Ferrets Can Be Furry Family Too

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Fragile Ferrets Entertain Families and Friends

Your new family pet will provide you with entertainment and laughs as he or she climbs and crawls through tubes, hoses, boxes, clothing and pipes.

Keeping your ferret safe and secure in your home is easy with a bit of advanced planning.

Create or purchase a cage, bedding, toys and preliminary food choices before you bring your new ferret home. Your veterinarian can make suggestions as to appropriate long-term foods for your new pet. During your visit, you'll want to talk about future wellness visits.

Your veterinarian will also help you determine if your ferret is prone to allergies or has sensitivities you should be aware of.

When thinking about bringing home a ferret as a family pet there are a number of considerations you will want to make. Some of the top items to think about before deciding on this pet are related to housing and safety for you and your new ferret.

Safety first, so remember ferrets are fragile. Pick them up by the scruff of their neck with one hand under their bottom, or with hands supporting both chest and hip areas. When making sharp or fast gestures, or pointing, know that you may get a quick nip because you startled them or prompted them to think of you as a food source.

Just like dogs are historically pack animals and prefer to live in cave type shelter with other dogs - or you - your ferret's long-lost relatives lived in dens and he or she will want to live in that environment also. Setting up a new home will be easy when you plan in advance.

Avoid glass or plastic aquariums that do not provide adequate ventilation. Instead, choose wire or mesh caging that measures a minimum of 30 inches wide, 18 inches long and 18 inches deep. You will find that your ferret will probably prefer a multi-level home. Steps, stairs, shelves and climbing blocks can be used to create this effect. Check your cage to ensure that openings are smaller than 1x2 inches and make sure your furry friend's cage locks securely so you don't fast find out that you have an escape artist in your home!

Place a washable, flat surface over the cage's mesh floor. Vinyl, linoleum or disposable carpet pieces will provide them comfort and still be easy to sanitize. You'll want to locate your ferret's cage in an area that's very cool in your home and away from direct sunlight. When cleaning use mild detergent for hard surfaces, launder bedding and always sanitize all materials used by your ferret.

"You can save time cleaning a ferret's cage by simply teaching the animal to use a litter pan," suggests the Humane Society of the United States. "Find a small cardboard or plastic tray that is three to five inches high to serve as a litter box, and secure it to one side of the cage, away from sleeping and eating areas."

Cats are fastidious with their hygiene, ferrets are not. Expect to empty their litter box often and rest assured that you will know they've made a deposit. Ferrets don't cover their bowel movement as cats do.

Plan to provide regular care for your ferret's ears because they will be susceptible to ear mites. Flea prevention, a continuous problem for dog and cat owners, will be an issue to discuss with your family veterinarian. You'll also want to talk with your vet about possible respiratory problems that can be caused when using clumping litter and wood chips made of cedar or pine.

Play time will be enjoyable for you and your ferret when you provide interesting items for your ferret to use for entertainment. They are masters of climbing and crawling, and will enjoy paper bags, tubes, boxes, clothing items, hoses and other hidey-hole environments.

"Ferrets are social creatures who enjoy visiting with people, so let them roam frequently in a secure area outside of their cages. Although they have a great sense of smell and acute hearing, ferrets have limited vision, which means you should avoid sudden movements and speak in a gentle voice before approaching," advises the Humane Society of the United States.

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Monday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Tuesday:

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Wednesday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Thursday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Friday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Saturday:

Open 1st & 3rd Saturdays of each month. Closed 2nd & 4th Saturdays of each month.

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Read What Our Clients Say

  • "We have a new 8 week Boston Terrier that we took to Springfield Vet yesterday for the first time. Absolutely pleased with the service, attitudes and genuine care shown to our little boy. The whole team was so professional, but took time to talk to you and explain everything. Dr Cynthia Wiseman is so wonderful, she sat in the floor did Logan's exam and played with him. What bedside manners. I will continue to use them, I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a caring and professional vet."
    Roi W.
  • "We absolutely love this vet clinic and the staff! The facilities are modern and always clean. Everyone is always so friendly and genuinely care for you and your animal- they make you feel as if you are apart of their family.

    Our boy, Samson, is a Rottie (and quite the problem child). We are usually in the clinic almost every other month for something and they are always so helpful and show great care and love for our pup! We are very picky/protective puppy parents, so we were very grateful to have found both Dr. Cynthia and Dr. Heath shortly after getting Samson.

    We have definitely found our "home" in the vet world, and would highly recommend to anyone who is currently looking!"
    Machaelie H.
  • "I have taken my dog here since he was a puppy. The staff are so friendly and caring, a very clean place and they always get us in quickly. When we come in no one passes us without greeting my dog and I and they're never in a rush to get us out of there."
    ShealynR.
  • "We decided to start taking our new kitty here this past fall and we love it! He was not on his best behavior (to say the least) for his first appointment, and the staff was so patient and was still able to safely run his bloodwork and give him his vaccinations. Every service has been reasonably priced, and they did everything they possibly could to make sure that our little guy was off to a healthy start after we adopted him. What I love is that they really seem to focus on the small details, too, like trimming our cat's nails after remembering that I had expressed interest in doing so at a previous appointment, or supplementing his flea treatment with something to safely speed up the process. We will definitely keep coming here as long as we live in Springfield!"
    Megan J.
  • "I have been taking my dog to SVC since 2012 and when I adopted my cat in 2015. I have never had a bad experience. We have seen Drs. Heath & Cynthia Wiseman and I love them both. Always professional, always take their time when looking my pets over, asking questions, and answering mine."
    Katherine P.
  • "We’ve been taking our Moose there for a few years now. After swallowing a toy when he was a puppy, getting fixed, having surgery on his eyelids a couple times, and most recently having a breed specific illness; I can I say I would recommend everyone to go here. They’ve taken the best care of our boy time and time again and went above and beyond."
    Ashley J.
  • "We’ve been taking our Moose there for a few years now. After swallowing a toy when he was a puppy, getting fixed, having surgery on his eyelids a couple times, and most recently having a breed specific illness; I can I say I would recommend everyone to go here. They’ve taken the best care of our boy time and time again and went above and beyond."
    Ashley J.
  • "Pleasant staff.,very informative. Great environment for your pets, including own room for cats to play so as they aren't stressed out."
    Cheryl K.
  • "Dr. Cynthia Wiseman has helped my little Shiba dog with chronic hip problems tremendously with consistent acupuncture therapy! So thankful for this practice and the high quality of care they offer my pets!"
    Lacey M.