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Ferret News #66: Ferrets and Other Pets - Ferrets' Lactose Intolerance
June 10, 2004

by Mary R. Shefferman and Eric Shefferman
along with Gabrielle (the lone ferret)

contact: marymodernferret.com

Ferrets and Other Pets

By Mary R. Shefferman

  I grew up with dogs, cats, gerbils, guinea pigs, mice, and chickens. As an adult, I've kept guinea pigs and ferrets (but not together!). Eric and I would love to bring a dog into our home, but we just don't have the space, especially since we want a fairly big dog. A cat would be nice, but both Eric and I are allergic.

  If you're anything like we are, you like all kinds of animals besides ferrets. You may even have other pets in your home. But how do animals of various species get along with ferrets?

Guinea Pigs and Bunnies and Mice -- Oh My!

  Although most of our pet ferrets don't act like it, they are carnivores. Even the most docile ferret can go after a gerbil or hamster. It's instinct. The ferret probably won't eat the little guy, but she can very easily kill him.

  Therefore, any animal in the rodent family is a poor choice for a ferret companion. Even if your ferret doesn't think of a rodent as food, he will certainly play too rough for a little (or even large) rodent. Many rodents or rabbits become highly stressed simply being within smelling range of ferrets.

  If you or someone in your family has or wants to have a rabbit, hamster, rat, mouse or other small rodent, make sure your ferret has absolutely no access to that animal. Separate areas of the house are best. Even if they are in separate areas of the house, make sure the rodents are caged securely. Never introduce your ferrets and your rodents, even under close supervision.

For the Birds

  Birds are in the same category as rodents -- ferrets often think of them as food. Maybe not on a conscious level, but certainly instinctively ferrets will be inclined to harm pet birds. Keep pet birds securely caged and in an area of your home separate from your ferrets. Again, some birds can become stressed just knowing that a predator is in their midst. (Ferrets are predators, even if their predatory instincts are dulled by domestication.)

  Larger pet birds can be a danger to your ferret. Or, at least, the meeting of a large bird and a ferret can be a disastrous situation for both creatures.

Reptiles and Exotics

  Here, as with rodents and birds, you have creatures that a ferret may consider to be prey. Many reptiles need to be kept in a controlled climate and thus are not "out and about" where they may encounter a ferret. Some reptiles are more adaptable climate-wise. However, because ferrets are descended from "opportunistic" predators (they'll eat whatever they come across), many smaller reptiles fall into the category of "food."

  I'm lumping together all exotic animals even though they span a large number of species. Many exotic animals are somewhat fragile. Because there is the same potential with exotics as with rodents, birds, and reptiles -- namely that the ferret may instinctively think of them as food -- it is best to keep all exotic animals separate from ferrets. This is especially true with animals like chinchillas and sugar gliders. As with rodents, some exotic animals may feel threatened and stressed by the presence of a ferret.

Cats and Dogs

  Here we finally find some potential companions for ferrets. I've met many ferret owners who also keeps dogs and/or cats. The key to harmony is supervision and very careful introductions. Cats and ferrets or dogs and ferrets should not be left unsupervised. The ferret's playfulness can easily escalate playtime into a dangerous situation. Not because they become aggressive, but because of the size differences and play differences between the species.

  Cats and ferrets generally get along well. A cat who finds ferrets objectionable can usually climb to higher ground quickly to avoid the ferret. The potential problem here is that ferrets tend to be playful for more years than cats are. Thus, older cats can find ferrets to be somewhat tiresome and annoying. Usually they will treat the ferrets as they would kittens -- tolerating some annoyance and then giving them a quick swat to let them know enough is enough. Or they may simply retreat to a place that the ferret can't access.

  One of the concerns with cats and ferrets is that cats have thinner skin than ferrets do. Thus, a cat can get hurt playing with a rough ferret. However, ferrets play to the level of the weakest member of the group, so they can and do learn to play more gently with "weaker" animals (or humans). Ferrets can get hurt playing with a cantankerous cat. If your cat is particularly territorial or rough, he should be kept away from your ferrets or watched VERY closely when interacting with your ferrets. Cats who play with ferrets must have their claws kept trimmed so they do not unintentionally harm the ferrets.

