ABSTRACT
Currently, there are no standards described in the National Research Council’s Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide) nor in the USDA Animal Welfare Regulations for ferret caging requirements, and questions about ferret caging are common. Caging, in general, needs to provide sufficient space to allow animals to make postural and social adjustments with freedom of movement. Caging materials for ferrets can be almost anything that is easily sanitized and can withstand the abuse the animals will mete out.12 Several references indicate that two adult animals can occupy a home cage of 24 x 24 x 18 inches (60 x 60 x 46 centimeters).13,14 Stainless steel rabbit caging as well as the molded-bucket-style rabbit caging have been successfully modified to house ferrets. Particular attention needs to be paid to the width of both the cage bars and the floor spacing. Ferrets can get through small spaces, so the bar spacing should be
Ferrets generally use specific corners to defecate, so the floor grids need to be wide enough to allow excreta to fall through but small enough to be comfortable on the animals’ feet. Providing a nesting box with some type of bedding can help relieve stress in animals and will allow them a place to get away from the bustle of the room. Bedding can be old newspaper or non-aromatic wood chips. Pine and cedar wood chips are not recommended because the oils can cause irritation to the animals’ eyes and respiratory system. Some personnel have used large polycarbonate rat breeding cages with bedding for short-term housing and for transporting ferrets. This type of caging should be used only for short-term housing, and the caging should be dedicated to ferrets because odor will be retained in the caging.13 Solid-wall caging, such as rodent cages and aquariums or fish tanks, should not be used for home cages for ferrets because they do not allow adequate ventilation.14
