*This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when you click on links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our mission!
If you are a new ferret owner, it is vital that you provide them with all the best ferret supplies they need to stay happy and healthy. Here are our top recommended ferret products for first time ferret owners.
Are you new to ferrets and feeling a bit overwhelmed? We’ve got you covered. Check out our Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Ferrets to learn everything you need to know about this amazing and often misunderstood pet. You can also check out my Youtube video on my top Must Have Ferret Supplies.
Ferrets are notorious for knocking things over. This includes
a lightweight food or water bowl. We recommend finding a set of heavy ceramic
bowls that they are unable to move on their own. Make sure to place them on the
bottom of the cage so they cannot fall and injure your ferret.
You can also opt to buy food and water bowls that attach to
the cage. Many ferret owners have had great success with these as well.
Litter Box and Litter
If you read our Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Ferrets, you know that ferrets need a lot of time outside of the cage. If you allow your ferret to free roam (after ferret proofing!), you will need to buy litter boxes to place in each room.
Which litter should you use? Some people prefer recycled paper litter or pine pellets. We have tried both and recommend potty pads. They are much easier to clean and will produce less odor. Check out our in-depth review of the most popular ferret litter here.
Bedding
Ferrets love to snuggle up in soft bedding. You can either
buy fleece blankets or place your own old t-shirts inside their cage. Make sure
to avoid fabrics that they can snag their nails in or complex pieces that might
cause your ferret to get trapped.
Hammock
Ferrets love a good hammock. Technically, they can live
without one but in our experience, ferrets prefer to snuggle up in a hanging
bed.
Tunnels
I don’t know if there is anything on planet earth that ferrets love more than tunnels. The desire to ‘weasel’ their way through tight places is deeply instinctual. If you want to make your ferret happy, provide them with as many tubes as you can afford! We recommend collapsible tunnels to save on space. We recommend this collapsible tunnel that is easier to store when not in use.
As soon as you bring your ferret home, you will see how seriously they take play time! These goofy animal love to steal and stash little items and chase unsuspecting ‘prey’. The best thing you can do for them is provide safe toys to interact with so they don’t go looking for something dangerous!
Healthy Treats
Ferrets are incredibly intelligent animals (as we learned in How Smart are Ferrets?) and are the perfect candidate for training. If you find a healthy treat your ferret likes to eat, you will be able to train them to do just about anything! Most ferret owners use this.
ESSENTIAL Ferret Supplies for Travel:
Where you are planning to take your ferret on vacation with you or simply to the vet for appointments, here are a few essential ferret supplies we recommend:
Do you plan to take your ferret on walks? You will need to purchase a harness and leash just like a dog. The more often you take your ferret on walks, the better they will get at it!
Ferret backpacks are a great way to take your ferret on errands and around the town. We personally use our ferret backpack to take our three boys to the park. But be prepared -a lot of people will come up to you to ask about that curious animal in your backpack!
Potty Pads
Credit: @zuzipelmeshka
You can never have too many potty pads. Personally, we keep an entire pack in our car in case we need to travel last minute with the ferrets. It is much easier to maintain than litter.
ESSENTIAL Ferret Supplies for Health Care
Emergency Fund
We recommend saving as much money as you possibly can in an “Emergency Ferret Fund”. This is because ferrets can suffer from very expensive illnesses. Aim for $500
Flea Medication
Ferrets can get fleas just like dogs and cats. Whether they are kept indoors all day or have play time at the local park, they will be exposed to fleas. We recommend keeping ferret flea medication on hand to use at the first sign of fleas.
First Aid Kit
After our own ferret, Moose, got very sick last year, we decided to put together a ‘Ferret First Aid Kit’. We recommend every new ferret owner keep our top recommended items on hand at all times.
Ferret Supplies You DONT Need:
Sweet Treats: ferrets are incredibly sensitive to sugar (corn syrup too) so you should avoid products like Ferretvite at all costs. Yes, your ferrets will love the taste, but it is not worth the risk. Many in the ferret community worry that sweet treats cause diseases like Insulinoma.
Cheap food: As we learned in Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Ferrets, ferrets are obligate carnivores. This means they need to eat an all animal diet. If you cannot afford to feed raw prey, we recommend buying a kibble that is high in protein and very low in carbs. Most kibble marketed as ‘ferret food’ is very unhealthy. Check out our top choice for kibble here.
Octopus tunnel: Recently, several ferret owners have lost their ferrets to this toy. The stitching is very unsafe and we recommend avoiding at all costs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it’s important to provide your ferret with the very best supplies so they can thrive. Feel free to give your own ferret product recommendations below for new ferret owners.
hello. I just read about the “octopus tunnel”. When you said some ferrets died from it, what do you mean exactly? I have 7 ferrets and one octopus tunnel, so I’d like to know if there is a real risk., Thanks!
