How Long Are Ferrets Pregnant? Reproductive Cycles & Gestation Period

One of the most unconventional pets to bring into your home is a ferret. This popular and adorable critter has been domesticated for over 2,000 years. Originally, they were used for hunting and pest control in Europe, but now, they are cherished pets and family members to owners around the world.

One of the most fascinating things about ferrets is their reproduction cycle. People who are new to these animals and haven’t had their pets spayed or neutered often ask how long a female ferret is pregnant. The gestation period of the female ferret lasts 40 to 42 days, or around 6 weeks.

Let’s take a deeper look at the ferret reproduction cycle so you can better understand what to expect if you plan on allowing your pets to breed.

The Life of a Ferret

Ferrets are members of the Mustelidae, or weasel, family, which also includes skunks, otters, badgers, and minks. Ferrets are often chosen as family pets due to their playful natures and inquisitive actions. They love being with their humans and will spend lots of time playing and basking in their company. They can come in several color patterns, but the most popular is sable, which is a buff coloring with dark markings on the face, tail, and feet. Some sable ferrets have light markings instead, giving them a slightly different appearance.

Like most pets that we bring into our homes, ferrets need socialization and training. These little critters simply love chewing and getting into places that they shouldn’t. When not properly socialized, they can be a bit bitey. This makes it more difficult to have them around children or strangers. Instead of constantly dealing with these issues, ferret owners should put forth the effort and spend lots of time with their pets when they are young.

The Reproduction Cycle of Ferrets

Female ferrets that aren’t neutered will come into heat when they reach sexual maturity and remain in heat unless they are bred. During heat, they naturally develop anemia, a condition where their red blood cell count reduces. If they don’t mate, this can prove fatal.

Intact male ferrets have a strong, musky odor during the mating season (twice a year). They also mark their territory by urinating. They will do this even in the absence of a female. Contact your exotic veterinarian if your ferret isn’t neutered.

Now that we’ve learned a bit about ferrets in general, let’s take a look at their reproduction cycles. This will help you understand the entire process, including the gestation periods of breeding females.

Mating

An unaltered male ferret is called a hob. Unaltered female ferrets are known as jills. Hobs and jills reach sexual maturity between 4 and 8 months of age. The breeding cycle of ferrets is photoperiodic, which means it’s triggered by longer daylight hours, making late March through August the peak breeding time. If she’s not bred or altered, a female ferret will go through constant heat cycles during this time. You’ll also find that a male will show signs of territoriality and aggression.

When placed together for mating, throughout the day, ferrets will go through aggressive, almost violent behavior several times. While the sight can be difficult to witness, it is natural for these animals.

Pregnancy

After breeding, when a female ferret is pregnant, gestation will last around 6 weeks, or 40 to 42 days. As the mother-to-be progresses in her pregnancy, she will need specialized care to ensure that she and the upcoming kits, or baby ferrets, are healthy. Around a week before the expected birth, the mother should be removed from other ferrets so she can give birth peacefully.

The jill in question will begin the whelping process, during which she will nest and prepare for birth. She will use any materials at her disposal. Some jills even pull out tufts of their hair to use for a nest in preparation for their babies. While she is getting ready, make sure the female ferret has access to lots of food and water. Once she begins giving birth, you shouldn’t disturb her at all.

Birthing Kits

A litter of ferrets can range from one to 18 kits. When the mother begins giving birth and starts the nursing process, she must be left alone. If you disturb the jill or try to intervene in any way, this could trigger her to eat her young. This is especially true if it is her first litter.

If you have reason to believe that something is wrong with your jill during birth, seek out veterinarian care immediately. Glossy eyes and weakness are two major signs that your pet needs medical assistance. The birthing process shouldn’t take longer than 3 hours or so unless the jill is older or the litter is large. Labor that goes beyond 24 hours also requires medical attention from a veterinarian.

The New Kits

Like with puppies and kittens, ferret kits are born with their ears and eyes closed. You’ll also find that their fur doesn’t begin to grow until after the first day. Nursing will be nearly constant. By the fifth week, their ears and eyes should open, and by 8 to 10 weeks of age, kits should be eating and drinking on their own.

Spaying and Neutering Ferrets

It is strongly recommended that ferrets be spayed and neutered by a veterinarian. Altering your ferret will help control the long heat cycle that jills go through each year and the aggression that hobs tend to show at this time. For the best results health-wise, you should also have your veterinarian provide your ferret with all the vaccinations that they need to live a long, healthy life.

Conclusion

With the heat cycle of ferrets being so long and the gestational period being fairly short, without proper precautions, you could find yourself with several ferret kits. Reach out to your veterinarian to schedule having your ferrets spayed and neutered.

Featured Image Credit: Sergei Avdeev, Shutterstock