You can buy this type of outdoor enclosure from most large pet supply stores, such as PetSmart or Pet Supplies Plus. Building the enclosure yourself is a little difficult, so if you don’t have any construction experience, your best bet is to buy a pre-made enclosure. Avoid buying or building an enclosure smaller than 6 by 6 by 6 feet (1. 8 by 1. 8 by 1. 8 m). Your ferrets will not be happy with their outdoor home if they feel cramped in it. If you plan to house more than 3 ferrets in your outdoor enclosure, add 2 feet (0. 61 m) to each dimension for each additional ferret. For example, if your habitat will house 4 ferrets, go with an enclosure that measures 8 by 8 by 8 feet (2. 4 by 2. 4 by 2. 4 m).
You can usually buy mesh panel siding at home improvement stores and stores that sell gardening supplies.
The more ferrets you have in your habitat, the more levels it should have. Aim to have at least 1 level per ferret.
If you want to add extra “security” to the enclosure doors, try using binder clips or clamps to better hold the doors in place.
Place the enclosure somewhere out of the prevailing wind. Ideally, the enclosure should be protected on 1 or 2 sides by a wall.
Ferrets love to dig and would easily escape the enclosure if you leave the bottom of it exposed to the ground.
If you use an open tray for your ferret’s water trough, make sure it has considerable weight to it and isn’t top-heavy. Otherwise, your ferret may tip it over.
You can buy cozy ferret hammocks at any pet store that sells ferret supplies. You can also opt to use a nest box filled with a fleece blanket or a simple cat bed.
You’ll need to fill the litter box with a strong odor-fighting litter, since ferret waste smells pretty strong. Use litter that is specifically designed for use with ferrets. For best results, go with pelleted litter, since this type of litter tends to be highly absorbent and easily scooped.
Any tunnels or tubes you buy for your ferret habitat should be at least 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter. You can buy most of these toys at any large pet supplies store.
You will also need to treat your ferrets with a preventive medicine to repel mosquitos, since mosquitos carry larvae that can infect your ferrets with heartworm.
Choose a time when the weather is mild (preferably between 55 to 80 °F (13 to 27 °C) and not too windy or rainy) to start acclimating your ferret to the outdoors. This will help make the transition less stressful for them.
During winter, you can also opt to put an animal-safe heater in your ferret enclosure, provided it gets the internal temperature up to at least 55 °F (13 °C).
Granular fertilizers won’t dissolve quickly and so should be avoided entirely for best results.
If one of your ferrets does manage to escape, contact local animal shelters and animal control agencies at once and let them know that your pet is missing.
