In This Chapter
- Reviewing the fertile fuzzy
- Understanding the unbred ferret
- Caring for your ferret during her pregnancy
- Dealing with easy and difficult deliveries
- Recognizing and taking care of problems after birth
Even if you’ve identified the perfect pair of fuzzies to
breed (see Chapter Should
You Breed Your Ferret? Looking at the Big Picture), getting them to cooperate may be difficult. We humans
tend to think that guys, no matter what species, have one thing on the brain
and are always in the mood; the male ferret, or hob, however, has long bouts of
“Not now, dear — I have a headache” syndrome.
Headaches aside, ferret courtship and mating often are
primitively brutal and unromantic. After the deed is done and the male scoots
off to put another notch in his chew toy, the female, or jill, needs some
extra-special attention. Being the good human that you are, your job is to see
that her needs are adequately met. This means more than just running out for a
late-night pickle purchase; you must
provide a whole lot of tender, loving care, supply a good place for her to
hunker down, and fill her belly with extra-good stuff.
In addition to addressing the needs of a pregnant ferret,
this chapter gives you an overview of the ferret’s reproductive system and
mating habits. We give a lot of emphasis to the do’s and don’ts of breeding
ferrets. This chapter also discusses the actual birth of the kits. Because the
mortality rate in new-born fuzzy kits is high, I outline the basic things that
can go wrong and explain what you may be able to do to help. This is a
particularly important chapter to pay attention to if you’re considering
bringing more fuzzbutts into the world. It’s also great for people — especially
shelter workers — who unexpectedly find themselves with pregnant ferrets on
their hands.
Remember
This chapter isn’t meant to be a step-by-step guide to breeding fuzzies. The breeding process takes years to learn. Consider the information here as background basics and an overview of typical things people encounter when breeding ferrets. If anything, this chapter is meant to further convince you to leave fuzzy breeding to experienced and responsible experts.
Fine-Tuning the Organs
Hormones and sexual maturity can cause wondrous changes in
the appearance, behavior, and habits of our lovable ferrets. These changes
occur over time as the body develops and peak during the mating seasons, or
ruts, when sexual maturity has been reached.
You need to know how ferrets develop and what changes you
can expect to encounter in unaltered ferrets if you’re considering breeding
them. This brief section gives you an overview of the ferret’s reproductive
system and mating habits.
The boy (hob)
The male ferret’s testicles begin to mature approximately
six weeks after his birth. Full maturity takes close to three months. You can
tell when a hob is beginning that confusing time of puberty because his
testicles begin to increase in size, mainly due to the increase in the male
hormone testosterone. Also testicle size can change according to the
photoperiod. Ferrets are tuned into the photoperiod to determine times of
fertility. The testicle size is small and may appear “immature” in the
non-breeding season (winter) and increase greatly in size in the breeding
season — spring to fall. The increase in testosterone also causes the ferret to
notice the girls a little more.
Tip
Boy ferrets that are ready to breed wear a discolored, yellowish undercoat, caused by an increase in oil production in the skin glands. They’re at their smelliest during this time.
Mature males may tease the girls (only because they like
them) and grab the backs of their necks to show them how much they care. Like
with the overactive male dog, behaviors such as pelvic thrusting and mounting
various objects occur frequently. They may also begin to stash ferret magazines
under their snooze sacks and spend way too much time on the phone! After breeding
season, however, the male ferret returns to being just one of the stinky guys.
Warning!
If you haven’t already figured it out, unaltered male ferrets are quite the smelly boys. They can be extremely aggressive toward other males and even their humans — especially when they’re out to capture a female’s heart. For this reason, unaltered boys don’t usually make good pets when they’re in breeding season.
The girl (jill)
Unaltered female ferrets become sexually mature at about 6
months of age under normal lighting conditions. The onset of estrus (the heat
period) is closely associated with the increase in daylight during the normal
seasonal change. Females that are exposed to shorter light days are late
bloomers that reach sexual maturity as late as 12 months of age.
A female in estrus is easy to identify. Her pink vulva
swells due to an increase in the female hormone estrogen (see Figure 22-1). You
may see a clear or slightly discolored discharge.
The female in heat may get crabby and sleep less (I refer to
it as PMS, or Pre-Mustelid Syndrome). But unlike female humans, the ferret in
estrus usually cuts back on her food intake. Some other stuff is going on
inside her body, too. The lining of her uterus begins to swell, and follicles
containing eggs develop in the ovaries. Then she just sits back and waits for
her dream ferret to come by and sweep her off her fuzzy feet.
