a toothache. Make sure to evaluate the situation appropriately. Also, provide easy access to food, water, litter, and sleeping areas. normal brown good consistent poop. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Your ferret sleeps so profoundly you are not sure they are alive. Other behavior could indicate they are sick and need to be taken to a vet for treatment. This article has been viewed 46,805 times. They try to tunnel. As said before, ferrets need slightly warmer temps to survive (75F and above). A Guide to Dealing with Ferret Smells! Is Something Wrong? Discover the joys of owning a small pet and get started on your journey today! The ferret runs to you when you enter the room. They need to be clean around their gentiles penis and anus. If your ferret starts whimpering or is in obvious discomfort when you touch theabdominal area, a foreign or toxic object may have been ingested. This pet health content was reviewed for accuracy by a veterinarian, Dr. Pippa Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS. Female ferrets remain continuously in heat due to their periods, and therefore, unsprayed female ferrets can die due to blood loss/anemia if they are not mated.[. ] (Note: a relaxed rabbit may also lay flat, but a relaxed rabbit has different body language: relaxed muscles and expression.) To release this tension, they act out in this funny manner around you or their favorite toys. When a ferret has reached the end of its life, the best thing you can do is comfort your ferret in its last moments. They should be pink and turn pale when you gently press them. Constantly shaking can also be a sign of blood sugar problems, especially in young kits (3 months or younger). Ferrets like to stalk and chase you. Ears held back and lowered, tail raised, pupils dilated. Dont push in too much, as that could cause a blockage. so he could possibly be sick if thats all he ever does. There is a multitude of reasons why your ferret would be weak, from cancers and tumors to heart issues related to old age. FUNADVICE PETS Top 5 Benefits of Feeding Dubia Roaches to Your Reptiles Clean the ears and contact your vet for treatment. There are three main reasons compel a squirrel to lay flat. They will tell you the age immediately. To My name is Rahul C Pareek and I operate this website. A ferret who prances about for playtime may also chirp or bark, but a ferret that is being aggressive will hiss, shriek, or move away from you. Ferretsmay have problems after surgeries, such as chewing out their stitches, running a fever or even going into shock. Shaking can occur if there is a new ferret in the home, or if you have extra-territorial ferrets. Although this particular etiology is surprising, for instance, your ferret is enjoying your presence and responding with its cute, quirky stunts. Heres a short list of their essential behaviors. Being sluggish and lazy is also dependent on age; ferrets usually get slower after they get 2 to 3 years old. 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. Manage Settings having trouble chewing or swallowing food. know that your ferret is extra delighted. Last Updated: December 19, 2021 They just need to stay out of sight so they dont get caught. Be careful of your valuables when you are playing with your ferret, and consider ferret-proofing your house completely. Scratching can be a sign of fleas and ticks. As ferrets are quite highly inbred, their chances of having diseases are relatively high. 2) Ferret kisses. While this behavior shouldnt hurt them, you should closely monitor them, so the ferrets learn to play peacefully. This sort of play is reminiscent of hunting behavior, where the young train themselves to become better predators by playing a game of chase. Ferrets Trying to Be Invisible One common reason behind ferrets randomly laying down is that your little bud is making tiny efforts to hide from you or fellow ferrets. There is, however, a way out of this. They might want to be somewhere else, or they could need some cuddles. pooping unusual sounds or on moving around. Good luck. The first and most common reason is they are cooling down their body temperature. Low energy and loss of appetite could be symptoms of other illnesses, including the flu (the same kind that humans get, only with milder symptoms), intestinal viral infections, and lymphosarcoma. Still, overall, the low genetic diversity is one of the biggest reasons why ferrets have so many diseases. If your ferret doesnt seem to be as active as it once was, its a good sign that you should take it to a vet. If your ferret is doing a war dance, give him some space and let him cool down. Not eating is not always a sign of obstruction. If a ferret is checking out something new for the first time, he may act in a few different ways. When ferrets eat, you may notice them digging inside their bowls and scattering their food everywhere. Try dangling a blanket on the floor and letting your ferret chase it around. Fear can propagate a lot of anxiety in a ferret. Regular vet checkups are important to catch illnesses like this as early as possible. Tail raised, ears pointing upwards and slightly turned outwards. Try to provide a raw whole egg. They also need lots of love and quality attention. Even getting a foot stuck in a ramp within their cage can cause torn ligaments. If your ferret grinds her teeth, take her to the vet. Uncertainty. Pawing at the ground and lunging are other signs that your ferret is ready to play with you or another ferret. Clinical signs include panting and flaccid inactivity. Avoid adding kibble to the soup if you can. Ticks can also spread Lyme disease, so remove ticks and make sure no parts of the tick are left in your ferret. These episodes maybe seizures. % of people told us that this article helped them. By: Chewy EditorialPublished: September 16, 2014, Home / BeWell / Wellness / 20 Strange-But-Common Ferret Behaviors. Ferrets are often leaping or jumping around the room at the same time. All rights reserved. Ferrets are burrowing critters, said Debbie Saunders, co-founder of the Star City Ferret Club in Roanoke, Virginia. It would help if you kept them at medium temps (lower than 75ish degrees Fahrenheit), especially in summer. Ferrets can also shake when theyre super excited, like going out for rides, etc. Anyways this is serious, and dont just operate on your own. Sometimes, you will hear noises, like clucking, barking, dooking, whimpering, or snoring in the enclosure of your ferrets bed. To understand these, we have added a few distress signals to this list. This behavior is normal, but you can mitigate this by establishing a poo pad instead