Having a baby ferret in your home also means additional responsibility. But being prepared and knowing what to do could really save you a lot of headaches and ensure your new kit (young ferret) a lifetime of happiness ahead. You need to take these things into consideration.

Kits generally stay with their mother from birth and up to 6 weeks. During this time, it is advised to leave them alone. Just provide the food for the mother (also called Jill) and leave her young alone. By the time the pups are 3-4 weeks old, they will begin to emerge from their nest face down. Most of them are still blind and their ears are closed. Jill would normally take them back to the nest box where she is sure they are safe and secure. Jills is very good at keeping her area clean, so you don’t have to worry about that during this time. When the puppies are older, Jill will be happy to let the owners see her puppies, just remember to watch for her reactions to see if she allows it or not.

So if you got your kit from a pet store, ferret shelter, or breeder, chances are your kit is at least 7 weeks old. They are still in their growth stage and this is where you should start giving them extra attention. Let’s start with the food they could eat.

The first thing to think about is that this is their first time eating solid foods, so you want them to be soft and not too hard to eat. With this in mind, you could give them finely chopped cooked beef, to make sure there are no parasites, shredded cooked chicken, and ferret food soaked in warm water for 5-10 minutes; all crushed to make a smooth paste that is easy for them to eat. You can provide these foods separately or mix them in small amounts.

At first, it may not be easy for them to eat as they still need to learn how to eat it. Just give them enough time to adjust. They are used to their mother providing their food, and weaning them to eat the food we provide definitely takes time. You should also provide them with water as they need to drink 100-150 ml of water per day.

After his meal, you could teach him to stay in the litter box so he knows to stay there for a while after each meal he eats. And that’s the time they could go to their cozy sleeping area for a nap.

Take notes on their kit progress every day, how many hours they sleep, how much food they eat, what food you gave them, how much water they consumed, check if their stools are normal, are they active when awake, and other little details that you could take note; then you could go to your vet to check with him if your ferret is okay, based on the observations you have written down. If they give you a good sign, then you could be sure that your kit will live a healthy life ahead of him.