There isn’t one answer that suits every ferret. Just as humans and other animals have their own preferences regarding bedding, the same applies to ferrets. It is equally important to note that the natural behavior of these cute animals is to cuddle and burrow. Therefore, when looking for the right ferret bedding for your pet, you need to keep both of these points in mind. In fact, you might have to experiment until you find the perfect living and sleeping arrangement for your ferret.
While there isn’t a straight answer as to what the best bedding is for a ferret, the points below will help you make the right choice by looking at other factors that focus on your ferret’s comfort, health, safety and overall happiness.
Bed Maintenance
Ferrets are very clean animals, which is the reason why they prefer to sleep far away from their food and litter. But this isn’t enough, because over time, your pet’s bedding will get dirty. Ferrets are also well-known for their musky odor, and this becomes very noticeable in their bedding, so it’s a good idea to buy ferret beds that are easy to wash. More specifically, always use bedding that’s easy to turn inside out so that you can wash them thoroughly.
Safety
Ferrets love to explore every nook and cranny and if they can find a small hole in the bedding material to fit their heads through, they will most likely try to get in, or out. While this can be amusing, it can also turn into a tragic situation if your pet gets so entangled that they are unable to get their bodies free from this predicament, which will most likely occur when you’re not around to free them.
Also, think about your ferret’s paws. It can be very painful if their claws get caught the wrong way in certain fabrics, so you need to look for beds that are made from materials which avoid this problem. In most cases, buying from well-known brands will ensure that this doesn’t happen, but you should never completely depend on this.
Choosing the Right Ferret Cage Bedding Material
A common mistake is putting ferrets into the cats’ category or small pets’ category. This mistake leads to buying incorrect gear for a ferret, which in many cases can be a detrimental error that can lead to a tragic outcome. Many inexperienced ferret owners might decide to buy bedding material based on this misinformation. The reason why this is dangerous is because there are certain materials that can lead to respiratory problems for your ferret.
One example is wood chips or wood shavings. This should never be used as bedding for ferrets because of the amount of dust that these shavings and chips can cause. Keep in mind that ferrets love to burrow, and when they start digging into this type of material, they will most definitely create a lot of dust, and it is this dust that can be detrimental to their health. In addition, wood shavings and chips will also get caught in your ferret’s hair and can make a big mess, and this means that you will need to clean them regularly, which leads to more problems because ferrets that are cleaned too often land up with dry, itchy skin.
Fleece is Soft and Durable
Keep in mind that ferrets love to cuddle and dig, and so you need to find a type of material that can provide the perfect environment while still remaining intact. Soft fabric can be the perfect bedding material for your furry friend, as long as it’s also extremely durable. This will ensure that when your ferret starts digging into the material to make itself a comfortable area to lie in, it won’t ruin the bedding in one go.
In fact, you’ll find that this is one item on your shopping list that you won’t have a problem with as you don’t necessarily have to go to a pet store in order to get soft, durable material to use as bedding for your ferret.
To go one step further, focus on buying fleece as this is considered the most popular choice for ferrets. The reason why this material is so popular is due to its durability yet still being able to be extremely soft, and equally, very affordable compared to other materials. You can also be safe with fleece because it has been used by the majority of ferret owners and so you know through many years of experience and testing that you can’t go wrong with this type of bedding.
Ferret Bedding Materials to Avoid
Keep away from material that can easily get your ferret’s claws stuck in them. Some typical examples are materials that have long strands of string or fluff, or any other type of thread sticking out, as well as those made from wool or silk. But once again, it really comes down to common sense. If you see that your ferret is having trouble walking on its bedding, remove it straightaway.
In fact, another great feature of fleece is that it is able to offer that fluffy comfort without the risk of getting your ferret’s nails caught in the material. However, keep in mind that this is not a set rule as you can use any other type of material as long as it is safe.
What Is the Best Ferret Bedding Set?
With the ferret cage bedding out the way, your next step is to find the right type of bed for your ferret. The first thing you will most likely learn when doing your research online is that the majority of “experts” will convince you that hammocks are the perfect bed for your ferret. As you dig further, you’ll also realize that there is no actual evidence to back this advice up, and the reason for this is because this is just an opinion.
That being said, it is one opinion that seems to be correct, but not because this is a natural instinct of ferrets. In their natural habitat, ferrets don’t normally climb trees and jump onto hanging bed-like objects in order to feel comfortable. Instead, these creatures love to burrow and keep themselves cozy, in many cases sleeping with other ferrets so they can keep each other warm.