Making a love connection: Enter Neanderthal ferret
A female ferret should be bred about two weeks after the
swelling of her vulva becomes noticeable (see the previous section). Typically,
you should bring the female to the male’s condo for the rendezvous. I recommend
that you stay close to chaperone the first date to be sure the chemistry isn’t overly
explosive. Expect a lot of noise and commotion. The female may even adamantly
reject the hob’s advances. If he persists, she usually wins after a horrific
fight ensues.
Many bree–ders recommend that you keep the breeding pair
together for two to three days. Any longer than that and the male quickly gets
on the female’s nerves, causing arguments (and an occasional throwing of
dishes). A lack of tolerance on the female’s part often indicates that she has
little buns in the oven.
Jargon Alert
Breeding the female two days in a row may cause her to produce a bigger litter. If the fuzzy has fewer than five kits to nurse, she may go back into heat two to three weeks after the kits are born. This occurrence is called lactational estrus.
Remember
Romance and schmoozing are the last things on a male fuzzy’s mind when he meets up with his dream girl. The male ferret practically tackles the female when he grabs her by the nape of the neck to mount her. He uses her to mop every corner of his condo, even though she may be screaming and biting in protest. When she goes into submission, he has his way with her, and it isn’t uncommon for him to return for second or third helpings. No courtship is involved — unless you call clubbing her over the head and dragging her off by the fur to the nearest cave romantic. Some males are actually gentle, and their mates actually seem to enjoy themselves. But, for the most part, unaltered boys are no Don Juans.
The typical Mustelid love lasts an hour or so on average,
with ten minutes being noted for some unimpressive fellows and an awesome three
hours being noted for some marathon guys.
Warning!
The following list presents a couple things you should be aware of so you don’t panic or cause injury:
- Females often receive puncture wounds on the neck during the mating ritual. Blood is common, but violently shaking the female and/or causing wounds serious enough for profuse bleeding isn’t. Separate the pair immediately.
- The typical mating ritual of ferrets — specifically the neck biting and prolonged intercourse — causes the release of hormones, which stimulates ovulation. Without the hormone, the female won’t release her eggs and will remain in heat.
- The male ferret’s penis has a bony hook at the tip that causes it to become latched inside the female after he penetrates. And the male remains hooked until he decides that he’s had enough — no sooner. Don’t try to separate ferrets in the middle of the act. Besides ruining the mood, forcing a separation may injure one or both fuzzies.
Female carpet sharks are induced ovulators, which means that
their eggs aren’t released until mating actually takes place. Pressure on the
cervix, caused by the act of mating, and neck biting stimulates the release of
the eggs (ovulation) 30 to 40 hours after the deed is done. Sperm can survive
in the female for 36 to 48 hours. As many as 18 (typically 5 to 13) eggs are
fertilized. The vulva begins to dry and shrink after a week and returns to
normal size in three to four weeks (longer if breeding took place long after
estrus began).
Remember
If the shrinkage doesn’t begin after a week or so, your fuzzy hasn’t established pregnancy, and you should set a new date with the male ferret.
What Happens If Your Unaltered Ferret Isn’t Bred?
What if you decide not to breed your fuzzy after she goes
into estrus? Not every ferret is bred every season for many reasons. But
because female ferrets are induced ovulators, they remain in heat indefinitely
until they’re bred, and the result of a prolonged estrus can be deadly.
When a ferret is in estrus, her level of estrogen rises
dramatically. This raised level of hormone, when in heat, suppresses the
production of blood cells in the bone marrow. Prolonged suppression results in
a condition called aplastic anemia.
This condition is almost always fatal if left untreated because the ferret’s
red blood cells aren’t replaced as needed and/or she’ll succumb to bacterial
infections from the lack of white blood cells. Some signs of aplastic anemia
may include pale gums, hind-end weakness, patches of fur loss, and small areas
of bleeding under the skin.
You have several ways to bring your female ferret out of
estrus and harm’s way:
- Breed her to an unaltered male.
- Breed her to a vasectomized male. (The hormones are still going strong, but the road is blocked.)
- Have a ferret-knowledgeable vet give her a hormone injection to fake her out of heat (see Chapter Setting Up Your Ferret’s Health Plan: Vets and First-Aid Kits for tips on finding a vet).
Remember
A hormone injection and breeding to a vasectomized male are shortterm solutions that cause a false pregnancy in your female. She’ll eventually come back into heat and have the same problem. If you’ve decided that breeding your female isn’t for you, you should proceed to the last suggestion.
- Spay her! (See Chapter Setting Up Your Ferret’s Health Plan: Vets and First-Aid Kits for more information.)
Mothering the Mom-to-Be
About two weeks into your fuzzy’s pregnancy, you should be
able to gently palpate her belly and feel the small walnut-sized babies.
