Ferrets need a decently large area to play in, think closer to a room than a playpen. Ferrets are as much of a cage animal as a dog or cat and aren't good with being pent up for long periods. While it is okay to have them caged when you’re sleeping or away from home you should try to have them out as much as possible.
It’s best if the area you pick for them isn’t a kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, or a room with lots of nooks and crannies. Rooms with electronics can be okay as long as wires are secured and safe, this guide to rabbit proofing cords is a good way to go about it, excluding the spray. |
Make sure wooden furniture that are close to a wall are actually against them or at least have a miniscule gap thinner than three fingers, if something prevents this consider blocking the area with some immovable material. Chicken wire is good go to for blocking any area. Use wood to block off any open-bottomed furniture and patch any holes in fabric backed pieces. If you’re worried that the fabric is too weak and will be torn through consider replacing it or double lining it. Same goes for boxsprings. |
Drawers and cabinets can be tricky, while you can put latches on both, ferrets can sometimes wiggle in anyway. This is especially true for drawers where the back of the drawer is exposed from the bottom, making it easy to pop in. Use wood to block the area off or turn the area into a space they can be in.
Putting some blankets in the drawer will make it a great nap spot. For cabinets, make sure to take anything you don’t want them to have off of the lower levels and then using a childproofing lock will take care of most problems. |
Make sure to secure screens and vents with glue (Ferrets can and will peel tape) or immovable objects. Also make sure that the screens aren’t so weak that a ferret will tear through it no big deal.
For any cloths your ferret may come in contact with, be it beds, toys, curtains, or more, make sure all the seams are secure. Ferrets have been known to get tangled and hung on bad seams. It is crucial to check and make sure seams aren’t coming loose as to avoid serious harm or death. |
Make sure there are no choking hazards or rubbery objects left around. These kinds of things can be hard to pick out so try to have the mindset that a puppy is coming over, what kind of things would you need to put up? Follow your instincts on that.
Overall the best way to ferretproof is to have appealing places that they can go. A ferret busy with toys, hidey holes, boxes, and other fun things will be much less likely to get into trouble than one who is bored. |