of a litter box when potty-training your ferret. I understand that as many of my friends have suffered losses of their cute carpet sharks, and they still lament their losses. When new flea land on your ferret, it can start laying eggs in two days. It has given me very useful information, thank you! I believe ferrets do this because our scent is on them, and they want to line their bedding area with our scent, Saunders said, and they want a soft bed too.. This is a natural behavior of these creatures, so there is no need to be alarmed. Running away from you or running to a dark corner. These are, however, preferred to spraying by some vets as sprayed ferrets can become more susceptible to Adrenal problems later in life. Please share it, and check out: 10 Steps For Fun, Safe Outdoor Walks With Ferrets. After all these distressed things. Ferrets are notorious for running off with items around your home and hiding them. What Does It Mean When a Ferret Licks You? You shouldnt worry about stopping this behavior, because ferrets are natural burrowers. And dont forget about chewing. You can also move your hand back and forth across the floor quickly so your ferret chases it. Middle ear issues can also cause nausea. Ferrets are known to be prone to diseases, and therefore a lot is needed to keep them safe. Realize though, Hes not doing it to be mean, but rather in an effort to engage you in play, said James Falkner, director of the Woogie Wescue ferret shelter in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Also, sleeping for around 18 hours is quite normal and not a sign of laziness in ferrets. Lying flat is a translation of the Chinese phrase tang ping, a Chinese social movement and lifestyle whose followers adopt a more leisurely and nonmaterialistic life in rejection of professional demands and societal expectations. Ferrets areinjured easily, whether its from chewing on wires orhiding under a recliner. A vet visit is mostly not required. Its nothing to worry over, as it is just a sign that your ferret is scared but curious. Pet ferrets are prohibited in California, Hawaii, and New York . Ferrets need to be allowed out to play for at least an hour or two every day in a room that has been ferret-proofed. This is especially important if the age gap between two ferrets is big. Let your ferret have a week or so to get adjusted before letting a large number of people hold it. If nothing else, to the vet is safest. If your ferret is stinky, dont do a water bath. They may not be able to see you too well, but they will imprint on your scent and know when you are in the room with them. It can be a fun game, as long as you are careful to not step on your fuzzie. Try holding your ferret calmly and stroking its fur to help it feel less anxious. Sometimes newly adopted ferrets take time to get comfortable enough to play in the new environment. If they kill a mouse and dont eat it all, theyll hide it so another animal doesnt get it, Burgess said. The chasing game, along with many other play behaviors like wrestling and nipping, are a reflection of the fact that ferrets are carnivores. You may find ferrets dunking their heads into their water bowls, too. She says ferrets are born to dig. While in captivity, they can live up to 10 years. Possible causes include stomach ulcers, foreign body ingestion, hairballs, disease, kidney failure, liver failure or cancer. To check this, you need to check her gums. Swollen vulva in ferrets is generally a sign of adrenal cancers. Now, the next question should be how we can know if our little fuzzy friends are suffering? It could also be a result of a normal injury. In some cases, your ferret can be suffering from hypoglycemia. Facial muscles are tense and pupils dilated. The Flea Life Cycle. Rapid breathing can also occur due to high temps. But while we cant do that, we can make educated guesses about why pet ferrets do certain behaviors, based on scientific knowledge of normal ferret behavior in the wild. It might look rough, he says, but its usually nothing you have to try to stop. Another kind of hair loss is the ferret rat tail in which the ferret will lose all their tail's hair and will look like a tail of a rat. Although I have a Master's degree in computer science from Jiwaji University, what excites me is my passion for these cute animals. ", know they did it like an I got you kinda way. 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.. There are reports that Jills can go through phantom pregnancies (lots of weight gain, excessive nesting, and babying of other ferrets) due to the effect of jabs. The sloppy ones just really get into digging, Dutton said. Likely these will act as lubricants and help out anything thats obstructing. Poop and pee can also give you hints on their health. Ferrets play very hard, and sometimes they really need that deep sleep to recuperate after all that activity.. With this in-depth guide, We will go through everything you need to know about your ferret behavior. twitching in muscles at the top of the head. If you see changes to normalcy, leave it else apply some more. He may go right up to it, slowly circle it, sniff it, or start making cute little noises. This happens most often with free roam ferrets as the animal is not simply looking to get out of their area to exercise, but some ferrets will immediately run to their owners for a quick cuddle when they come home. Digging is a tough behavior to try to stop. ], Ferrets can suffer from various diseases, including diarrhea, parasites, intestinal foreign bodies, heart disease, multiple types of tumors, etc. This article has been viewed 46,805 times. Sneezing, eye discharge, coughing, diarrhea, vomiting, and trouble breathing can indicate flu or another type of upper respiratory infection. As a ferret owner, its helpful to know what some of these crazy but normal behaviors are. If nothing works, use a syringe and push little water every few minutes through the side of their mouths. Dehydration in ferrets is both normal and can be a dangerous sign of blockage and severe illness. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. He advises you not pick up a hissing ferret, because you may get bitten. By using our site, you agree to our, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/2c\/Understand-Ferret-Body-Language-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Understand-Ferret-Body-Language-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/2c\/Understand-Ferret-Body-Language-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid9199030-v4-728px-Understand-Ferret-Body-Language-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"