Ferrets can be kept outside regardless of the weather. All you need to do is make sure they have everything they need to be comfy and safe. This includes cooling areas for summer and warm areas for winter. Ferrets shed their coat in spring and fall so they are always ready for whatever the weather might throw at them.
Keeping the ferrets outside in the summer offers them a lot of space to play and they will automatically adjust their sleeping schedule after the weather. If it’s too hot in the middle of the day, a ferret will sleep and be active at dawn, during the night, or at dusk.
In this article, we’ll talk about ways to make your ferret comfortable outside during the summer.
Can ferrets be outside in the summer?
Moving your ferrets outside during summer is perfectly OK as long as you can invest in an enclosure that keeps them cool during the hottest days. This includes insulation and lots of cooling pads where they sleep. If the weather is perfect, ferrets will play outside for hours, and some even like messing around in the rain for a few minutes, especially if it’s a light summer rain.
It’s very important to not move your ferrets outside if they haven’t shed their winter coat yet. This can cause heatstrokes even if the ferret is surrounded by cooling pads. You can stimulate the shedding by moving the ferrets in a room with a lot of sunlight. Ferrets are light photosensitive and when their bodies detect so much sunlight, it finally understands that the winter has passed. This should also get them to eat less.
After the ferrets have shed their winter coat, you can finally move them outside. If there’s a ferret that hasn’t shed its coats yet, keep it in the house until it’s ready to meet its brothers outside. You shouldn’t keep all the other ferrets inside because of one ferret, but you shouldn’t move the one with the thick coat outside either. The room needs to be slightly cool but full of sunlight so the ferret won’t have a heatstroke but will start to shed sooner or later.
What temperatures are appropriate for ferrets?
Ferrets are usually most comfortable when the temperature is between 55F and 68F. Most ferrets absolutely love snow and can play outside for hours even in the middle of the winter. These ferrets usually have a much thicker coat as well. The moment you notice a ferret getting chilly you should get it back inside. The same goes for when it’s panting from the heat.
During the summer, make sure their enclosure is not suffocating and that their sleeping areas are cool. This means you might have to invest in lots of cooling pads and fans. Just keep the cables away from the ferrets as they love chewing them. You should also make sure the water doesn’t get hot during hot summer days.
Offering water in bottles can hurt the ferrets as the metal part where they are supposed to drink from, tends to get extremely hot. This can lead to fast dehydration so opt for a heavy water bowl and add a cube of ice every hour in there.
Can you walk your ferret outside?
Walking your ferret outside is quite common and if you have a good leash, your ferret will definitely love it. But keep in mind that you should never walk the ferret outside in the middle of the day. That’s when the heat is unbearable and it can hurt the ferret.
Plan your walks during the evening or morning when the temperature doesn’t exceed 70F. If you take your ferret outside during winter, do the opposite. Walk it in the middle of the day and make sure the ferret isn’t very cold.
Can you keep your ferret outside during the summer months?
You can’t keep your ferrets outside just by placing a few beds in the corner of your garden and let them be. They will climb or dig their way out within seconds looking for an adventure exploring everything they possibly can.
Ferrets are kept outside in special enclosures that are 100% ferret-proofed so the pets won’t make it out. A good enclosure also needs to be resistant enough to keep other predators out as well. This includes free-roaming cats and prey birds.
As long as the ferrets are kept safe and cool during the extremely hot days, they can thrive living outside during the summer.
Outdoor enclosures for ferrets
A good enclosure should be very spacious and with lots of tunnels and toys inside. A cooling area is a must so they can sleep and for the water to remain cool for longer periods of time. Regardless if you’re getting a small hutch or a big enclosure, keeping the ferrets cool to protect them from heatstroke is extremely important.
Big enclosures usually come with lots of accessories as well. There are countless options on the market. But if you can only afford a small one, you can dig under the hutch and place a well-thought tunnel system. It should be large and impossible to chew.
After you set it up, you need to cover everything back again, place the hutch over, and carefully install a durable net on the ground and around the tunnel heads. This ensures the ferrets have extra space to have fun but they won’t be able to get out.
