Most ferrets can swim! I keep several plastic jars & tubs in the bathtub for them. As far as a water dish goes, use a heavy crock or Otherwise, its just one of many quirks that make our ferrets so wonderfully special. This is especially important if the age gap between two ferrets is big. If you notice that the ferrets start scratching more and more at the water bowl, take it as a sign of boredom and take them out to play. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'smallpetsite_com-banner-1','ezslot_8',103,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-smallpetsite_com-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'smallpetsite_com-banner-1','ezslot_9',103,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-smallpetsite_com-banner-1-0_1');.banner-1-multi-103{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:15px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:15px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}Consult a vet immediately and check whether if your ferret is not suffering from a disease like acid reflux, throat ulcers, et cetera. When you have multiple ferrets playing, you will see them wrestle. They can! (10 Ways To Tell!). I was thinking of getting a pet ferret, but before buying, I had a lot of questions in my mind. There is a problem though, they tend to spill a lot with bowls. Wild ferrets will sometimes find themselves needing to swim across rivers to find food or escape from predators. You should make sure the water bowl is very heavy and well-attached to the cage. At 8% dehydration, the skin would not be as tentative as before and would take more time to roll back. They may cart these items with their paws and in their teeth, and even push and scoot their booty with their front paws. 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. I highly recommend trying this if your ferrets do the same!! Press J to jump to the feed. This includes chlorine, fluoride, etc. Like dogs, ferrets wag their tails when they are very happy or excited. As adults, we might consider that sort of thing messy, disruptive, or pedantic, but we knew it was super cool when we were kids, and your ferret knows it too! Please share it, and check out: By: Chewy EditorialUpdated: November 4, 2022. So, you can let her out for a while and provide a space where she would do her thing.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'smallpetsite_com-leader-2','ezslot_5',131,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-smallpetsite_com-leader-2-0'); Read more: Read more about ferret scratching here. Normally ferrets do this right after using the litter box. I would recommend this design for a cat or dog, but not for a ferret. One such behavior includes digging in their water bowl. Ferrets can survive OK without water for a day or two. Why Do Ferrets Dig In Their Water Bowl? But you should always allow them to drink as much as they need. There is one concern, however, that you should keep in mind. Some ferrets will want to steal your clothes to put into their bedding; if you find them doing this, its a sure sign that they find comfort in your scent. Your pet ferret may be trying to do the same thing. 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. This creates a classic water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink kind of situation! But why do they do this to us? In the wild, if a ferret were to go potty in the open they know they would be lunch to any flying prey bird, Spirito said. Though they will still snorkel if they're awake when I put fresh water in the cage. Redirect them to the dig box instead, and provide them a treat once they choose to dig here instead. If your ferret grinds her teeth, take her to the vet. Basically, the plastic bowl acts as a frame for the stainless steel bowl. Thats why we often find them digging, scratching, or picking up different items in order to influence and interact with their surroundings. Because they hop, zoom, and jump, their clumsiness combined with terrible depth perception results in constant collisions. Beyond simply testing out what happens if they dig in the water bowl, even if theyre doing it for the umpteenth time, they might just find it amusing or enjoyable. If they get thirsty or a bit hungry, they can quickly run to the cage. Some of the most common signs of a dehydrated ferret are: . It is an indication that the skin is inflamed due to enzymes released by bacteria and fungi. We lived with those ferret food and water dishes for almost 4 years until my DIY project with duck tape cracked. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, but in the end, it depends on the ferrets preference. There are two reasons why your ferret is backing into a corner of the play area. (3 reasons! Almost every ferret food and water dishes that come with a cage arent good choices. It is the cheapest, you can pick the color, the size, even the shape of the bowl. These adorable creatures always need access to clean and fresh water. If your ferret feels threatened or frightened, He might poof-out his tail, literally making all the fur stand on end, Dutton said. But once a week you need to place the bowls in your bathtub, pour some heavy disinfectant on them, let them soak for an hour, and then wash them extremely well. Ferrets are curious pets and often exhibit unusual behaviors that leave us scratching our heads. But it is interesting to know about the stainless alternative. They are essentially saying: Dont mess with me, or Ill mess with you!. But if they keep persisting and refuse to drink anything for around 12 hours, you should run to the vet. There could be several reasons for this, including the ferret getting enough water from the raw food, the ferret is suffering from throat ulcers, the ferret has an acid reflux problems, the ferret has megaesophagus [ 1 ], etc. We have already established that ferrets dont just drink in a water bowl. Of course, ferrets can drink tap water. The next stage is 8% dehydration and this is when the skin becomes less and less tentative and takes a bit of time to roll back. You should always keep these signs in mind in case something seems off with your ferret and you dont know why. That is not a good feature, especially if you have to be extra careful not to break it. 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. He doesn't really get his paws wet, just sort of..digs at the bowl/the air above it. That means if you drop it, the bowl is gone. about Why Do Ferrets Dig In Their Water Bowl? Ferrets may find this easy to tip over, spilling the food out into the pan under the cage and leaving them without! 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. They are likely dreaming. The mouth would be dry, and so would be the eyes. How Ferrets Show Affection? Their gastrointestinal transit time is 3-4 hours therefore they . More than that, they are very active when they are awake, which causes them to need more water. He could have a skin lesion or fleas and need some medical care. If they are eating raw food that is filled with juicy details, the ferret would definitely require less water. be tipped. Thats usually the ferret that does most of the flipping. The best way to foster this reaction is by continually being with your ferrets when they are ready to play. She started her Friendly Ferret blog when she got her first ferret Frida 8 years ago. Your ferret has much simpler likes and dislikes, but they still function just as we do when it comes to boredom. Yes, ferrets absolutely require access to clean fresh water at all times. A Guide to Deal with Ill and Dying Ferrets! Ferrets have a high metabolic rate, and therefore they can drink a lot of water. The only thing I had to do was attach the bowl to the cage. ago Very common behavior. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'smallpetsite_com-banner-2','ezslot_12',116,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-smallpetsite_com-banner-2-0');report this ad, How to check if the ferret needs water (ferret dehydration symptoms). But lets say you want to give your ferret water. Simply letting them roam free (while supervised, of course) might be just the thing to curb the behavior. Is Catnip Safe For Ferrets? They can also burrow into their litter box, depending on the ferret. Enough Toys. You look forward to spending time with your special furry friend every day, but youve started noticing something strange your , We love our ferrets. These creatures are natural diggers and digging in their water bowl can be a lot of fun. 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.. In a home, their food bowl is the next best thing. But if you are lucky ad your ferret doesnt mind either water container, you should be aware that they both have their pros and cons. The plastic bowl comes with a small screw and you attach it to the ferret cage. If your ferret needs a water bottle or a water bowl depends entirely on your ferret. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Maybe you pick up your ferret one evening and discover his limp, lifeless body. Your ferret is in something called a dead sleep. You place it upside down on the side of the cage and it has a small ball on the end of the bottle. 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