Hey Karina. We hear about the dangers of this toy often within ferret groups on Facebook. It’s almost always the same story; people walking in on their ferrets choking on loose or torn threads from the inside lining, or worse, already suffocated. Therefore, just to be safe, we don’t recommend it – as no toy should have such notoriety for its risk. However, I’ve heard turning the octopus inside-out may prevent this. You can also read the negative reviews on amazon: https://amzn.to/3cFQXiE
can you make stickers you can acshelly use on stuff like on my phone and stuff? it would be really cool and id love to have stickers that i can put on all my stuff
Hi! I’m wondering where we could get hard tunnels like the system you have set up on your wall? Thanks in advance! Hoping you are your fuzzies are all well 🙂
Welcome to the Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Ferrets! This is Chapter 5: Ferret Myths. Don’t believe that myth! If you already know what’s a fact and what’s a myth when it comes to ferrets, you can skip to Chapter 6 (though I’d recommend brushing up on the most common myths anyway). For everyone else, this chapter will help put to …
Welcome to our series on Common Ferret Illnesses, and specifically our deep-dive into ferrets suffering from common dental disease. In this article, you will learn what causes it, the most common symptoms, and which ferrets are most at risk. We will also provide an overview on what steps you will want to take to help …
Anyone who has ferrets knows that they are so much more than a pet. Ferrets are our children. They deserve to be cherished and celebrated on their special day -beyond the typical belly scratch. If you ever dreamed of throwing your ferret the best birthday party ever, we’ve got you covered. Here are our 10 …
Welcome to our series on Common Ferret Illnesses, and specifically our deep-dive into ferrets suffering from Helicobacter Mustelae. In this article, you will learn what causes it, the most common symptoms, and which ferrets are most at risk. We will also provide an overview on what steps you will want to take to help your …
MUST HAVE First Time Ferret Supplies
If you are a new ferret owner, it is vital that you provide them with all the best ferret supplies they need to stay happy and healthy. Here are our top recommended ferret products for first time ferret owners.
Are you new to ferrets and feeling a bit overwhelmed? We’ve got you covered. Check out our Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Ferrets to learn everything you need to know about this amazing and often misunderstood pet. You can also check out my Youtube video on my top Must Have Ferret Supplies.
Here are the products we recommend:
Ferret Supplies for the Home:
Making your ferret feel safe and comfortable at home should be your first priority. Make sure to budget for the following items:
Cage
A single ferret requires a cage that is a minimum of 3 feet wide x 2 feet deep x 2 feet high (according to Ferrets for Dummies). You should look for a cage with solid floor and bars with no more than 1 inch spacing. Read our in depth recommendation on ferret cages here. Or you can watch my in-depth cage review video here.
Food and Water Dishes
Ferrets are notorious for knocking things over. This includes a lightweight food or water bowl. We recommend finding a set of heavy ceramic bowls that they are unable to move on their own. Make sure to place them on the bottom of the cage so they cannot fall and injure your ferret.
You can also opt to buy food and water bowls that attach to the cage. Many ferret owners have had great success with these as well.
Litter Box and Litter
If you read our Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Ferrets, you know that ferrets need a lot of time outside of the cage. If you allow your ferret to free roam (after ferret proofing!), you will need to buy litter boxes to place in each room.
Which litter should you use? Some people prefer recycled paper litter or pine pellets. We have tried both and recommend potty pads. They are much easier to clean and will produce less odor. Check out our in-depth review of the most popular ferret litter here.
Bedding
Ferrets love to snuggle up in soft bedding. You can either buy fleece blankets or place your own old t-shirts inside their cage. Make sure to avoid fabrics that they can snag their nails in or complex pieces that might cause your ferret to get trapped.
Hammock
Ferrets love a good hammock. Technically, they can live without one but in our experience, ferrets prefer to snuggle up in a hanging bed.
Tunnels
I don’t know if there is anything on planet earth that ferrets love more than tunnels. The desire to ‘weasel’ their way through tight places is deeply instinctual. If you want to make your ferret happy, provide them with as many tubes as you can afford! We recommend collapsible tunnels to save on space. We recommend this collapsible tunnel that is easier to store when not in use.
Toys
As soon as you bring your ferret home, you will see how seriously they take play time! These goofy animal love to steal and stash little items and chase unsuspecting ‘prey’. The best thing you can do for them is provide safe toys to interact with so they don’t go looking for something dangerous!
Healthy Treats
Ferrets are incredibly intelligent animals (as we learned in How Smart are Ferrets?) and are the perfect candidate for training. If you find a healthy treat your ferret likes to eat, you will be able to train them to do just about anything! Most ferret owners use this.
ESSENTIAL Ferret Supplies for Travel:
Where you are planning to take your ferret on vacation with you or simply to the vet for appointments, here are a few essential ferret supplies we recommend:
Leash and Harness
Do you plan to take your ferret on walks? You will need to purchase a harness and leash just like a dog. The more often you take your ferret on walks, the better they will get at it!
