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What causes your ferret to chew? What should we do to stop them?
Your ferret might be chewing on the bedding because he is bored. Or maybe the chewing is comforting, such as thumb-sucking is to a child. This is a potentially dangerous habit; however. Your ferret may ingest some material that could cause an intestinal blockage, which could require surgery to remove. Remove any old chewed bedding from your ferret’s cage and replace it with bedding made of stiffer fabrics such as denim or heavy corduroy. Avoid using bedding that has “chewable spots.” Like some sleep sacks, bedding may have corners that stick out – these are natural targets for chewers. Try using hammocks, or supply round “donut” beds.
You can also spray the bedding with Bitter Apple (let the spray dry before placing the bedding back in the case). Give your ferret some toys that are safe to chew on. Petite Nylabones are great for ferrets. Ferrets can’t chew them to pieces, and th
ey are small enouigh to allow your ferret to carry them around. Cheweasels (unfortunately these are not available anymore) are edible toys that double as a treat. They are frequently at ferret shelters for ferrets with chewing problems, and they really work well.
You might want to consider getting your ferret a buddy to keep him company. If he’s chewing out of boredom, having a ferret friend might keep him stimulated. Consider taking one home from a ferret shelter. This way, you will help both your ferret, as well as a shelter ferret too. One last thing: Take your ferret to a vet for a checkup to see if any pieces of cloth are in your pet’s stomach. Sometimes ferrets chew on things because they have stomach problems, such as ulcers or bacterial infections. It never hurts to have your ferret examined by a veterinarian when he’s exhibiting unusual behavior.
