Among the many other changes that you will notice in your ferret once the winter season comes around, a change in appetite could very well be present as well. Ferrets tend to eat more during winter though, not less, and you might also notice changes in the thickness and color of their fur, as well as the amount of time they dedicate to sleep.
Like many other animals in the wild, the ferrets would prepare for the winter season, shedding their shorter summer coat, and replacing it with a thicker and warmer winter coat.
The diet of the ferret is no different. With the colder temperatures of the winter season, ferrets tend to need more calories. Even if they’re pets and they stay indoors, they’re much more likely to eat an extra portion during winter months, and to spend more time sleeping and just being lazy.
Do Ferrets Eat Less In Winter?
No, ferrets will actually eat more during winter months. They will get a bit of winter weight going on, a typical behavior for any wild animal that’s used to the change in seasons.
As for how much a ferret can eat during winter months, you can expect an extra 50%, sometimes even double the amount that you’d see consumed during the warm season.
This change in appetite is completely normal, so there is nothing to worry about.
Since they’re eating more, and sometimes playing less, they will gain weight during these few months. Don’t worry, they lose it back once the spring months come around, as they eat less then.
What Do Ferrets Do In Winter?
Generally, you can expect a ferret to be a bit lazier during the winter months, but they will still be active. This animal doesn’t hibernate, so don’t expect it to just sit around.
The activities that they can engage on will change, particularly if you can let them out of the house, to play. They are wild creatures, and they enjoy cold temperature as well, you shouldn’t just keep them locked up all the time. Of course, use a harness with a leash, to make sure they don’t disappear on you.
You might find that they run around and chase each other, or that they tunnel into the snow.
Do Ferrets Like Cold Temperatures?
Generally, you want your ferrets living in a temperate climate, and they will rather stay in a cool room than a hot one. The same goes for the seasons, and you will find that they do well out in the cold, at least for the time when they’re supposed to exercise.
The best temperature range for a ferret is somewhere between 55 and 68 degrees (12 to 20 Celsius). While they may enjoy the snow, I’d still recommend you get them back inside eventually, so they can warm themselves back up.
You need to give them the right diet as well, particularly if they spend time outside, since more calories will be consumed then.
