How to Ferret Proof a Room: 15 Simple Steps

Ferrets are fun, friendly, cute pets. They are also lively and incredibly curious, and they chew just about anything they can sink their teeth into. Experts advise that ferrets be let out of their cage at least once a day and for around 2 hours at a time, which is a lot of time to explore and get into trouble. Before letting your ferret out for some exploring, you should ferret-proof your house or an individual room to ensure their safety and your sanity.

Below are 15 steps to ensure you have a ferret-proof area.

The 15 Steps to Ferret-Proof a Room

1. A Single Room Is Best

A house has several hazards, and your ferret is likely to zip from one room to another, looking for things to explore and places to hide. It is challenging to monitor a whole house. While there are still hazards in a single room, it is easier to see what your ferret is getting up to and manage all the likely dangers if you can shut off one room. Although you should always supervise the time your ferret spends out of the cage, having a single room gives you more room to breathe.

2. Look for and Block Off Ferret Exits

Ferrets can squeeze through surprisingly small spaces. This includes the gaps in windows and large gaps under doors. You also need to check around plumbing, for example, where pipes come into and out of the kitchen, because there can be gaps around the pipes. If your ferret can fit their head through a gap, they can almost certainly squeeze their body through.

3. Block Off Appliances

The plumbing from your appliances isn’t the only danger. Many appliances have a small gap underneath and offer access to the motor and internal workings of the device from underneath. This poses a serious hazard for the inquisitive ferret, who is prone to chew wires and can make a hiding place in a tiny corner of the workings of a washing machine.

4. Cover the Underside of Furniture

The spaces under furniture are especially inviting to your four-legged friend. You might need to cover the space using a thick and impenetrable fabric or other material. If you struggle to find your ferret following an excursion from their cage, it’s worth double-checking under your sofa.

5. Check Your Cushions

Ferrets will look for a weak spot in the fabric or areas around the zipper or seam and pick the stitching apart before climbing in. Alternatively, they will hide under cushions, so you should double-check before sitting down to avoid squishing one.

6. Protect Your Mattresses

It might seem excessive, but covering the base of a mattress before your ferret tunnels into it will be a lot easier than retrieving them afterward. It also eliminates the risk of them eating the mattress stuffing and suffering impaction.

7. Remove Edible Objects

Ferrets love to chew on just about any material but especially on cushions, foam, rubber, cardboard, wood, and plastic. Hairbands, elastic bands, and rubber dog toys or children’s toys should be removed from your ferret’s grasp, or you run the very risk that they will eat them and block their digestive system.

8. Lock Cleaning Supplies Away

While you’re at it, you should also ensure that there are no cleaning products or other harmful chemicals and substances lying around. This includes shampoos, makeup, deodorizers, and toilet cleaners. The best approach is to prevent your ferret from entering the bathroom, toilet, and kitchen. Alternatively, lock everything away in a secure closet.

9. Close the Toilet

Any body of water is a threat, whether a full bath, a toilet, or even a bucket of water. Wild and pet ferrets can swim, but even a capable swimmer will struggle if left in a body of water with no way out. If your ferret slips into the toilet, they may not be able to scamper out, especially if they panic and cause the lid to close. It isn’t worth the risk.

10. Ensure Cupboard Doors Close Firmly

Ferrets have strong noses, which they can use to open cupboard doors and move other objects. If you don’t want to spend hours checking every drawer and closet for your little escapee, close the cupboard doors and use magnetic or other types of locks to keep them securely closed and impregnable.

11. Avoid Upstairs Railings

Ferrets love climbing up objects but aren’t always as adept at descending. They also have seemingly no sense of fear, which means that they will take a leap of faith from the top of high objects just to get down. In most cases, they will land safely, but not always. If you have open railings on the upstairs landing, avoid letting your ferret near them, or they may simply choose to leap.

12. Put Candles Away and Extinguish Fires

Extinguish candles and always supervise your ferret if you have a fire or heater. Although ferrets may be sensible enough to avoid open flames, one incident can cause a really serious burn.

13. Avoid Recliner Chairs

Recliner chairs use gears, strong springs, and other mechanisms to produce the rise and recline motions. They also have appealing little cubbies where your ferret thinks it’s a good idea to sit. Unfortunately, these open spaces are where the chair mechanism tends to move, and if your little one is in the chair when it is used, it can lead to them being squashed. Avoid using recliner chairs until you know exactly where your pets are.

14. Check the Washing

Ferrets love to hide, especially in clothing, because it is easy to burrow in and offers plenty of protection from the outside world. If your ferret is out of the cage, check your dirty clothes before you put them in the machine, and double-check the machine before you turn it on. Or, better still, wait until the ferret is back in their cage.

15. Constant Supervision

Supervise your ferret when you let them out. They are very curious animals, which can lead to them getting into all kinds of trouble, even when you haven’t necessarily identified an area or an object as problematic. Keep an eye out, an ear open, and your senses alert to any danger.

How to Ferret-Proof Wires

Ideally, you should bundle loose wires to protect your pet. Have the cables run along the ceiling rather than the floor. However, even if you do this as much as possible, some wires will inevitably be accessible and tempting. You can buy special cable covers designed to prevent chewing. Alternatively, use a spray that naturally but safely deters ferrets.

Can You Keep a Ferret in a Bedroom?

Ferrets naturally smell. The odor is confined to their enclosure, but if you don’t clean it daily, it will quickly ruminate around a room. If you intend to keep your ferret in the bedroom, you will have to spend a lot of time litter-training, cleaning the litter box, and ensuring the enclosure is kept spotless.

Can Ferrets Slip Under Doors?

This won’t usually be a problem with external doors, but if there is a gap of an inch or more at the bottom of a door in your house, there is a good chance that your ferret will be able to get under it. Use a door gap stopper explicitly designed for this purpose, and don’t rely on door screens because they are no match for determined ferret teeth.

Can You Litter-Train a Ferret?

Ferrets have preferred corners that they will use to do their business. As such, this makes it possible to litter-train your little pet. Place the litter tray in a corner. Move the tray if your ferret urinates or defecates in another area. If they go somewhere else, move the box again. As long as you are consistent, it shouldn’t take too long before they are using the litter box every time.

Final Thoughts

Ferret-proofing a single room is more reliable and effective for protecting your ferret and your belongings than attempting to modify an entire house. It enables you to prevent and restrict access to candles and toilets, which requires less work on your part. Remember to supervise your pet when they are out of the enclosure because ferrets are curious and often mischievous little pets.

Featured Image Credit: Ermolaeva Olga 84, Shutterstock