Most likely, the reason why many ferrets like to sleep on hanging beds such as hammocks is because it allows them to curl up easily as the center of this type of bed is pulled down by gravity, which in turn makes the ferret’s hammock naturally snuggly.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that while many ferret owners agree that these types of hammocks make great beds for their pets, it doesn’t mean that all ferrets like to sleep on them. This is really just a preference, and there are many cases where a ferret would prefer to sleep on a floor bed then on one of these hammocks.
Therefore, you will most likely need to experiment with your new pet and then take it from there. What you don’t want to do is to try to force your furry friend to sleep on a hammock when they don’t want to as this can just create stress and anxiety for your ferret.
Another thing to consider is the size of your cage as well as how many ferrets will be sleeping, playing, eating and pooping in their new habitat. For example, a great way to create more space for your ferrets to move around is by using hammocks because they can hang in the air and leave the floor underneath it free for them to move around.
Then again, do you prefer a large or small hammock? This will normally depend on whether your ferrets like to snuggle together or go solo. And don’t forget, even if a hammock might be able to save space, you might still be forced to use a floor bed because that is what your ferret prefers, so this is one area where you will need a bit of time until you come up with the perfect sleeping arrangement for your furry friend.
The good news is that you will have a wide variety of ferret bedding sets to choose from, so the likelihood of finding the perfect sleeping haven for your ferret is almost certain.
Types of ferret Bedding Sets That Are Currently Available
Ferret Hammocks
As mentioned before, this is one of the favorites among ferret owners. Because of this, there are many variations of the hammock bedding set such as the cube, corner hammock, hammocks with pouches or double layers and double decked hammocks. Most of these hanging ferret beds are made from polyester, and the ones that are shaped like cubes, tents, bananas, or pirate ships normally have large enough holes for the ferret to crawl into without injuring itself in any way.
These types of hanging bed sets also come in various sizes, and they are designed to clip easily onto a ferrets cage so that you can place them in just the right area and position for your ferret.
Ferret Floor Beds
If your ferret prefers to keep its paws on the ground at all times, then you will most likely want to look through the wide range of ferret floor beds that are available. Some typical examples are ferret sleeping sacks which are normally a favorite because of the double layered material that allows them to crawl into and cuddle, cushioned cups that create a cozy environment very similar to hammocks, and even sleeping sacks that have a little hole to crawl into for two, three or more ferrets at one time depending on the type of sack you can find.
Most ferrets prefer any type of blanket that has a multilayer or something that they can crawl in between because this is what they normally do as a natural behavior.
A Few Extra Tips
Regardless of whether you decide to buy a bedding set, have one made for you, or use your own old clothes as a bed for your ferret, always keep your pet’s safety in mind. Remember that these little creatures love to burrow, so if you use a type of bedding that allows them to crawl into it, make sure that the whole is big enough to move in and out without potentially strangling your ferret when it tries to move through the hole.
Always have an extra set of bedding available so that while you are washing the one set, your ferret can use the other. That way, you don’t have to try and hurry the process or feel unmotivated to wash your ferret’s bed simply because of this one small inconvenience.
Always remember that while ferrets all have similar behaviors, just like every other creature on this planet, they will have their own little quirks and preferences. It is your responsibility to learn as much as you can from your pet so that you know how to accommodate them while always keeping their health and well-being, and safety, in mind.
Don’t Simply Buy Something Because It Looks Cute
It is very easy to fall into the trap of buying ferret bedding sets simply because they look cute. Once you begin shopping around, you will find that there is no shortage of ideas, and while many of these ideas look cute or amusing, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be practical for your ferret.
If you speak to the majority of ferret owners, you will find that they have a whole collection of cute ferret gear that they never use, and in most cases, they simply stick to the tried and tested once the experience settles in. In the end, you need to trust in your own common sense and the needs of your unique ferret as this will always prevail over any type of marketing once the reality of practicality settles in.
Consider Using More Than One Type of Ferret Bedding Set
In addition to having extra bedding sets available for your ferret while washing the one they were currently using, you should also consider different types that are placed in various areas of your ferret’s cage. The reason for this is because ferrets might choose a particular type of nesting area due to the current temperature. So, you might find that sleeping sacks could be ideal for ferrets that want to keep warm when the day or night is slightly chillier than normal and then move over to its hammock with a slightly thinner material when the weather might be warmer than normal.
With this approach, you can be sure your ferret will always be sleeping in the perfect environment, which in turn will provide them all the rest they need in order to explore, get up to mischief, and amuse you to no end when they wake up.
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