Posted: July 1, 2008, 5 a.m. EDT
Q: Do ferrets get along with other house pets?
A: It really depends on the home, the living environment and the pets. If all pets are monitored and safe, then there is no reason a variety of pets can’t live in the same home.
We run an animal education nonprofit and, therefore, have a large variety of animals in our home. The ferrets have a free-roam room that the cats can access, and one of our cats prefers to use the ferret litter boxes. Occasionally, the ferrets get playtime with our skunk. Dogs can play with ferrets, but never unsupervised, as either can quickly get hurt.
I wouldn’t allow a ferret to be near or play with a rodent of any kind, as the ferret might consider the other animal as food, and it would cause unnecessary stress to the rodent. Birds and reptiles should also be kept separate from ferrets for similar reasons of injury and stress.