Are you looking for ferret cage accessories to put in the cage?
Do you know what ferret cage toys are safe?
Today I want to share with you ferret accessories you can put in the cage, how to pick the ones that are safe for ferrets and how to organize the entire ferret cage. Everything you need to know about ferret accessories for cage, you can read in this post!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
How To Organize The Ferret Cage?
There are a few rules you should consider when organizing a ferret cage. The first and the most important one is to separate the food and water bowls from the litter box to prevent any bacteria from coming into the bowl. Besides that, you should set up a place for sleeping and playing too. What else should you consider? Check out my post about setting up a ferret cage.
What Are Ferret Cage Accessories?
Ferret cage accessories are things you have to put in the cage so your ferret can eat, drink, sleep, play and poop in it. You have to consider every part of a ferret’s life, no matter how much time your ferret actually spends in the cage. So, let’s see what are the most important accessories you should get.
Ferret Food And Water Bowls
Food and water bowls are the most important part of a ferret cage. You should keep them clean at all times. The water bowl should be full at all times so your ferret can drink, but the food bowl depends on the nutrition you provide for your ferret. If it is kibble, you can keep it full at all times, but make sure your ferret doesn’t overeat. If it is raw meat, then you should fill it only during meals. Raw meat can spoil if you leave it in the bowl for an entire day, especially during summer.
The best bowls for cages are the ones you can attach to the side of the cage. Ferrets are known to flip the bowls, meaning water and food can end up on the floor of the cage and that can be very messy. So, to avoid those situations, use a bowl that you can screw into the cage. In my experience, the best ones are stainless steel bowls with plastic frames. You can read all about them in my post about picking the best food and water bowls.
Hammocks And Blankets
Ferrets love to sleep and they do it around 16 hours a day. They love to be comfortable so hammocks and blankets are the best solutions for that. Most ferrets prefer hammocks over blankets because it is more comfortable for them to hang in a hammock. But, not every ferret is the same so make sure you have both options in the cage until you figure out what your ferret prefers. The good thing about hammocks is that you can hand them on the side of the cage so you can use every inch of the cage, on the platform, and above it.
A good idea is to use closed hammocks so your ferret can sleep in the dark although it is a day outside. You can check out my post about ferret hammocks to see what you should consider when getting one. When picking a material, you can easily go with fleece. It is comfortable, easy to maintain, and durable. When it comes to where to put ferret hammocks and blankets, there is no right or wrong answer. Put them everywhere and you will easily see what are your ferret’s favorite sleeping spots.
Ferret Cage Toys
Toys are a very important part of every ferret cage so he can stay entertained even in the cage. But, just like with every other toy, you should check the toys first and see if it is safe to place them in the cage. When ferrets are in the cage, you don’t supervise them. So, leaving them with toys in the cage should be a normal thing and you can do that only if you use ferret-safe toys. The most popular ferret safe toy is a ferret tunnel. They love tight spaces so you can be sure your ferret will hang out in the cage.
Other ferret-safe toys can be plastic balls, bigger than ping pong balls so they can’t chew them, and plushies without plastic parts like eyes or nose. A big NO-NO is toys made of rubber, sponges, thin plastic, etc. Your ferret mustn’t chew through the toy and since you aren’t there to stop him, you mustn’t give him that option under any circumstance. You can find out more about safe ferret toys in my post here.
Ferret Litter & Litter Box
You have to put a toilet in the cage and puppy pads aren’t a good solution for that. That is why there are litter boxes. The best litter box design is a triangular one because you can put it in the corner. We all know that ferrets pee and poop in the corner so this way you are fulfilling their wishes about corner pooping. Choose the litter box you can attach to the side of the cage and that way your ferret won’t be able to move it around the cage. Here you can read more about picking the right litter box.
The litter that goes inside the litter box should be ferret safe litter. That is important because ferrets can have troubles with their respiratory system if you choose the wrong kind. The best choice is pellet litters and the worst choice is clay litters often used for cats. You can read more about that in my detailed post about the best type of ferret litter. I suggest you put a litter box on the bottom of the cage so your ferret can use it when he is inside and outside of the cage.
Ferret Cage Liners
Cage liners for ferrets aren’t obligatory accessories but they are pretty useful. Liners are fabrics you put on the platforms so you can keep them soft for the ferret’s paws and easier to clean for you. If you have a ferret cage with plastic platforms, then liners are good but optional. If you have a cage with platforms made of wire, then I would strongly recommend replacing the cage with a good-quality ferret cage. In meantime, use ferret cage liners to cover the wire because the wire can hurt ferret paws.
Ferret cage liners should be made of soft and durable fabric. The bad thing is that they should fit the platforms you have in the cage, but you can easily find them on the market. They are pretty cool because you can simply remove them when you are cleaning the cage and put in new ones. Since they are durable you can easily place them in the washing machine to wash them, just don’t forget to remove fabric softener and other chemicals because that can bother ferrets.
Ferret Cage Ramp Covers
Ferret ramp covers are very similar to cage liners, but you use them on the ramps between the platforms. Ramps, like platforms, can be made of wire and that is an item you should avoid. The holes in the mesh can injure your ferret’s paw, even rip off his toenails so you have to cover those holes. The best way to do that is to use ramp covers. They are a pretty simple design, they look like a sleeve and you put the ramp in it. You have to attach the cover to the ramp, but that is pretty much everything when it comes to their installation.
A great thing about ramp covers is that you can easily do it yourself. They aren’t as complicated as DIY ferret cage liners projects. All you need to do is make sure the cover can fit on the ramp and that it won’t fall off. Depending on the size of the ramp, you can use your old sock (preferably those thick ones for winter) or the sleeve of your old shirt. I am pretty sure you can’t use the leg of your pants since they are too big for a ramp. So, all you need to do is find a proper size for a ramp and put it on.
Ferret Cage Replacement Shelves
Unfortunately, shelves (platforms) can break from time to time and you will have to replace them. Most of them break on the hook you use to attach the platform to the cage so be careful when you are attaching them to the cage, no matter whether you have done it before or not. The biggest problem with ferret cage shelves is that it is not that easy to find a replacement for every platform on the market.
So, make sure to write the brand and the model of the cage you have. You can use that information to look for ferret cage replacement shelves. If you can’t find them by the name and the model, make sure you measure the entire platform (including hooks) and find a preplacement. If that brand doesn’t produce replacement shelves, you can find a matching model on the market simply by comparing dimensions.
Conclusion
Ferret cage accessories are s important as the other ferret accessories so you have to pick the best items. Make sure you use ferret-safe equipment so you can be sure your ferret doesn’t need monitoring 24/7. Do you use good and safe accessories in your ferret’s cage? Share your experience with us below!
