You’ve bought the books, you’ve ordered the magazines, you’ve purchased supplies and now you have your new ferret at home. Is it sleeping too much? How much scratching is a problem? When should you worry about sneezing? What is that noise? In other words, what is normal ferret behavior and when should you worry?
These are common questions that both new and experienced ferret owners ask. No matter how much research you conduct and how prepared you are, something will happen that is either unexpected or will make you think, “Huh?”
To help you discern the various behaviors of ferrets, this guide interprets ferret behavior. Each day living with ferrets brings you one step closer to seeing a myriad of funny, unusual and weird activities from these lovable and fun-loving creatures.
Sleeping
When given a choice, ferrets often sleep in dark, enclosed spaces like a nest box, under bedding or even in a drawer. This is because their wild relatives are animals that live in burrows. The black-footed ferret, a wild cousin to our domesticated ferrets, lives in prairie dog burrows. So, hiding in a synthetic burrow is not only normal, but a great adaptation of a wild behavior to a captive environment.
**For the full article, pick up the 2008 issue of Ferrets USA or click here to buy the issue.**