Do Ferrets Do Better in Pairs?

Ferrets can do better in pairs as they are very social creatures, but many can also live happily without a companion. This really depends on the ferret’s personality and overall lifestyle.

With this point in mind, let’s take a look at a few reasons why you might or might not want to get another companion for your ferret.

Does Your Busy Lifestyle Make Your Ferret Lonely?

Most of us don’t have the luxury of free time. There is work, house chores, extracurricular activities (if you have kids), taking care of the family, going shopping, and many other important tasks that has to be done during the week.

If you find yourself too busy to spend more quality time with your ferret during the day, this might not be an ideal situation for your furry friend.

Ferrets have a lot of energy and they need to take part in many activities to burn this energy. Yes, it’s true that they do sleep a lot, but you can imagine how much energy builds up from all that sleeping.

One way in which they burn that energy is through play sessions, and if they have no one to play with, all of that extra energy will most likely be directed towards negative behaviors.

So, if you feel that your busy schedule could impact the amount of quality time that you should be spending with your ferret in order to create that bond and allow them to expend that energy, then adopting another ferret into the family could be a good idea.

Did Your Ferret Have Companions In The Past?

If your ferret came from a home that housed other ferrets, it could be a very difficult change for your furry friend to adapt to when moving to his or her new home. As ferrets are very social creatures, they can quickly become attached to their companions.

These creatures love to snuggle close together when they are sleeping, and keep in mind that they can do this for up to 14 hours straight. During all that time sleeping and playing together, a lot of bonding occurs, and so removing a ferret from this type of lifestyle can have a huge impact on their ability to deal with being alone.

One way to lessen your ferret’s feeling of sadness is by adopting a new companion. However, don’t expect this to be a quick fix because ferrets tend to find it very hard to completely move on when losing a loved one in any form or manner.

Be Careful Of Unneutered Male Ferrets

If you are thinking of adopting more than one ferret, avoid putting in an unneutered male with another ferret in the same cage or closed up area. These males can be very territorial when it’s breeding season, which can make them quite dangerous to other ferrets as they can become very aggressive.

The best approach is to get them neutered, or at least to keep them separated from any other ferret during breeding season. This means that you really have to pay attention, so if you think you don’t have a lot of time on your hands, you might want to consider getting a female instead.

Getting an Extra Ferret Isn’t a Quick Fix

There is still a lot to be done if you decide to get a companion for your ferret. You need to think about the size of the cage you already have. Will the cage be large enough? Will you need a bigger cage? How will your ferret take to being introduced to a new friend? Can you afford the extra vet bills and food to feed an another ferret in the house?

Keep in mind that even though your ferret will now have a new companion to play with, it doesn’t mean that you can completely leave them alone. You still have to put in the work to create a bond between your new family members as they will still require your attention when they get bored of playing with each other.

A great way to keep them entertained, especially when you’re not around, is by providing them with ample ferret toys to play with. And it still important that you find some time in the day to check on your ferrets, even if you have to go out and work.

If you’re not able to do it yourself, find someone that you can completely trust to do it for you, and make sure that they have a good understanding of ferrets and their behaviors.

Introducing Another Ferret into Your Home

In my opinion, the best time to introduce a new ferret into your home is when your ferret and the new companion are still very young.

Like most mammals, kits are naturally sociable because it is a time in their life when they are still developing and need each other in order to grow into healthy young ferrets that will be capable of hunting and surviving in the wild.

When they play together, they are learning all of those important skills, and as they grow older, they then tend to become more solitary animals.

Normally, the best time to do this is when a ferret is under six months old. Once they pass the age of two years old, things can be a bit more complicated if your ferret tends to have more of a solitary personality.

It’s true that ferrets, nowadays, are domesticated animals, but many of those instincts are still deeply embedded just like they are with dogs, cats and other domesticated animals. So, when you introduce a new ferret, you will find that your current ferret won’t have any problem in accepting a new companion if both are still very young.

If you’re unable to do this, then be sure to spend more time supervising your two ferrets when they first meet each other.

In fact, this is something you should do regardless of whether you’re introducing a ferret or any other pet into the house, because there is always going to be the issue of these animals being territorial to some degree, even if they are neutered males.

Conclusion

There is nothing wrong with having more than one ferret in your home, and in most cases, they can become good companions for each other. However, bear in mind that, like most mammals, each ferret also has their own unique personalities, and while some might be more sociable, others prefer to be lone wolves.

This is something you need to pay attention to before making a decision to adopt a new ferret into the house.

Lastly, keep in mind that your presence still plays an important role in creating the right environment for your ferrets. So, take the time to train them properly, and provide them with enough bonding time to ensure that they see you as part of the family.