It is very fashionable to keep ferrets in the house these days. The breeder immediately raises the question of where to place the pet and what the cage should be like. In order not to throw money away, we will consider in the article various options for ferret houses and the possibility of building them yourself.
The main types of cells for ferrets
Ferret cell variants are striking in their diversity. But still they can be divided into several groups:
- Primitive houses made of cardboard boxes. They can be single-story or form a skyscraper from several connected boxes. This option is suitable for temporary maintenance of a ferret, because cardboard absorbs all odors and soaks very quickly.
- Cells made of metal mesh.
- Wooden and metal houses.
- Wood and plywood cages.
- Frame houses sheathed with fabric.
- Cells whose framework is sheathed with a vine or made of twigs.
Ferret house made of cardboard boxes
Wire mesh cage
Wooden and metal house for a ferret
House of ferret made of wood and plywood
Ferret hammock lined with fabric
Ferret house sheathed by a vine
This list can be continued, because each owner is able to come up with a special cage for his pet from a wide variety of materials. Most often, houses are built from improvised inexpensive, but durable materials.
Design selection
When choosing a home for a pet, take into account several nuances on which the final result depends:
- Duration of the ferret's stay in the dwelling. The more time the ferret will spend in his house, the more spacious the cage he needs. On average, about 0.8-1 square meters are needed to keep an animal. m. area, and the height of the cell room should be at least 40 cm.
- Ability to move cells. This aspect is rather important not for the animal, but for the owner. The ability to quickly and effortlessly move or move the house without assistance is required during daily cleaning, repairs and other life situations. Therefore, it is desirable that the house was on wheels.
In addition, consider the option of a collapsible cage, so that in the case of moving or traveling it was possible to easily assemble the ferret's dwelling.
An ideal pet home should meet the following requirements:
- Must be spacious. It is important for ferrets to be in constant motion so that their muscles work and strengthen, otherwise their atrophy will occur. Therefore, the space of their house will be filled with all kinds of attributes for the game, dashes, as well as the necessary elements for food and sleep. To solve the problem with the placement of all the attributes will help cells made in several floors.
- The gaps between the joining materials and the grilles should not exceed 2.5-3 cm. If this distance is greater, the ferret will be able to freely leave the cage at the time he pleases. The meaning of acquiring a home is lost.
- The presence of a pallet.All trash and animal waste products will be collected in a pallet, not on the floor of your apartment. During the cleaning of the cell, the contents are thrown out, and the tray itself is washed with water and a disinfectant to destroy odor and bacteria.
- Robust construction with a reliable lock system,to ensure a safe stay of the animal in it.
- Convenient for cleaning.Ferrets love to hide food in the corners and inaccessible places of the cage for humans, so the design should assume this moment and have additional doors or a removable roof to access anywhere in the home.
Place selection and measurements
A cage for a ferret should become a cozy house for him, and not a place of permanent or temporary maintenance. If the pet does not like the dwelling, its placement in such a construction is out of the question.
The attitude of the ferret to the cage you will understand literally from the first minutes. Therefore, when buying a house for a pet or mastering it yourself, first of all, take into account the interests of your pet.
The base of the house for the ferret should be at least 60 × 80 cm. Perform each floor with a height of half a meter. The appearance of the finished house will resemble a closed rack with stairs and walkways, equipped with the necessary accessories for the pet.
Keep in mind that the house should have several rooms or zones:
- game room;
- dressing room;
- for sleep;
- for eating.
To avoid problems with the placement of drinking bowls, feeders, rides and other items in the cage, buy them in advance and consider the size when planning the premises.
Choosing a place to install the cage is important for the animal. Ferrets do not tolerate drafts, dry, hot air and direct sunlight. Therefore, places near heating appliances, windows on the south side of the house, entrance doors and window leaves are not suitable.
When you roughly imagine the cage and know where to place it, feel free to proceed to the drawings and procurement of materials for the construction. Drawings and diagrams will help in visualization and prevent alterations and errors during construction.
Making plywood cages
Plywood is an inexpensive building material that is easy to work with even for beginners. And the cells from it are stable, durable and comfortable. To make a house for a ferret from plywood, you will need the following materials and tools:
- timber with a cross section of 50-100 mm;
- self-tapping screws 3 × 19, 4 × 25;
- plywood with a thickness of 3 to 5 mm, for the base it is recommended to use 10-ku;
- linoleum;
- fabric for upholstery;
- stapler and staples for it;
- metal grid;
- door fastening mechanism;
- electric jigsaw;
- screwdrivers or screwdrivers;
- roulette and ruler, etc.
Frame and walls
When choosing plywood, consider not only the thickness, but also an indicator of the class of emission, which shows the presence of harmful substances in it. It is advisable to purchase first class plywood.
Assemble the frame and walls, following the algorithm of actions:
- Prepare the wooden parts according to the size of your drawing. Sand the plywood with sandpaper so that the ferret is not injured during the operation of the house. If necessary, go with sandpaper and along the timber.
- Assemble the frame from the timber. Install partitions, ceilings and walls, leaving the front for the doors. Cover the side panels with a stapler cloth. Lay linoleum on the floor so that the wood material does not absorb odors and moisture.
- Fasten the remaining parts.
Fasten all partitions with special care so that the fasteners withstand the ferret's active lifestyle. Make sure that the screws do not flash through the materials. Remove all sharpnesses and bumps for the safety of the pet.
Roof and facade
The appearance of the facades depends on the imagination of the craftsman. A variant of its design is painting, upholstery with various materials, varnishing and much more. It is important to use the most environmentally friendly materials and paints with the least odor and toxicity.
The use of plexiglass and plywood is possible only with the organization of additional windows for ventilation of air and a light source inside the cell. One of the most popular types is the facade of a lattice or metal mesh.
