Cages - what are they good for?

To cage or not to cage, that is the question...
Cages are a controversial topic amongst ferret owners. Some feel that cages are important, others feel that they are overused and still others believe that they are downright cruel under most circumstances.


Reasons for caging:
Cages can be useful for ferret owners; they can be used as a ferret's bed to keep them out of trouble while you sleep or as a kennel to keep them out of trouble while you are out of the house. Cages can be used to keep your pet safe when you have guests that are not ferret-aware or to keep your ferret safe from a not-so-friendly pet.Cages can also be used as a hospital room for sick and recovering ferrets that must be confined for their own well being. Cages can also be prisons for ferrets, and sadly, in many cases, they are.

Bad reasons for caging:
Lots of people who get ferrets are unaware that ferrets are social animals that should have the run of part, if not all of the house. These owners are prone to keeping their furry friends caged out of ignorance. Others (and sadly there are many more of this type out there) were unaware of what ferrets were really like; they want a soft, cuddly pet to snooze on their laps while they read and they assume that a ferret will fill this role. Once it becomes abundantly clear that this is not the case and that ferrets are demanding and, at times, destructive, this type of owner uses the cage to confine the ferret in a poorly thought out attempt to cope with the animal. This, of course, leads to what I like to call a ferret cage/badness spiral.


The spiral:
the ferret cage/ badness spiral is a spiral which begins when an over-exuberant ferret is caged by an (often) inexperienced and exasperated owner. The owners hopes (in vain) that caging the ferret will (somehow) call him or her down and that the next day, the ferret will be less exuberant. This, of course, does not work. Rather than being calmer the following day, the caged ferret is in fact worse. This tends to cause the owner to cage the ferret sooner the next day, which, in turn causes the ferret to be more hyper... and the spiral continues until either the ferret is caged nearly all of the time or the owner gives up and gets rid of the animal.


Cage tips:

• If you must cage your ferret, bear in mind that the cage is meant to be to a ferret as a bedroom is to a child - a place for it to sleep, keep some of its stuff and hang out in a little bit. A CAGE IS NOT MEANT TO BE YOUR FERRET'S HOME. If you find that your ferret is caged more often than not, perhaps a ferret is not the pet for you and you should reconsider ferret ownership.
• Get the largest cage that you can afford for your ferret. After all, who doesn't love to have a big bedroom =) Keep in mind that ferrets get stressed when caged; the bigger the cage, the less stress.
• Consider a ferret room if you are out often. This will give your ferret ample play space and reduce the likelihood of the ferret/cage spiral to begin when life gets a little busy such as during crunch time at Colleges and Universities, Christmas time etc. Ferret rooms are also useful if you get sick - they give you a chance to recover without feeling guilty about caging your friend around the clock. Ideas for ferret rooms can be found on our blog.

Squeaky Weasels - Squeak training your ferret

What?
Squeak training is squeaking a specific toy (such as a squeaky dog toy) to call your ferret to you.


Why?
Training your ferret to come to a loud squeak is not only more reliable than teaching them to come to their name, but it is also faster and easier. Furthermore, squeaks are loud and easy for ferrets to hear through whatever they may be sleeping in. Different pitches of squeaky toys can also be used for ferrets that are hard of hearing - you’ll often be able to find at least one squeak that they will be able to hear well enough.


How?
Its simple.

step 1: Take a squeaky toy with a distinct squeaky sound (not the one that your dog loves to drive you cray squeaking) - there are many different sounding squeaky toys available at your local pet store, super market and dollar store.

step 2: Pick your ferret up or sit on the ground with him, take his favourite treat (I find that an oil such as Salmon Oil or similar which he will not be tempted to hide immediately works best) and begin squeaking the toy while feeding him the treat. This will create a positive association with the sound. What you are trying to do is imprint the idea that the sound of this particular toy means a treat.

step 3: Put the ferret down (let him finish wiping off his face and chin), take a few steps back and begin squeaking the toy again. The ferret should look for the source of the sound and the treat that comes with it. Don’t make him wait long and remember to treat him.
** some ferrets have shorter attention spans than others. If your ferret seems bored and does not respond to step three, give it a rest. A few hours later, when your ferret is up and about again, begin squeaking the toy when he is nearby and treat him. It may take a few days for some ferrets to associate the sound of the toy with treats, but remember: not everybody learns at the same pace and practice makes progress!

step 4: Repeat steps 2 and three until the ferret associates the sound with treats and looks up at you expectantly when he hears the sound. Once you reach this stage, you can begin to create more and more distance between yourself and your ferret, allowing him to come to you (wherever you are) for a treat. If your ferret gets bored or is not succeeding, don’t give up - you may be going to quickly. A bored or unresponsive ferret may mean that you are going to quickly. Slow it down and increase your distance more gradually.

Step 5: Constant positive reinforcement is a must. Do not squeak for your ferrets every night so that you can put them to bed. Though it is a great way to round up the little guys, squeaking and then caging discourages the response that you have been trying to get. This is not to say that you should never squeak for your pet and then cage him, simply make sure that you squeak and treat for positive events (such as a trip outside) or just to encourage the behaviour such as for a treat or a new toy.

Does the squeak and treat technique really work?
Yes!
With patience and positive reinforcement, squeak and treat works extremely well on most ferrets. It can also be a lifesaver if the ferret gets out or you need to round the ferrets up in an emergency situation. Almost all of my ferrets are squeak trained with the exception of my little girl who is hard of hearing - she often cannot locate the source of the squeak though it DOES succeed in getting her out to where she can be found!