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Title: Ferret Halloween Safety
Date: October 29, 2001
By: Mary R. Shefferman

Halloween can be a lot of fun for kids (and for adults). But it can also pose a danger to ferrets. Here are four tips for keeping your ferrets safe while you're enjoying the day.

1. Keep candy out of reach of ferrets. Sugar is bad for ferrets. Chocolate may be toxic. Some candies have nuts that can cause an intestinal blockage -- as can plastic or paper wrappers. Make sure you and your children keep any candy safely out of your ferrets' reach.
2. Prevent escapes. If you have trick-or-treaters all day, your door will be opened and closed all day. With all the commotion, a ferret could slip out unnoticed. It's much better to keep ferrets caged until the trick-or-treating is over. If you normally allow your ferrets free-roam, keep them in a safe room with the door closed so there's no danger of them getting out of the house.
3. Prevent harm. If you're having a Halloween party, keep your ferrets caged AND in a safe, quiet room. Many guests -- especially children -- might not be as careful as you are and might step on your ferrets or give them an inappropriate treat. Keep stress to a minimum by keeping your ferrets away from the ruckus.
4. Keep costumes and props away from ferrets. Halloween makeup can make a ferret ill if he eats it. Many costume props and masks are made of plastic or rubber that ferrets might chew on and swallow. When getting ready for trick-or-treating or parties, keep all items away from your ferrets. Make sure all costumes, props, and makeup are put away after the trick-or-treating or party is over.

Any holiday can present special dangers to our ferrets. If we take extra care to keep our homes ferret-proofed, we should all enjoy the day.