Life expectancy of ferrets at home is 5 to 9 years. In the wild, they live much less, 3-4 years. If a ferret receives proper care, it is likely to have a healthier, happier, and longer life.
The lifespan of a ferret depends on several factors:
Genetics. Just like people, the ferret’s life expectancy depends on how long its parents, grandparents, etc. lived.
Food. Ferrets are exclusively carnivores, so make sure they get enough meat to maintain a healthy shape. Ferrets do not produce some vital enzymes and amino acids, and very poorly digest vegetables and fruits - so it is better to abandon them altogether or give only in small quantities. If you give the ferret a mouse or an egg yolk as a treat, you can be sure he will like it!
It is also important to make sure that the ferret has constant access to a large amount of clean water - ferrets are prone to dehydration and may even die from it in a rather short period of time.
Care. Proper care is important for a ferret throughout its life. The more you take care of him, the happier he will be, which, in turn, will affect how much he lives.
Disease. If your ferret gets sick and you didn’t notice it in time, then your fluffy will not be able to reach its potential and may die prematurely. Regularly inspect your ferret and find out the main diseases to which it is prone.
Most ferrets with appropriate care can live a little longer than the allotted time. Some ferrets live to be 12-13 years old. If you want your ferret to live a long and happy life, then you should take care of it regularly and take care of it, especially in the final stages of its life. The more you know about your ferret, the more chances you have in time to react to any deviations in its behavior and health.
Factors affecting ferret life
When a new family member appears in your home, of course, you need to prepare in advance everything you need for his comfort: equip a suitable home for him, find out all about the nutrition and care of ferrets, buy the necessary equipment.
The main factors that can shorten the life of your pet:
- bad heredity
- non-compliance with the rules of content,
- introduction to the diet of the ferret unsuitable products or products of inadequate quality,
- diseases,
- lack of necessary vaccinations.
When buying a small animal from a breeder, be sure to ask if it has ever been sick, if it has been vaccinated, if its parents had any health problems.
Of course, the animal's disease is not a reason to abandon it, but if you, without having experience in treating ferrets and treating them, take the sick animal home, you will only make it worse, because you yourself can’t help, and deprive him of get this help from someone else.
The lifespan of domestic ferrets
Any breeder will tell you that the life of a ferret in the wild and at home will differ significantly due to its lifestyle and external conditions. Wild animals can be more easily injured, fall into the hands of a predator and do not live to even three years. A pet can live significantly longer, if, of course, you will take good care of it. On average, domestic ferrets live 5-6 years or more. Some individuals live to be 8-9 years old. Also there are some long-livers who have reached the age of 15 years.
Despite the fact that at home the ferrets live longer than in the wild, you can hear stories when they linger with the owner for only a couple of years. Usually the main reason for such a speedy death is the irresponsibility of the owners. In adverse conditions, domestic ferrets live no more than 2-3 years.
How to increase the ferret's lifespan?
The responsible owner, who really cares about his pet, must adhere to the basic rules:
- ferret diet should be balanced,
- feeding should be regular, the animal should not starve or overeat,
- meat - the basis of the diet, because the ferret, though small, but a predator,
- it is necessary to use special vitamin-mineral complexes,
- Compliance with all standards of hygiene of the animal should be constant,
- the animal must have enough space for physical activity.
Composing a daily diet, pay attention to what foods your ferret prefers to eat, and from which he refuses altogether. The basis of the food must be meat. You can include some vegetables. First you need to thoroughly examine what kind of food is suitable for the animal.
Pay attention to the use of special vitamin-mineral complexes, which can be purchased at any pet store. It is advisable to consult with a veterinarian who can examine your ferret before using them. Also, vitamins can be replaced by injections, which are designed to increase the body's defenses. However, remember that it is better not to put injections yourself, besides, it is a huge stress for a pet, so leave this option for an emergency.
If you notice that ferrets in your home live very little and die quickly, take a closer look at the conditions in which your pets are. Ferrets are very clean animals, so they will not tolerate dirt in the cage. Therefore, to continue their life, you must change the water every day, clean the litter and make sure that the cage is not only clean, but warm and dry.
Life ferrets in captivity
At their core, ferrets are not domestic animals, they are used to living far from people. But if you take these animals as babies, in a short time they will become tame and will obey their owners. Of course, everyone understands that in nature ferrets have a longer lifespan, but in captivity they will have a long life by animal standards. So how many years do ferrets actually live?
In captivity, the ferret's average lifespan is about 7-9 years. This does not mean that the life of domestic ferrets limits this period; a pet can live for 5 or 12 years. It should be noted that 5 years is a very young age for ferrets, and if they die upon reaching it, then this indicates poor care, inattention, and improper feeding of pets. That is why you need to know what to do to prolong the lives of ferrets.
What determines the life expectancy of the animal
As we have already understood, how much ferrets live at home depends on caring for them. If this animal lives in the house, you need to know what factors affect the life expectancy of the pet.
- One of the main factors that is beyond human control is heredity. If ferrets in the genus of your pet died at an early age, then it is likely that this animal does not have such a blowjob. To prevent this from happening, you can buy animals from razvodchiki (they are breeding pets), ferrets from them are usually genetically healthy, and poor heredity will not threaten their lives. And you can ask the owners how many years they have this species.
- Proper care. This is a very important factor, which directly depends on the owner of the animal. It is necessary to adhere to proper nutrition, not to give forbidden food, to know how to care for it and much more, that some owners do not take into account. Ignoring the care and feeding can lead to very sad events, so before acquiring an animal, you should learn everything about its life before and subsequent care.