The roof can be made of plywood, mesh or grilles. The shape of the roof is determined by the design and idea: a single-pitched straight line or with a slope, a gable, curly, multilevel, etc.
Double doors
Equipping the cage with double doors greatly facilitates the cleaning moment. To make them yourself, follow the prompts:
- Assemble 2 frames from wooden rails according to the size of the front of the house.
- Sheathe them with plywood and use a jigsaw to cut holes of the desired shape at each of the cell levels.
- Close up the resulting gaps by stretching the mesh inside or by inserting the gratings.
- On the back side, nail small wooden sides so that when the door is opened, the remnants of food and litter do not spill out of the house.
- Install the resulting doors on the awnings, adjust them.
- Screw the locking mechanism.
Cell Interior
An important point in the preparation of the house for the ferret is the acquisition and location of accessories for internal arrangement. Their choice in the pet market is great, and the prices are varied.
Tray
Before buying a tray, consult your sales consultant for advice. He will help you choose its size according to the size of the ferret. Give preference to the corner tray - this will help optimize the small space. Keep in mind that the capacity for the toilet should be periodically changed to a new one.
In order for the pet not to rummage in the tray, scattering its contents, it is allowed to cover the container with a net.
Filler for the tray is a special mixture sold in specialized stores. Change the contents of the toilet as necessary to avoid the spread of bad smell.
Feeding troughs and drinking bowls
Ferrets eat carefully, so get small containers for food and drinkers. It makes sense to pay attention to accessories with mounts. In addition to the static location, they can be located not in a separate room, but on the floor with a toilet. This is true for small cells.
What exactly to feed a ferret is described here.
Sleeping area
Be especially responsible for organizing a sleeping place for your pet. If he does not like it, then the ferret will sleep everywhere, but not in the sleeping department.
Ferrets really like special houses for sleeping inside the cage. You can buy or sew them yourself. It will take a small amount of foam and fabric for its lining, imagination and sewing skills. The minimum size of a berth is 30 × 50 × 30.
A primitive option for a bed is a regular cardboard box with a mattress and a pillow inside. Make the entrance to the sleeping room more spacious, with a diameter of at least 10 cm. Inside, it is preferable to create a twilight.
Rest zone
Ferrets like to sway in hammocks during their holidays, so be sure to place them in the recreation area and, if possible, at each level of the cage. Hammocks are easy to make on their own from dense fabric and strong ropes, but if you do not want to bother with them, you can buy them in the animal department.
To sew a hammock:
- Take a denim or other high-density fabric and, folded in half, sew, leaving a hole. The size of the piece of matter depends on the size of the pet.
- Fill the resulting envelope with a thin layer of synthetic winterizer or place the foam inside.
- Sew a rope or shoelaces on the narrower sides of the suspension box to suspend the structure.
The attachment of the suspension bed is determined by the design of the cage. You can attach the hammock to the ceiling or stretch between the walls. Use safe and reliable fasteners when working.
Tunnels and attractions
In nature, ferrets live in holes. At home, even if the pet has never gone outside, he has the instinct for climbing narrow passages. To meet the need for movement, construct a kind of tunnel from the scraps of sewer pipes with a diameter of 110 mm and the connecting corners 45 ° to them. The gaps of the tunnel can be made of fabric, so the pet will be much more interesting to crawl through the maze.
It can be located in a cage and be stretched from the bottom to the top floor, or used when the ferret is released for a walk from the house.
Buy various toys for your pet for him to have fun, put down the stairs. So he will direct his energy not to damage objects in the apartment and his home, but to have a good time with things interesting to him.
Manufacturing tips
When making a cell, pay attention to the following nuances and tips:
- The plywood house will have a sufficiently large mass, so if this parameter matters, it is better to make a cage from a metal mesh with a frame from hollow pipes.
- When choosing finishes and materials, remember that ferrets can nibble on cells and particles of substances will enter his stomach or injure the animal. For example, it is undesirable to use plastic of dubious quality or use painting metal pipes.
- Do not use glass for construction. And empty aquariums are not suitable even for short-term maintenance of a ferret.
- Fix all the elements in the cage with safe, reliable fasteners, otherwise the animal may tear them off and cause injuries during games.
Other types of home-made cells
In addition to the dwelling for the ferret from plywood, you can build a cage of steel galvanized mesh with a mesh size of 25 by 25 mm. For construction work, metal cutters and pliers will be required as the main tool. The base of such a cage should be reliable - a thick plastic pallet, a wooden box, etc.
Under the house for the pet, you can adapt the old cabinet or its individual sections. It is enough to replace the facades on the doors with a mesh, and upholstery the inside with linoleum and fabric. Drill additional holes in the walls for access of warm air and oxygen.
Choosing a Good Ferret Cage
When choosing a cage for a ferret, pay attention to the following points:
- The size. Do not save on this indicator, since a small cage will not be able to become a favorite habitat for an animal.
- Cell material.To perform its direct functions, the cell must be made of high quality materials. With a different, cheaper option, you can’t avoid repairing the house due to all kinds of breakdowns: bent rods, broken partitions, leading locks, etc.
- Appearance.This indicator is not always optimal when choosing a cage, but it is important in view of the fact that the ferret's house will need to be entered into the interior of your home.
- Universality.There are collapsible cells that, if necessary, can be assembled into a portable cell or change the sequence and number of levels, modifying the design.
The video below shows an example of how to build a cage for a ferret with your own hands, given the habits of the animal:
When choosing a cage or building it, the first place is occupied by the interests of the future owner of the house. From the ferret’s attitude to his new house, the question will be whether forces and resources have been spent in vain. Therefore, before work, carefully sort through all the possible options and bring to life a convenient, functional and beloved home for your pet.