Do Ferrets Make Good Companion Animals? Experts Unpack Pros and Cons

Finding the right companion animal can provide a happier, healthier life for many families. Ferrets can be a popular choice due to their adorable faces and cuddly personalities, although they are often the unfortunate subjects of animal cruelty in retail pet stores. If you find a ferret your family is interested in adopting, your next question might be: do ferrets make good companion animals?

As always, it is important to remember to "adopt, don't shop" and find a ferret in need of a forever home instead of supporting retailers who neglect the safety and well-being of animals in their care. Keep reading for everything you need to know about how to introduce a ferret into your home.

According to Oxbow Animal Health, the average lifespan of a domestic ferret is 5 to 7 years. However, with the proper care, some ferrets can live up to 10 years or more. As of 2022, the oldest ferret in the world is fourteen years old.

Additionally, per West Davis Veterinary Clinic, female ferrets should be spayed when they become sexually mature to potentially extend their lives. Female ferrets that are not fixed and do not mate can succumb to aplastic anemia and potentially die, the clinic explains.

While you are hopefully following a plant-based diet, your companion ferret is a carnivore, according to The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and must consume meat. Pellets made specifically for ferrets are the easiest way to ensure your companion ferret receives the proper nutrition they require.

Meat and boiled eggs without seasonings are also ferret favorites, as are crickets and worms, per HSUS. While some animals have a sweet tooth and can thrive on some fruits and veggies, ferrets are among the animals who should not be given fruit, as well as vegetables and foods rich in carbohydrates.

If you are concerned about whether a certain food is suitable for your companion ferret's diet, it is best to consult a veterinarian first.

Like hedgehogs, ferrets are considered illegal to own as pets in California and Hawaii. Furthermore, per The Spruce Pets, local city ordinances may contradict the laws of the other 48 states, so be sure to familiarize yourself with local laws.

According to Ethos Veterinary Health, a North American-based network of emergency hospitals, ferrets have not been completely domesticated and thus may be prone to unexpected aggression.

If a ferret escapes captivity, they may form a colony and impact wildlife as an invasive species and a possible source of rabies.

That's not all, according to Ethos Veterinary Health. Because ferrets require a great deal of care and enrichment to thrive — likening their care to that of a toddler — if ferrets are not properly and responsibly cared for, they may act out aggressively and cause problems for their adopted family, putting humans and animals at risk.

Unfortunately, as the California-based First Team Real Estate explains, a permit is sometimes issued for businesses that perform animal testing and research on ferrets. Nevertheless, per the Los Angeles Times, efforts have been ongoing to push back against California's ferret ban and get the state to allow ferrets to be kept as pets.

Yes, ferrets and cats can get along under the care of responsible humans. As ferret and cat siblings Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi prove, responsible behavior monitoring can allow the two to coexist peacefully.

Per a vet-reviewed article in Catster, if the two animals in question have temperaments that allow them to get alongpeacefully, they may do so with proper supervision. Otherwise, disaster can ensue if the cat displays a more hunter-like disposition.