Posted: November 1, 2011, 5 a.m. EDT
Q: I have two female ferrets. I have read that ferrets need about four hours a day out of their cage. My ferrets won’t stay up that long. They used to get up after we came in from work every day and would stay up about an hour to an hour and a half. We tried getting them back up after an hour or so nap, but that didn’t work. On weekends they get up morning and evening, sometimes three times a day. Recently they have started getting up about 30 to 45 minutes in the morning before work also, but they still only stay up about 2 or 2 1/2 hours a day. They seem happy and healthy. Is it a big deal if they don’t get as much time up? They have a huge cage, so they have plenty of room to move around when caged.
A: Every ferret is different. As long as your ferrets are happy and healthy, the amount of time they have outside the cage is probably fine.
My ferrets have the opportunity to roam free in a ferret-safe room, and they tend to be awake and asleep at varying times throughout the day. Age can also be relevant. The older ferrets get, the more they will sleep.
Good job paying attention to these changes and being a good ferret parent.
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