Most days in the life of a ferret consist of long sleep hours. Ferrets spend at least 16 hours sleep. However, these hours are not spent sleeping straight. They have awake periods.
Those periods are in a comparable schedule daily; there are about 6 hours of sleep and about an hour of playtime.
The ideal time for a ferret to play is at dawn. Hence, you don’t have to worry that your ferret will keep you up at night for long.
They sleep more at night and prefer dark places to sleep. The long sleep hours of ferrets have to do with their nature. As a result of being awake at dawn and dusk; they have a sleep schedule from dusk to dawn.
Also, the energy they spend playing when they are awake makes them get tired easily and that is why they spend long hours sleeping.
The biggest sleeper in the group is the kids. Baby ferrets sleep for as long as 20 hours minimum daily. They only stay awake to eat and take a dumb. However, young ferrets are more active.
They retain high energy levels, and they don’t want to go to sleep; they want to explore their environment.
Immediately ferrets grow out of the early stage and become an adult; they become less curious and sleep for a maximum of 18 hours a day.
They still play as they played when they were younger but sleepless. Additionally, male ferrets sleep more than female ones.
It is important to note that too much sleep is a typical symptom of several ferret illnesses next to the loss of appetite.
Therefore, when you notice that a ferret sleeps longer than usual, it could be a warning of an impending illness, but only if it is accompanied by loss of appetite, loss of weight, or vomiting. Go and see the vet whenever you are unsure!
When any of these happens, take your cute friend to a vet immediately.
What Is Ferret Dead Sleep?
Ferret dead sleep happens when a ferret sleep so deep it appears dead. Irrespective of what you do to them, they won’t respond.
At such times, the ferret looks like a doll because it relaxes totally. It is easy to think it is dead, especially if it is your first time experiencing the phenomena.
However, you don’t have to panic; all you need to do is to check the breathing of the animal.
Take a look at their chest, and you will notice shallow breathing. If you want to rouse the ferret, do so gently because it will take some time before it wakes eventually.
Ferret sleeping should take place in the dark all through the day and night. It is common for ferrets to be in a dark place for at least 12 hours.
Nevertheless, during the day, the time should not exceed 8 hours because the days are longer.
Where Do Ferrets Sleep?
Immediately if a ferret is tired, it goes to sleep. Thanks to its deep sleep capability, a ferret is able of sleeping anywhere.
But, you shouldn’t let it sleep under the couch or in your closer. Therefore, give it some comfortable sleeping spots throughout the cage and outside it.
The most prominent choice in the sleeping cage is a ferret hammock. You are allowed to hang a hammock inside the case, and your cute friend will climb into sleep. Ferrets love hammocks because it is comfortable.
There are several hammock designs to choose from, and the best are the closed ones because they remain dark even in the daytime.
If you don’t have a hammock, a piece of fabric is good too. So you can give your ferret peace for sleeping and keep the rest of the world away from it.
Where Do Ferret Sleep Outside the Cage
Ferrets are burrowing animals, and they want to have a nap in dark and hidden places. Therefore, you could notice unusual sleeping selections.
Ferret instincts work when they are looking for a place to sleep.
Hence, the reason you find them sleeping in closets, under the couch, and in the laundry pile. However, these places are not suitable for sleeping.
After all, you can mistakenly step and hurt your ferret because you don’t know where they are sleeping.
Some owners like to have their ferrets in the bed with them. It is not the safest option because you can hurt the ferret when you turn over.
Remember that ferrets wake up at least every 6 hours for eating, bathroom breaks, or playing.
If your bed is too high for your ferret, you can wake up with litter between your sheets. Sleeping with your ferret will most likely disrupt your sleep hours.
How to get your Ferret to Sleep?
Similar to other animals, ferrets will sleep as soon as they are tired. Hence, there is no secret tip you can use to make a ferret sleep. But, you can play with your ferret and run around with them. Play with toys, toss some balls around the room.
All these activities will drain the energy of your ferret if you do them for long periods. After a few minutes, you can be sure that your ferret will get tired and cuddle with you to sleep.
Sleeping Habits
Ferrets show activity during the day but are more active during the hours between dawn to dusk.
They are capable of changing their sleeping habits to become more diurnal or nocturnal. Sleeping rhythm changes based on their lifestyle.
Altering their sleep schedule is not too difficult for them. All your ferret wants to do is to have time to play with you. Therefore, they will notice when you are awake and adjust their habits to suit yours rapidly.
For example, when you work during the day, you should play with them in the morning and the evening when you return.
Your ferret will adjust to stay awake during these periods and sleep for most of the day and night. Alternatively, when you have a nocturnal schedule, your ferret will also notice it and adjust to suit your schedule too.
Conclusion
Now that you have an idea of where and when your ferrets sleep and why you can adjust your needs to your ferret needs. You should ensure that every sleeping spot is suitable for your ferret and always remember that they enjoy burrowing into places.
Also, remember that ferrets are capable of long sleeping hours. Therefore, you shouldn’t worry when they spend long hours sleeping or when they don’t wake up immediately, you shouldn’t worry too much.
To help your ferrets have a sound sleep, remember to cover their cage’s work hammock to keep them dark.
It would be best to remember that deep sleep is a symptom of ferret illness. However, before you go to the vet look for any other signs that accompany long sleep hours above the normal time.