Being a ferret owner, the question you will face the most is how to tell your ferret’s age? Well, ferrets are quite a familiar animal to pet lovers. It is very important for any ferret owner to know the age of their pet and to observe their growth.
So, how to tell how old a ferret is?
Ferrets are quite evident by their features to determine their age. The most prominent evidence of ferret’s aging is their dental changes. By observing their teeth condition, you can approximate their age. Some other changes are in their physical features, appetite, and behavioral features.
In the following segments, we will be discussing five simple examinations. Through which you’ll be able to tell the age of ferrets.
So, stay tuned!
Can You Tell How Old a Ferret is?
If you have adopted your ferret from somewhere they might inform you of their initial age. However, if you fail to determine the age you can conduct some simple examinations all by yourself.
An 8-week-old ferret is called a kit. An adult ferret’s age is around 3 to 4 months and they are fully adult at the age of 5 months. A midlife ferret is around 2 to 3 years old. You can call your ferret old if they are 4 years old and above.
How to Determine How Old a Ferret is? 5 Observations!
It is sometimes difficult to determine the age of a ferret. That is if you don’t adopt it from the breeder. But surely there are some signs from which you can find out the approximate age of it.
Here we have discussed some simple tests to figure out the approximate age of your ferret.
Observation 1: Dental Observation
Dental testing plays the most vital role to determine the age of your ferret. Teeth examination is the primary step to figure out the age of it. During the examination process, you have to grab the ferret gently by its neck.
That will cause the ferret to open its mouth right away. You can also take some help from others if you find it difficult on your own.
Till One Year
Look if you find complete smooth white teeth with no stain. It indicates the age of the ferret is 1 year or less than that. This is the age when a ferret’s teeth are completely white.
Above One Year to Middle-aged
You might witness yellowish discoloration from the tip of the teeth of your ferret. On top of that, there can be some transparent effects.
That would indicate the age of the ferret is above one year. The yellowish effect is due to the plague. But the transparency indicates the presence of enamel.
Middle-aged
Visibly prominent yellow teeth and translucent effect on it indicate the age of your ferret. It tells us the ferret is above 2 years.
Old Ferret
Sometimes you will notice dark yellow or brownish stains all over the teeth. The gum might also have the same kind of stain. Then your ferret is 4 years old or above that. In some cases, you will see the teeth have started getting rotten.
If the teeth hygiene is not maintained accordingly you might face falling off them. This won’t cause any harm or pain to your ferret. It’s still important to take care of teeth hygiene.
Observation 2: Physical Observation
You will notice some physical changes in your ferret at different ages. Some of the most common changes are-
Change in Weight
As ferrets are growing old, you will notice the weight loss due to bone density.
Change in Feathers
One important aging factor for ferrets is that, you’ll notice hair loss as they are aging. It is more evident in the lower part of their body.
Livelilessness
Ferrets are usually very cheerful and active. From an early age till their middle age the ferrets are very energetic and active. They love to play, jump and run quite a lot.
As they grow old, you will notice some numbness in their behavior. They tend to be sleepy. Though they will be equally aware.
Observation 3: Personality Observation
As the ferret is growing old, you will see some behavioral changes in your ferret. Usually, ferrets are very lively and energetic. But as they are aging, they will become less energetic and idle with age.
You will find them taking more rest while they are aging. You will also notice their playtime is decreasing with time. Also, they are more choosy in terms of food and eat less.
Observation 4: Appetite Observation
Ferret’s appetite is inversely proportional to their age. As the ferret is aging they will lose their appetite. Ferrets have an interesting weight issue. They will put on weight during winter and lose it in summer.
This process continues till their middle age. As they are growing old, you will find them losing weight as they are losing their appetite.
Observation 5: Behavioral Observation
Young and middle-aged ferrets are quite adaptive to their environment. They can try to cope with the changes easily.
On the other hand, adult ferrets are not very cooperative with changes. They won’t make any changes easily and you will find them irritated.
So if you see your ferret is not making changes easily, maybe that’s because they are aging.
How a Ferret Should be Nurtured in Different Ages?
If you have a pet ferret, you need to make some changes in their nurturing at their different ages.
Here are some changes you need to make if your ferret is aging.
- Ferrets need more protein in their diet as they are aging and lose appetite for food.
- You need to maintain proper dental hygiene with their age. As ferrets grow old, their teeth become more yellow and full of stains. So it is very important to maintain proper dental hygiene.
- As ferrets grow old, they will face hair loss. So, it is important to massage with oil on the ferret’s body.
- Your ferret might face some physical difficulties as they are aging. So don’t forget to keep track of your ferret’s health condition from time to time.
Let us know about some essentials for a healthy ferret-
- Toothpaste (our pick: Oxyfresh Premium Dog Toothpaste)
- Massage Oil (our pick: Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet)
- Shampoo (our pick: Petpost Ferret Shampoo)
FAQs
Is ferrets’ age identical to human age?
You can partially relate human age with ferret age. Generally, 6 months old ferrets are equivalent to 18 years old humans. Likewise, a 2-year-old ferret is equivalent to a 32-year-old human. A 4-year-old ferret is equivalent to a 52-year-old ferret and so on.
Are ferrets disease-prone animals?
Ferrets are not really disease-prone if you maintain proper hygiene. Some of the common ferret diseases are coughing, hair fall, weight loss, weakness, and high fever.
How long is a ferret’s usual lifespan?
Usually, a ferret’s lifespan is 8 to 10 years. But the average lifespan of a ferret is approximately 6 to 7 years.
Final Words
That’s all of the information about how to tell how old a ferret is?
One added tip for ferret owners! Don’t forget the hygiene measures regularly for owning a healthy ferret.
That’s all. Have a good day!
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