However, she may not show the typical bulging signs of pregnancy until one
month has passed. The kits should arrive in about 41 to 43 days (usually 42
days), barring any unforeseen circumstances. Until then, get ready to pamper
and schmooze your fuzzy even more than you already do — for at least a couple
of months. If you’re a true ferret lover (and you’d better be if you plan on
breeding ferrets), mothering isn’t too difficult a job for you. Just triple your
current efforts. Your care may very well be rewarded with a healthy litter of
adorable kits. On the other hand, you must accept that complications are common
no matter how well you care for her.
This section details what kind of care you should give to
the mother fuzzy, from her feedings to her environment.
Remember
You should handle your pregnant fuzzy gently and very frequently to get her as comfortable with you as possible. This positive interaction between you and the mom is critical, especially if you need to physically intervene during or shortly after the birth. An unfamiliar hand poked into her nest may cause mom to reject and/or cannibalize her kits. For this reason, the person who handles momma ferret most often during pregnancy should be the only person to invade the nest if invasion becomes absolutely necessary.
Tip
I suggest that you, as a serious ferret breeder, find another breeder (if you don’t have another female to breed yourself) who will have a ferret giving birth around the same time as your little girl. Make prior arrangements to place your kits with the other nursing female if your mom proves to be an unfit mother (ferret moms aren’t always good moms; see the later section “Some Problems You May Face”), because hand-rearing kits is next to impossible. (See the final two sections of this chapter for more on foster moms and hand rearing.)
Technical Stuff
Depending on the time of year, the new mom will go back into
heat either two or three weeks after her kits are weaned or when the next
breeding season arrives. A healthy ferret can have up to three successful
litters per year, although most reputable breeders stick with one or two
litters a year per ferret.
Strange craving? Keeping mom nourished
Pickles and ice cream aren’t likely to be on the list of
things your pregnant fuzzy will crave. However, a pregnant ferret does need
some extra nutrition to maintain her strength, good health, and body condition
before the kits arrive. Extra nutrition is necessary during the nursing period
as well.
Tip
The following list presents some tips for keeping your pregnant fuzzy in good health and ready to deliver:
- Experts recommend that a pregnant ferret’s diet contain 35 to 40 percent protein and 15 to 20 percent fat. You should increase the number of daily feedings when the fuzzy begins to lactate, or produce milk. Most nursing moms are extra thin, so keep up on the extra nutrition.
- Keep meat baby food or other healthy foods on hand for treats to feed during playtime and cuddling. Your fuzzy should also have her basic food (kibble, if you choose) available at all times, as well as plenty of fresh water (see Chapter Filling Your Ferret’s Belly for more on normal fuzzy diets).
- Many breeders supplement the pregnant and nursing ferret’s basic diet with cooked meat and eggs. You can use a thicker Ferret Feeding Formula or Bob’s Chicken Gravy (see Chapter Ten Common Ferret Myths and Misconceptions), or you can come up with your own creative recipes.
Warning!
Pregnant and nursing ferrets are prone to some ailments that can be life-threatening to both mom and the kits. It’s important that you monitor your female’s health and behavior closely. (For more information on mother fuzzy’s ailments, see the sidebar “Conditions your female may encounter.”)
Providing a maternity ward
You can keep pregnant fuzzies with other pregnant fuzzies,
but you must separate them and give them private rooms at least two weeks
before the kits are due. The private room should be a secure enclosure with
extra bedding and a snuggly nest box. Providing a nest box is imperative,
because it helps to keep the babies close together and warm. A baby that gets
separated from the nest quickly chills and dies. The box also provides
much-needed privacy for the new family. The following list runs through the
many considerations you should make for your fuzzy’s maternity ward, from the
nest box to the environment of the entire room:
- You need to create an enclosed nesting area to simulate the underground den area that a ferret would nest in the wild. You can use a wooden parrot nest box, which are better ventilated and control moisture better than plastic. If you prefer plastic, head over to the section on building your own nest boxes in Chapter Home Sweet Home: Preparing Your Ferret’s Quarters. The box should be clean and smooth to prevent injuries to the mom and kits. Openings to nest boxes should also be very smooth to protect mom when she enters and exits the box. Her belly and nipples will be vulnerable to abrasions.
- Make sure the cage contains no openings greater than 3/4"-x-3/4" because newborns are about the size of the average pinky finger. If necessary, you can kit-proof the nursery by safely attaching cardboard, sheet metal, or acrylic glass “guards” inside the cage around the entire perimeter (they should extend 5 to 6 inches high).
