Ferrets are social, active animals that are increasingly popular pets, but welfare challenges arise from inadequate space, solitary keeping, inappropriate diet, and health problems specific to the domestic ferret.
Ferret welfare is frequently compromised by housing that underestimates their space and social needs. Small hutch-type enclosures provide insufficient space for the active, curious, burrowing behaviour ferrets are motivated to perform. Solitary keeping deprives social animals of companionship, causing psychological distress. Commercial ferret foods high in carbohydrate contribute to the epidemic of insulinoma (pancreatic tumours) in domestic ferrets. Adrenal disease, common in US neutered ferrets, creates welfare dilemmas around neutering timing. Several hours of supervised free-roaming exercise daily and housing with at least one ferret companion provide the baseline welfare standard for domestic ferrets.