Ferret Backpack
Ferret backpacks are a great way to take your ferret on errands and around the town. We personally use our ferret backpack to take our three boys to the park. But be prepared -a lot of people will come up to you to ask about that curious animal in your backpack!
Potty Pads
You can never have too many potty pads. Personally, we keep an entire pack in our car in case we need to travel last minute with the ferrets. It is much easier to maintain than litter.
ESSENTIAL Ferret Supplies for Health Care
Emergency Fund
We recommend saving as much money as you possibly can in an “Emergency Ferret Fund”. This is because ferrets can suffer from very expensive illnesses. Aim for $500
Flea Medication
Ferrets can get fleas just like dogs and cats. Whether they are kept indoors all day or have play time at the local park, they will be exposed to fleas. We recommend keeping ferret flea medication on hand to use at the first sign of fleas.
First Aid Kit
After our own ferret, Moose, got very sick last year, we decided to put together a ‘Ferret First Aid Kit’. We recommend every new ferret owner keep our top recommended items on hand at all times.
Ferret Supplies You DONT Need:
Sweet Treats: ferrets are incredibly sensitive to sugar (corn syrup too) so you should avoid products like Ferretvite at all costs. Yes, your ferrets will love the taste, but it is not worth the risk. Many in the ferret community worry that sweet treats cause diseases like Insulinoma.
Cheap food: As we learned in Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Ferrets, ferrets are obligate carnivores. This means they need to eat an all animal diet. If you cannot afford to feed raw prey, we recommend buying a kibble that is high in protein and very low in carbs. Most kibble marketed as ‘ferret food’ is very unhealthy. Check out our top choice for kibble here.
Octopus tunnel: Recently, several ferret owners have lost their ferrets to this toy. The stitching is very unsafe and we recommend avoiding at all costs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it’s important to provide your ferret with the very best supplies so they can thrive. Feel free to give your own ferret product recommendations below for new ferret owners.
Here are the products we recommend:
Looking for a reason to smile (who isn’t)? Check out 21 hilarious ferret photos submitted by people just like you. I promise it will make your day 🙂
12 replies to “MUST HAVE First Time Ferret Supplies”
Zoe Gower
Where can i get a farret?
Katie Mattioda
petco but they are on a baby ferret shortage atm.
Simrah Ali
you shoud not shop you should adopt instead
Mercury Wellington
There are a lot of great choices on Petfinder
https://www.petfinder.com/search/small-furry-for-adoption/us/va/20147/?distance=Anywhere&species=Ferret
kyla
petco
Karina
hello. I just read about the “octopus tunnel”. When you said some ferrets died from it, what do you mean exactly? I have 7 ferrets and one octopus tunnel, so I’d like to know if there is a real risk., Thanks!
Haley
Hey Karina. We hear about the dangers of this toy often within ferret groups on Facebook. It’s almost always the same story; people walking in on their ferrets choking on loose or torn threads from the inside lining, or worse, already suffocated. Therefore, just to be safe, we don’t recommend it – as no toy should have such notoriety for its risk. However, I’ve heard turning the octopus inside-out may prevent this. You can also read the negative reviews on amazon: https://amzn.to/3cFQXiE
Amber
Do you ship your products internationally ?
I dont have a ferret but i love your merch!
Haley
Hi Amber! Yes we do, it should automatically update to the international shipping rates 🙂
jada
can you make stickers you can acshelly use on stuff like on my phone and stuff? it would be really cool and id love to have stickers that i can put on all my stuff
Kerry
Hi! I’m wondering where we could get hard tunnels like the system you have set up on your wall? Thanks in advance! Hoping you are your fuzzies are all well 🙂
Chris Hollingsworth
I also would like an answer to this question. I have searched everywhere for hard plastic tunnels that are transparent with 0 luck.
Related Posts
Ferret Myths: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide
Welcome to the Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Ferrets! This is Chapter 5: Ferret Myths. Don’t believe that myth! If you already know what’s a fact and what’s a myth when it comes to ferrets, you can skip to Chapter 6 (though I’d recommend brushing up on the most common myths anyway). For everyone else, this chapter will help put to …
Does Your Ferret Have Dental Disease?
Welcome to our series on Common Ferret Illnesses, and specifically our deep-dive into ferrets suffering from common dental disease. In this article, you will learn what causes it, the most common symptoms, and which ferrets are most at risk. We will also provide an overview on what steps you will want to take to help …
10 Best Ferret Birthday Ideas
Anyone who has ferrets knows that they are so much more than a pet. Ferrets are our children. They deserve to be cherished and celebrated on their special day -beyond the typical belly scratch. If you ever dreamed of throwing your ferret the best birthday party ever, we’ve got you covered. Here are our 10 …
Helicobacter Mustelae: Ferret Illnesses
Welcome to our series on Common Ferret Illnesses, and specifically our deep-dive into ferrets suffering from Helicobacter Mustelae. In this article, you will learn what causes it, the most common symptoms, and which ferrets are most at risk. We will also provide an overview on what steps you will want to take to help your …