Keeping it Fuzzy: Brushing your ferret

Another entry in our series about keeping your ferret looking its best!

Brushing is something that many ferret owners never thing of doing. Brushing your ferret can not only help remove dead skin and fur during shedding season, it can also be used as a bonding experience between you and your fuzzy friend and reduce the risk of your pet developing potentially deadly hairballs.

What to use: a soft bristled cat, baby or ferret brush. You don't want to use a comb or a brush with hard teeth as this will not remove dead skin and fur as effectively and will most likely scratch your pet's skin.

How to brush: Gently hold your ferret with one hand and run the brush along the coat. Do not brush the ferret's coat backwards or 'against the grain'. Though treat incentives can be used to get your pet to hold still, it is generally best to wait until your ferret is tired out after a play before attempting to brush him or her.

How often? That's up to you. Some owners brush their ferrets daily, others weekly. Some only brush them during shedding season or after their pets have played outside in the grass and dirt.

Whether you brush your pet or not, it is important to give them a small dab of laxative every few days during shedding season to reduce risk of an intestinal obstruction being cause by a hairball.

Grooming: Nail Clipping

Keeping your ferret's nails nice and trim is essential to maintain the best health possible for your pet. Neglecting a ferret's nails can lead to problems such as foot arthritis in future, make walking difficult, and create situations in which the ferret will get its nail stuck and be forced to tear it off.


So, here's the basic idea: you take one set of nail clippers. Personally, I prefer to use cat nail scissors to trim nails, but others prefer human nail clippers to do the deed.




You want to do your best to trim the nail parallel with the ground, and avoid cutting the quick as this will hurt your ferret and likely cause bleeding. Here is a diagram to show how to properly trim the nails:

If you do accidentally wind up clipping the quick, stop cutting immediately and stop the bleeding with septic powder. If you do not have septic powder, run the nail over a bar of white soap or use a bit of white flour to stop the bleeding. Lavish your ferret with treats and kisses, and try clipping again in a couple of days.

Now that you know the theory behind nail clipping, here are some tips to help you actually get the ferret to stay still WHILE you clip their nails!

1) Oil on the tummy: This is my favourite method. Apply a puddle of your ferret's favourite treat oil (salmon oil, cod liver oil, emu oil, ferretone... you get the idea) to your ferret's tummy. I suggest wearing an apron if you've never used this method before as some ferrets will jump up and spill oil on you before figuring out that you are giving them a treat. While he or she is preocupied with cleaning the treat off of their tummy, you can sneak up and clip their nails.

2) Scruff you ferret and have another person clip their nails while they are being scruffed. Be careful doing this though as scruffed ferrets can sometimes jerk their feet out of protest when you begin trimming, increasing the likelihood of them being injured by the clippers.

3) Sneak up on them while they are asleep and trim as many nails as possible before they wake up and move. Of all the ferrets that I have owned or taken care of, this technique has only worked on one.