Baby Ferrets (A Complete Guide)

Baby ferrets are among the cutest creatures on the planet, but they are also extremely delicate. Both in captivity and in the wild, they are entirely dependent on their mothers for all of their basic needs, so owners usually only have to provide a good environment for baby ferrets and nutritious food for their mothers.

Overall, baby ferrets are entirely dependent on their mother during the first 6 to 8 weeks of life. After that, they will remain close to their mother but will be able to eat on their own because they have sharp teeth by this time.

This guide is for you if you own ferrets and want to breed them in order to have your own baby ferrets, or if you just want to learn about how to take care of a baby ferret. In this article, our small animal veterinarian has compiled all of the necessary information and guidelines for baby ferret care, so read on.

What Are Baby Ferrets Called?

Baby ferrets are referred to as kits. At birth, they are about the size of a human finger, or roughly 2 to 3 inches, and weigh 6 to 12 grams. They are very tiny and delicate at birth, and it is not recommended that you hold or touch them during this time.

Kits gain weight very quickly; by the end of the first week of their life, they usually double or triple their birth weight. Additionally, by the end of the third week of life, they typically weigh between 100 and 150 grams. Mother ferrets are known as jills, and they are incredibly devoted and caring.

When Do Newborn Ferrets Open Their Eyes?

Baby ferrets cannot see when they are born because their eyes are closed. The babies typically open their eyes in the fourth or fifth week of life. Because of this, they rely on their mothers during the first few weeks of their lives. Kits will spend the majority of their first-month sleeping and cuddling with their mother. You can occasionally see them wiggling around, especially when their mother is nursing them.

How To Care For a Baby Ferret?

If their mother is present, young ferrets do not require any human assistance. They will receive excellent care from their mothers. As the owner, all you have to do is make sure their space is warm and completely clean and tidy. The area where babies are present should be completely dark.

Additionally, you should ensure that the mother is getting enough food and water because she needs to produce milk for the newborns during the nursing period, which places a high nutritional demand on her. Apart from these, you need to keep an eye on them frequently to make sure everything is okay.

What To Feed To Baby Ferrets?

Newborn ferrets do not consume anything other than their mother’s milk; it is their sole source of nutrition. Ferret milk is full of the nutrients that newborn ferrets need for quick weight gain and growth. Jills can feed several newborn babies at once because they have between five and nine nipples. If the litter size is too small, such as if only one or two babies are born there may not be enough stimulation for milk production and let down.

Since they have sharp teeth by the time they are more than 4 weeks old, baby ferrets begin eating solid food. Ferrets are fed a raw meat diet because they are obligate carnivores, and they switch entirely to solid food after about 8 weeks because by this age they will have their permanent teeth and won’t be nursed by their mothers.

Do Baby Ferrets Need Water?

No, baby ferrets do not need to drink water until they are weaned by their mother, which takes about 6 to 8 weeks. Their mother’s milk provides them with all the water they need during this time. Water should not be given to babies younger than 8 weeks old, especially using a syringe, as doing so increases their risk of developing aspiratory pneumonia.

How Many Babies Can Ferrets Have?

Although their litter size can reach as high as 14, on average ferrets give birth to between 4 and 8 babies at a time. Jills, or female ferrets, have 5 to 9 nipples, which are enough to feed all the babies.

When Will Their Mother Wean Baby Ferrets?

Mother ferrets wean their young at around the age of six weeks, though some may take up to eight weeks to finish the process. After 8 weeks, babies are completely weaned by their mothers and begin eating solid foods.

Are Ferrets Born Deaf?

Yes, ferret babies are born deaf and begin to hear when they are about a month old, or a little older in some cases.

Can a Baby Ferret Survive Without Its Mother?

Most baby ferrets cannot survive without their mother, especially if they are newborn ferrets less than one month old, because they are completely dependent on their mother for food, grooming, and other care at this age.

If a mother dies or abandons a newborn baby ferret, nothing can be done because hand-feeding a baby ferret less than a month old is nearly impossible. However, if there is another ferret mother, the babies might get saved because jills usually adopt and raise the young of another female ferret.

Are Baby Ferrets Quiet?

Baby ferrets are very vocal creatures, though they will spend most of their time sleeping. It is when they are hungry or searching for their mother they become vocal and make a lot of different sounds. Waahing is the name of the sound that baby ferrets make when they are searching for their mother but as they grow they will produce more familiar sounds like dooking.

When Does a Baby Ferret Become Mature?

Depending on the gender, ferrets don’t reach full maturity until they are between 6 and 12 months old. Male ferrets can take a year to fully mature, but they can mature as early as 8 months. Female ferrets typically mature at around 6 to 8 months.

For info on basic ferret care and veterinary needs of a ferret Check out this blog post.