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Ferrets are highly energetic pets that love to run around, so it is surprising to hear that ferrets are known to play dead from time to time. However, this is not true, ferrets do not play death; the ferret’s owners’ version of “playing dead” is far from the kind we see in the wild. Let’s dig deeper into what this term means for our ferret friends.
What Does It Mean To Play Dead?
Playing dead is a defense mechanism some animals developed to protect themselves from predators. An animal that plays dead will lie on its back and stay immobile for a certain amount of time. That can be from a couple of minutes to almost an hour. That way, the predator may lose interest in the prey, or it may take the prey to the burrow to save it for later. That way, when a predator leaves its burrow, the prey can escape.
Playing Dead Has Different Purposes
Defense is the most common purpose of the “playing dead” act, but it is not the only one. Other, less known purposes are mating and attracting prey.
Animals That Play Dead
The most famous play-dead animal is the opossum. This animal will lay on its back, stick its tongue out, and release fluids that will make it smell bad, like a dead animal. Besides opossums, there are many different creatures like snakes, fishes, frogs, ducks, and insects that will do the same to avoid being eaten.
Why Do Some People Claim That Ferrets “Play Dead”?
Ferrets’ “playing dead” act is simply not something that we see in the wild or as pets. There is no threat or prey around them so there is actually no purpose for them to play dead on their own.
Ferrets don’t lay on their back and stay in that position for more than 10 seconds because they usually have better things to do. They are too energetic to lie down and play dead. So, you can be sure that you won’t see many ferrets lying down and staying down in the middle of the game. However, there is one situation where some owners get confused as to claim that they can see that they play dead, and that is during their sleep.
Ferret Dead Sleep
A ferret’s dead sleep is the closest behavior a ferret can come to playing dead. Once a ferret is asleep, they can sleep so deeply that they will appear dead. That means you can pick him up, and he will be completely limp and relaxed, it will look like you are carrying a doll. There is a chance a ferret won’t react at all no matter what you do and where you pet him, and this state can last a couple of minutes.
A ferret’s dead sleep doesn’t last a long time, it is not a state your ferret will be in for hours. The “dead sleep” state is due to their deep sleep cycles and high-energy lifestyle. Ferrets have polyphasic sleep patterns, meaning they sleep in multiple short bursts throughout the day for a total of about 14-16 hours in a day. Ferrets will often enter the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, or deep sleep quickly. This deep sleep helps them recover from their bursts of intense play and activity.
Difference Between a Medical Emergency and Dead Sleep
This ferret’s dead sleep can easily be confused with a medical emergency or actual death and due to that, it can stress out the ferret owner. It is important to know how to recognize the difference between a dead sleep, a medical emergency, or actual death.
- Dead Sleep – A ferret’s dead sleep is a deep sleep, so your ferret looks the same as before. That means healthy pink gums, paws, and nose (if the nose is pink, not brown), regular body temperature, and a relaxed body. The only difference is in the breathing. Breaths can be slow and shallow, but that is normal for a ferret in a dead sleep. The best indicator of whether a ferret is dead or sleeping and not dead is to check the breathing. Sometimes, it can be so shallow that you will have to concentrate to hear or see it.
- Medical Emergencies – If a ferret does not wake up after a few minutes, has abnormal breathing, or is cold or limp, it means there is a serious health issue with the ferret. Hypoglycemia due to insulinoma is common in ferrets; however, there can be more than one diagnosis, so you have to take your ferret to the vet for a checkup. Other signs of a ferret medical emergency are unresponsiveness, pale and white gums, a pale nose, blue tongue, cold body, drooling, stiffness, and all that can lead to seizures. Death comes when we least expect it, but it is inevitable. If you want to check whether your ferret is alive, the best way to do it is to check the vitals – breathing and heartbeat.
How To Wake Up a Ferret From Dead Sleep
If you see a ferret in a dead sleep, don’t wake him up too harshly. Keep in mind to do it gently, you can start by picking him up, gently petting him on the tummy or the head, and calling his name and gently blowing into his face. Then, you can try to stimulate the sense of smell by offering the ferret a treat. Those are the steps you can use to easily wake up a ferret but don’t get concerned if the entire process lasts a couple of minutes.
Final Thoughts
Ferrets are special pets, so their interpretation of playing dead is also pretty special. It can be stressful to see a ferret in a dead sleep, but you have to remember that it is normal behavior, and it can happen. The other important thing to learn is to know the difference between a regular ferret’s dead sleep and sleep caused by a medical issue that can lead to coma.
Featured Image Credit: Ermolaeva Olga 84, Shutterstock
