How to make a ferret house
Being a wild rodent by nature, the ferret is perfectly able to take root at home. This mammal does not have any special requirements for housing and its diet. As a feed, raw meat, offal, cereals, vegetables, special vitamin feed are suitable for him. And how to make a house for a ferret with your own hands, this article will tell you.
How to make a house for a ferret with your own hands
Why exactly a house
The main instinct of this nimble little animal is hunting. Living in the wild, at night he goes in search of food, catches field mice and other small rodents. The domestic ferret sufficiently retains its natural instincts and their suppression will not be the right decision on the part of the owner, therefore, keeping such a pet in a cage is cruel to him. The ferret will feel like a slave, placed in a cramped, closed room. He, like a person, needs to be able to retire.
Providing the rodent with free movement around the apartment is also a bad option, since it can run where it should not, get lost, gnaw through the wires, make a mess. The best type of housing for a pet ferret will be a house located in a separate room or on a warm loggia / balcony. In it, the ferret will find its own corner where he can rest, eat, take a toilet, play.
However, the list of functions may vary, depending on the size and equipment of such a home. It is problematic to make and equip a solid house for a pet in a small apartment, therefore it is recommended to have such exotic animals for residents of private sectors. On the other hand, you can make a pretty compact house that fits into the apartment.
Building materials
Do-it-yourself ferret house - is it a feasible task? Nowadays, ferret houses, equipped with all the necessary little things, can be purchased at major pet stores. However, firstly, not every owner can afford such pleasure, and secondly, it is not a fact that the pet will like the property bought by the owner. If you know how to use tools, you can try to make a house for a ferret with your own hands.
So, the first question that arises is: what material is most suitable for such a dwelling? Everything here rests on the wishes and capabilities of the owner. The budget option is the use of improvised materials, which are suitable for the following:
- carton boxes;
- wooden boxes;
- suitcases or cloth bags;
- wicker baskets;
- durable fabric.
Most likely, there are unnecessary things in the house that can be used as the basis of a house for a ferret. If the goal is to design a larger dwelling for your pet, wood or plywood is an excellent choice. True, in this case, it will take a lot of effort and time, as well as allocate the necessary amount of finance for the construction.
House from scrap materials
This simple and budgetary method is suitable for residents of apartments, since the resulting house will not take up much space. They begin by making 2 holes in the model of the future dwelling for doors and windows with a diameter of 15 and 8 cm, respectively.
The blanking of the walls includes two stages: first, pasting with a soft material like foam rubber or padding polyester with a layer of 1 centimeter, then with wallpaper - from the inside and outside. For this purpose, drape, felt, cashmere are suitable. The floor in the dwelling is covered with a cozy mattress or terry towel. It is very important to try to provide the pet with comfort and safety when dealing with interior issues.
For those who have the skills of needlework, it will be quite possible to sew a house for a ferret from old clothing or other dense fabric. What form it will have depends on personal imagination and skills. It is not recommended to stop your choice on plastic, tarpaulin and other artificial materials. The animal will most likely not like them.
Wooden or plywood house
Those who decide to thoroughly approach the construction process will have to stock up on the necessary materials and the necessary number of tools, but the result will be worth the effort. Such apartments will become not only a spacious and comfortable shelter for a rodent, but also a real decorative decoration of the house.
It will be great if the ferret house combines all the amenities, and sufficient space and equipped ladders and rungs will save the owners from having to “walk” the animal around the rooms or on the street. If the pet likes the dwelling, it will spend more time there. Before starting work, you should arm yourself with the necessary drawings of the planned building.
The frame of the building must be massive enough so that the animal cannot inadvertently turn it over. Brittle materials should be avoided. It is advisable to cover the roof and doors with a mesh. For ease of use, a latch can be attached to the door. Below is one of the options for the layout of a plywood house for a ferret in tiers. More details can be seen in the photo.
- The first floor is the so-called "custom" one. A feeder with a drinking bowl and a toilet will be located here. The place of the tray filled with sand is in the corner.
- The second floor is reserved for the bedroom. You can make a "house within a house" of cardboard, in which the rodent will rest.
- The upper floor is a place for games: here the ferret can climb the rungs, swing on a hammock, and gnaw on a rubber ball.
It is important not to forget to equip the house with ladders with steps and plastic pipes for climbing, so that the pet can spend his leisure time in an interesting way. It is necessary to securely fasten small parts so that the ferret cannot break the structure. As for the placement of the ferret house, the corner place will be the most convenient. However, if the beast does not agree with such a choice, you can try another option.
This is how uncomplicated the house is arranged, and it is quite possible to make or sew it at home with your own hands. It is not necessary to build a large and pompous structure, the main thing is for the pet to feel comfortable in its home.