How To Clean Your Ferrets Cage

Part of responsible ferret ownership is cleaning your ferret's cage regularly. This includes scooping litter, wiping down the cage, washing bedding, and other daily or weekly tasks. Because your ferret's cage is a relatively small living area, it's very important to make sure that any mess is cleaned up promptly. You wouldn't want to live in filth, and neither does your ferret! A clean cage is essential to your ferret's overall well-being, and the following tips will help you to keep your ferret happy and healthy.

Choosing Safe Cleaning Products

If you think about it, it's easy to understand how your ferret's health is closely related to the cleanliness of his cage. For example, ferrets use the litter box several times a day. If waste is allowed to build up in the cage, it can quickly create unsanitary conditions. Ferrets will often go outside the litter box if it is too full, which can contaminate food and water or soil bedding. If the odour is strong for you, think how much stronger it is to a ferret with their keen sense of smell. Now imagine living surrounded by such a strong odour - it would be as though your living room was in the middle of a landfill.

However, as important as it is to your ferret's health to clean the cage regularly, it's also important to consider the cleaners that you're using. If you aren't using cleaning products that are safe for ferrets, you could unknowingly introduce a toxin into your ferret's environment. Many ferret owners think that bleach must be a good cleaning agent, but when used improperly, it can damage your ferret's delicate respiratory system or actually cause death. It's important to choose ferret-safe products to clean the cage and to use them as directed. Additionally, many of these cleaning products will help to cut cleaning time in half. With common sense and an established cleaning routine, you can keep your ferret's cage sanitary and provide him with the safest of living conditions.

Some effective, ferret-safe cleaning and sanitation products include:

Super Pet Clean Cage Clean Up Kit: These non-toxic Clean Cage Wipes and Spray neutralize odours and eliminate debris. The Clean Cage Wipes are especially handy for quick clean-ups.

Nature's Miracle Deodorizing Cage Wipes for Ferrets: These cage wipes contain enzymes that are tough on stains and easy on your ferret. They eliminate odours completely and leave a clean, fresh scent.

Cage Cleaner & Deodorizer for Ferrets: This ferret cage sanitizer uses enzymes to eliminate odours and drastically reduce bacterial growth in your ferret's cage.

Nature's Miracle Just For Ferrets Stain & Odour Remover
This product has an enzyme based formula that completely eliminates odours, and it is helpful in removing smelly messes from your ferret's litter pan and cage.

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What a Typical Cleaning Schedule Should Be

The following is a typical cleaning schedule, and you can use it as a foundation for your own cleaning schedule. The number of ferrets you have will affect how often you need to do the following tasks. Those owners with three or more ferrets may find that they need to clean more regularly.

DAILY:

Scoop solid waste and urine soaked litter out of the litter pan.
Empty and clean water bowls and bottles with soap and water. Make sure to have a bottle brush on hand for effective cleaning of the water bottle.
Discard any uneaten food and wash the dish with soap and water before refilling it.
Clean up any "accidents" outside the litter pan thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner such as Nature's Miracle.
Remove any soiled bedding (sleep sacks, blankets, etc).
If your cage has a pullout pan, check to see if it needs to be wiped down. If you use newspaper in it, change any soiled papers.
If you use cage liners or Piddle Pads®, replace them.

WEEKLY:

Empty the litter box and clean it thoroughly.
Wash all bedding and fabric toys. Many can be washed in the washing machine, but make sure to follow manufacturer's instructions.
Clean all plastic shelves, toys and other plastic items (excluding any food or water dishes) in the cage with a ferret-safe disinfectant.
Wipe the cage down with a ferret cage cleaner.

Whenever you clean any part of your ferret's cage or a cage accessory, be sure to rinse it completely! Dry soap or cleaning product residue can be harmful to your ferret if the instructions don't specifically say to allow the product to dry on the item being cleaned.

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When you are cleaning your ferret's cage, remove your ferret. While these cleaning products are ferret-safe, many require that you allow the cage to dry completely before allowing the ferret back inside. We recommend that you put your ferret in another room, an exercise pen, or a travelling cage while you are cleaning. Aside from being safer for him, this will also make cleaning much easier!

Other Products You Can Use to Control Odours

The products listed below aren't cleaning products, but they can help to simplify cleanings and reduce odour. These ferret deodorizing sprays, waste deodorizers and other items will safely reduce the amount of time you will need to spend cleaning your ferret's cage and help to keep him smelling sweet.

Ferret Deodorizing Sprays - simply spray on your ferret as needed.

Marshall Bi-Odour - add to your ferret's water or food to eliminate waste and body odours.

G-Whiz for Ferrets - add to your ferret's water to eliminate waste, breath and gas odours.

Ferret Shampoos - bathing your ferret can help to control odours, but should be done no more than once a month. Over-bathing actually increases odours.

About the Author:

Drs. Foster & Smith Educational Staff

http://www.drsfostersmith.com

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