  Dogs are a bit harder to harm than cats are. Adult dogs are also very tolerant of playful ferrets. They tend to see ferrets as puppies. Dogs have very definite instinctive rules about puppies -- basically, anything goes. Most dogs will tolerate playful ferret nipping. They are usually gentle with reprimands (as they would be with a puppy). However, some dogs (terrier breeds and some smaller breeds) have been bred to attack small animals and may go after a ferret.

  I've seen several different breeds of dogs around ferrets -- Doberman, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Pug, Chinese Crested, and mixed breeds. It's amazing how careful the large breed dogs were around ferrets. Of course, all these dogs had been carefully introduced to the ferrets and they were supervised.

  They keys to successful dog-ferret or cat-ferret cohabitation are slow, careful introductions and constant supervision. Once you know that your particular pets will get along all right, you still need to keep an eye on them. You need to be vigilant about any animal that tends to be territorial or possessive.

  Another key to success is starting young. You're more likely to get a puppy or kitten to grow up happy with ferrets than you are to get an older dog or cat to learn to love ferrets. Ferrets are more adaptable. They are more likely at any age to accept a dog or cat into their lives.

***

  Perhaps the most important point to remember about mixing various species of animals is: When in doubt, keep them separate. Another important aspect of combining species is knowing your particular animals. You can't generalize cats or dogs or breeds of animals. Not all terriers will pose a problem; not all golden retrievers will be good with ferrets. If you think your dog or cat will be a problem with ferrets, trust your intuition.

  I'm sure some of you have personal experience with ferrets and other animals. If you have a story -- good or bad -- let us know. The best way to learn about these things is to share our experiences.

You can read more about ferrets and other pets in these issues of Modern Ferret Magazine (all available in the Super Monster Pack):

Issue #7: Cats & ferrets
Issue #8: Dogs & ferrets
Issue #11: Ferret & dog story
Issue #20: Ferret & cat story
Issue #29: Ferret & cat story

Did You Know That ...

  Ferrets are lactose intolerant. Many ferret like the taste of milk or even ice cream, but they shouldn't have it. Dairy products cause diarrhea in ferrets. As we know, diarrhea can quickly become life threatening in a tiny ferret.

   Our ferret Ralph used to love tofutti ("ice cream" made from tofu -- lactose-free). Now our Gabby loves milk. If your ferret loves milk, you can try giving her Lactaid or Dairy Ease milk. These brands are lactose-free (read the labels carefully because some of these products also come in lactose-reduced formulations that are not lactose-free).

  You may read about giving ferrets whipping cream to help them gain weight after an illness or surgery. This is a specific product (not whipped cream and not heavy cream). Whipping cream has a very low level of lactose, so it doesn't have the same effect on ferrets that other dairy products have. Still, you need to be careful not to give your ferret too much whipping cream and to be watchful of how your particular ferret responds or reacts to whipping cream. Some ferrets tolerate tiny amounts of lactose better than others.

Super Monster Pack of Modern Ferret Magazine Back Issues

The Super Monster Pack of Modern Ferret Magazine back issues has several articles on ferrets and other pets, as well as all kinds of valuable ferret information written by ferret owning experts -- the ones who know what's what with ferrets. You get more than 1,000 pages of ferret fun and information. (If you bought all these back issues separately, it would cost about $150.00.) *** You can browse through the tables of contents for the available back issues at ModernFerretStore.com. Take a look. We're sure you'll find the topics you want to know about and some that you didn't even realize you should know about.

All 28 available back issues of Modern Ferret magazine! #1* #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21 #22 #23 #25 #26 #27 #28 #29 #30 #31 #32 #33 *Reprint

  Thanks for reading!

  If you have any comments or questions about ferrets and other pets, let us know! We'd love to hear your personal experiences with multi-species households.

-- Mary & Eric & Gabby

  Stay tuned for more. You can always get updates by reading my blog (a blog is an online journal). I keep it sporadically and it usually runs to the more personal stuff. But you might like it. It's at

http://www.modernferretblog.com/mary

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