- In the case when it is necessary to leave your pet alone at home, you should make sure that all forbidden things are hidden, and the doors to the kitchen and other dangerous rooms are tightly locked, otherwise the animal may eat something dangerous and the owner will not even know about it. Well, if the ferret is in a cage, then it can be closed there for the time of its absence, thereby protecting it from external dangers.
- Often, ferrets in middle age get cancer. The reasons for this phenomenon could not be found, but if a strange behavior is observed for the pet, it is recommended to immediately contact a veterinarian, and for prevention you need to feed the pet only with natural food.
- Ferrets, like dogs and other animals, need regular vaccinations against the most common diseases (plague, rabies). You can not ignore vaccination, this is a very important procedure. Each owner, if he cherishes his animals, resorts to her, because thanks to this simple action the pet lives much longer.
What do you need to protect the ferrets
So, having familiarized yourself with the life expectancy of the domestic ferret, the time has come to consider care and nutrition for it in a bit more detail. For complete information on these issues, you should contact specialists with experience: they will provide accurate, and most importantly - verified information, because usually these people live a whole family of ferrets. The following are general rules that must be followed in order for a pet to live a long and happy life. You can not eat:
- fish,
- food from the table, that is, fried, boiled, soups, salted, etc.,
- cat food
- milk (it contains lactose, and it is poorly absorbed in the body of the ferret and can lead to indigestion),
- canned economy class (they may contain prohibited foods),
- raw chicken eggs,
- citrus and sweets (sweet).
Ferrets are predators, they must eat meat, so it cannot be excluded from the diet. But before giving the ferret meat products, you should get acquainted with the list of allowed ones. Exercise is very important for this type of animal - the animal cannot be kept in a cage all the time, it must walk not only around the house, but also in the open air, in nature.
Final part
In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the question of how many domestic ferrets live cannot be answered precisely. The article discusses the main factors that to a greater or lesser extent affect the number of years allotted to the pet, so if you decide to become the owner of this exotic, sweet, cheerful animal, be attentive to it and responsibly approach its content. Let your pet live and know no diseases.
How many years live ferrets at home
There is no definite answer to the question of how many ferrets live. Some say that it is 15 years, others - 2, 3 years and 4 years. In many books you can read that those ferrets who live at home and in the wild are very different. And it is. The animals that live in forests and steppes, live maximum four years. The reason for this is the conditions of their existence: they themselves get food and hide from other predators to save their lives.
Houses, of course, the animal does not need anything and its life is not threatened, therefore life expectancy is much higher. But, so that your pet has lived for 15 years - do not forget about proper care and nutrition. After all, these factors greatly affect their longevity.
Food ferret at home
How long the ferret lives depends on its nutrition. These pets are just love vegetables, so they need to give them very often. Just keep them fresh.
But do not forget about meatbecause the ferret is a predator. You can give veal, chicken, offal and beef. By-products include stomachs, hearts, and kidneys.
But feeding the ferret constantly with meat is very expensive, so you can buy special feed. They contain all the necessary micronutrients and vitamins, which ferret needs. This feed will cost much less than meat. But in this case, at least sometimes, give the beast meat. You can give and fish, but before that, consult with a veterinarian, as not all fish will do.
And also do not forget about vitamins and vitamin complexes. You can buy them in special stores. They must be given in diluted form, adding to the water. And periodically go to the vet in order to monitor the health of this cute animal.
Conditions for content
Be sure to take care of:
- hygiene
- place to move
- security
- communicating.
How many years your fluffy friend will live will depend on you. If you do not observe hygiene, then the ferret will not live much. These fluffy very clean and can not live without cleanliness and order. Carefully monitor the cleanliness of the cage, remove it whenever possible every day. And also pay attention to the rug, where the polecats sleep, it is false to be constantly dry. Unpleasant odors should not be too. When washing the food bowl, use only boiled water. Change the water in the drinker often and make sure that it is always clean and fresh. In the cell must be:
-
feeding trough - drinking bowl, preferably nipple,
- various ladders,
- shelves
- tray,
- hammock,
- a pipe in which a domestic ferret can climb.
feeding troughAnd only if all these requirements are met, your pet will be able to live a long and happy life, while delighting you with its cockiness.
Ferret cost
Price depends on the place of purchase. If it is a market, the price will be much lower than in animal clubs. Just in these clubs for animals the best care. There they do all vaccinations, properly fed and well looked after.
Before you buy such a nimble pet, make sure that there are no holes and holes in your house, because the ferret can crawl into any hole.
Give him a lot of attention, talk to him and caress. Especially at first, because everything will be unfamiliar to him and he will be afraid.
Ferret will not live in a cage. Cell maybe for him only temporary homefor example, while you clean or carry it somewhere. In order for the animal to feel well, it needs a lot of space, and you will have to give it at least a room. And he can live on the balcony, but always warmed. Fluffy cot should be comfortable and soft. Consider this before buying.
It can be concluded that it is not easy to keep such a pet. We'll have to pay him a lot of time and effort, care and care. But neither cats, nor devoted dogs, nor singing birds will replace funThis small, wonderful little animal will give you.
But before you buy a sweet and carefree ferret, think carefully whether you need it. Can you give him everything you need for a normal existence at home. If not, discard this idea so that the animal does not suffer.