- Provide the appropriate bedding for the cage and box. Be careful about what type of bedding you choose. Avoid cloth or other materials that can snag little claws or unravel (stray fibers can strangle tiny heads and limbs). Also babies have been lost and died in the “folds” of cloth. Cross shredded paper can work well, as can clean straw or hay.
Conditions your female may encounter |
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Unfortunately, your mother ferret may develop the
following conditions, all of which require immediate veterinary attention:
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discoloration, and tenderness of mammary glands; anorexia; lethargy; inability to nurse kits (in severe cases).
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- Don’t remove any extras that momma ferret adds. As her due date draws close, mom will begin to arrange her baby room just perfectly. She’ll always pluck some fluffy wads of fur off her abdomen to line the nest with. The soft fur will be an extra comfort to the helpless kits. This also gives the kits access to the nipples later on and puts her skin closer to the kits for body heat.
- Be quiet and limit your activity around the maternity ward as delivery approaches. No playing your bongos or allowing the dogs to romp around and shake the cage. Disturbances may cause mom to panic and eat her kits when they finally do arrive.
Heading Off to the Delivery Room
This is an exciting time for you as you wait for the big day
to arrive. You can be comforted by the fact that most ferrets give birth with
little difficulty. A few will require your or your vet’s intervention. But most
of the work will be done by your ferret. The following sections take you
through a normal delivery and a difficult delivery to show you what to expect
and what you need to be prepared to handle.
Warning!
No matter the delivery style, never assume (you or your vet) that the delivery is complete. Making sure that no kits are left behind is essential to the life of your fuzzy mom. Watch your ferret’s behavior. If she seems distressed, make sure that you (if you’re qualified) or your vet feels the jill’s belly to rule out the possibility that another kit (dead or alive) is still inside her. Failing to check may lead to the death of your new mom and any unborn kits. If possible, wait to do any exams on her until she’s at least fed her kits.
The typical delivery
A normal kit delivery can happen quite quickly; two to three
hours is typical for average-sized litters. In larger litters, the birthing
process may take a little longer, with several kits arriving each hour. You and
your vet should quietly observe mom for arising problems during this time, but
don’t disturb her unless absolutely necessary.
Remember
Watch for kits still stuck in the placental sack. You’ll have to help them out if mom fails to do so. She’ll lick them clean and stimulate their breathing when they do get out. A kit stuck in the sack for too long will suffocate.
Allow mom to chew the umbilical cords in half instead of you
cutting them. The crushing force of her chomp will keep the loose ends from
bleeding. Also, make sure that mom eats all the placental material. As
disgusting as this practice seems to humans, the placenta provides much-needed
nourishment for the fatigued mom. It contains hormones that help the uterus to
shrink and is also rich in iron (to promote milk production).
After this process, the new fuzzy mom usually curls up
around her new kits, and they in turn immediately begin to suckle. Many ferret
breeders agree that the first three days of the kits’ lives are the most
crucial. If the kits survive these difficult days, the chances of long-term
survival are greatly heightened.
Remember
Don’t mess with that nest! Mom is a great housekeeper and will clean up after the birth, eating most of the afterbirth. You may remove any dead babies if necessary, but mom will usually eat them before you can get to them. Disturbing the nest during those first three days increases the likelihood of cannibalism or mom rejecting the babies.
The difficult delivery
Many kit deliveries are far from typical, unfortunately.
Many things can go wrong with a delivery and lead to the death of a kit, the
death of your fuzzy mom, and/or the need for an emergency cesarean section. The
following list presents some common occurrences:
- Kits born too quickly for mom may be a mass of entangled umbilical cords, resembling a small pile of spaghetti and pinky meatballs. Entangled kits can’t nurse, and they get cold quickly and die. Also, limbs and lives may be lost due to the constriction of the drying cords and placentas around body parts.
- Even though most kits die inside mom if they aren’t delivered by the 44th day, some overdue kits can continue to grow, presenting problems if delivery ensues (by blocking the birth canal, for instance).
- A kit in an unusual birthing position (such as its head tucked into its chest) almost always blocks the birth canal, where it can die and prevent the other kits from making their grand entrances. Unfortunately, those poor kits also die. And then mom cries, neglects the kits already delivered, and acts restless.
- Kits with congenital defects often become stuck in the birth canal and die.
- Small or overdue litters can produce dangerously large kits. Large kits can cause a holdup in the birth canal.
Depending on the cause of the difficult delivery, your vet
may inject a labor-inducing drug or perform a cesarean section. It’s a
procedure that some fuzzy moms face. If the healthy mom is well cared for after
the surgery, she almost always is physically capable of nursing and caring for
her kits properly.
