Ferrets are obligate carnivores with high activity needs that make them demanding pets, yet many live in inadequate enclosures with insufficient stimulation.
Ferret welfare commonly fails through inadequate space, social isolation, and poor veterinary care. Ferrets need large cages with multiple levels, but more importantly, several hours of unsupervised free-roaming time daily in a ferret-proofed space. Single ferrets without companions develop depression and behavioral abnormalities. The US practice of spaying ferrets at 5-6 weeks (unlike the European norm of waiting until maturity) is associated with the very high rates of adrenal disease seen in American ferrets. Poor diet — particularly kibble high in carbohydrates rather than a high-protein carnivore diet — also contributes to insulinoma.