Some Problems You May Face after Birth
Hopefully all your kits will arrive safely and soundly. If
so, you’ll be happy as a clam and looking forward to helping raise the fuzzy
family (or rehome them when they’re old enough). What could possibly go wrong
now? Many things, actually. You still have a long way to go before the babies
are out of the woods.
Some ferrets just aren’t cut out to be moms (or a human may
make a mistake during a pregnancy to cause the ferret to become a bad parent;
see the first section of this chapter for more). And even if you have the
perfect mother fuzzy, situations may arise that prevent her from nursing her
babies. In these situations, which I describe in the following sections, a
foster mom is vital in helping keep the kits alive — unless the kits have
already been cannibalized. And if your fuzzy mom dies during pregnancy or
delivery, the role of the foster mom becomes even more vital. As sad as it
seems, the possibility isn’t that far-fetched.
A difficult mother
New moms that are nervous or uncomfortable often make poor
ferret mothers. Some ferrets just weren’t meant to be moms, so they reject or
cannibalize their babies for no apparent reason. But reasons do exist, and they
are valid to the fuzzies. The following list shows you how to avoid possible
difficult situations:
- Fuzzy moms like their kits warm, so cold babies almost always are rejected. If mom is away for a period of time (at a surgery, for instance), keeping the babies warm while she’s away is essential. Or, if the kits wander away and get chilled, warm them up before returning them to the nest. (See the earlier section “Providing a maternity ward” for some tips.)
- Some moms require a meal before cozying up to their new babies. If your ferret mom seems uninterested after delivering all those kits, offer her some warm canned food or her kibble moistened with warm water.
- Fluctuations in cage temperature, noise, and/or activity surrounding the nest can make a mom cannibalize or reject her youngsters. Keep the area around the cage and nest calm. Now isn’t the time to let the kids come in to see the new arrivals (see the earlier section “Providing a maternity ward” for more tips).
A mother incapable of nursing
Remember
Some fuzzy moms simply don’t produce enough milk, or any milk at all, for their kits to nurse on. One possible cause is mastitis (see the earlier sidebar “Conditions your female may encounter”). You (along with your vet) need to monitor the activity level and growth of all the kits at all times while they’re nursing. Kits should gain weight daily, tripling by day 10 (see Chapter From Birth to Bundle of Energy: Walking a Fuzzy’s Timeline for more). A kit that doesn’t get enough nourishment slowly starves; he loses the desire to suckle, chills, and eventually dies. Weigh your babies daily, because a newborn fuzzy can live only three days without eating before he dies.
If the ferret mother is producing some milk, you can leave
the kits with mom as long as you supplement the feedings with kitten milk
replacer. The best solution, however, is receiving the assistance of a foster
mom (see the following section).
Hand-rearing kits as a last resort |
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Hand-rearing a kit is an emotionally and physically
exhausting endeavor that rarely pays off. The mortality rate, even with
experienced fuzzy humans, is high. Kits need a mother’s milk for at least ten
days in the early stages of their lives. Successful hand-rearing is possible
if you start with healthy kits that are 2 weeks old. In any case, you should
give it your best shot if hand-rearing is your only option. |
To hand-rear, give the kits kitten-milk replacer every
four to six hours via a plastic eyedropper or bottle. Make sure you give the
food in small amounts and very slowly to avoid aspiration pneumonia. Tube
feeding is difficult, even for the experienced, so take it slow. If you make
it to week three, introduce the babies daily to a soft diet, such as canned
cat or ferret food. The kits still need supplemental feedings until they reach
4 to 5 weeks old. |
Calling on the foster mom
A breeder should try to have a foster fuzzy mom waiting in
the wings in case an emergency arises with your momma — whether it’s one of
your own ferrets or a fellow ferret breeder’s ferret. Most foster ferrets
readily take new kits into their nests. Hopefully, your foster fuzzy is already
nursing kits close in age to the ones being introduced. If she’s a good milk
producer, foster-nursing shouldn’t be a problem for her, because ferrets can
nurse more kits than they have available nipples.
Tip
The best way to introduce the “orphans” into the foster mom’s nest is to first remove the foster mom. Allow the new kits to intermingle with the existing kits so that the new kits’ scent becomes less distinct from the others’ scent. If everyone smells the same, no one can complain!
In the rare instance that the foster mom rejects the kits
(be sure to monitor them closely to watch for this), you need to find an
immediate replacement. If you can’t locate one, hand-rearing the kits is an
option, but a very difficult one (see the sidebar “Hand-rearing kits as a last
resort”). If the kits are less than 10 days old, they’ll most likely die. The
success rate increases with older kits.
by Kim Schilling
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