Do Ferrets get along with Hamsters?

If you want to get more pets into your household and you are thinking of keeping a hamster and a ferret together, do not entertain this thought. You might think it’s a good idea because they both are small animals but that is not the case. Ferrets and hamsters do not get along and they should not be kept together for your and their good. 

Hamsters and Ferrets 

Hamsters and ferrets have very different natures. A hamster is a rodent and a ferret is a mustelid. In a wild habitat, their relationship would have prey and a predator respectively. So if you decide to keep them together, it will be a very dangerous situation. Let us learn about both the pets individually first. 

Hamsters are Rodents 

Hamsters are rodents. They belong to a subfamily of Cricetinae, which contains about 19 species and are classified into 7 genera. Hamsters are one of the most popular and preferred pets.

They are cute, cuddly, and soft. They are omnivorous animals. Their diet includes seeds, vegetables, grass, and insects. Hamsters can be either social or solitary animals, depending on their species. 

Ferrets are Mustelids 

Ferrets are mammals and belong to the Mustelidae family. Hence they are Mustelids. They are considered to be domestic species but can also be found in wild habitats. They have a long body and short legs.

They are carnivorous animals. Their diet includes their distant cousins’ stoats, weasels, and polecats. As pets, they require mental and physical stimulation. They also require human interaction. 

Can Ferrets and Hamsters live together?

The answer to your question is no. Ferrets and hamsters cannot live together. This is because hamsters are prey to ferrets and they will be constantly in danger. It is not possible for you to create an environment that is safe for the hamster.

Even though hamsters are not the most natural diet of prey, hamsters are an easy target for even predators like cats and dogs. 

Will a Ferret kill a Hamster? 

There is a good enough chance that the ferret will kill the hamster. They can also kill them the first time only just because hamsters scream prey to the ferret. It is said that ferrets have a high prey drive.

So they will react to their instincts once they kick in. You cannot do anything to control or tame a ferret as it is in its nature and it is a ferret’s instinct. If you are thinking that your ferret is very quiet and relaxed and it will not hurt your hamster, you are very wrong. Your ferret will react once its instincts hit as it is a predator by nature. 

Will a Hamster feel threatened by a Ferret?

The answer to your question is yes. A hamster will feel threatened by the presence of a ferret. Hamsters can sense that ferrets are predators by nature and they will sense the danger.

Hamsters are small prey and they are aware of it and act like it. So to keep them in a relaxed state, they should be kept somewhere out of danger. Keeping a ferret with a hamster will stress the hamster out. 

Can a Ferret and a Hamster live under the same roof? 

Keeping a ferret and a hamster under the name roof is not a smart idea but it is possible only if you follow some important rules. So read and adhere to these rules to keep your pets happy, safe, and secure. 

Let us see how you can do so:

So now if you want to keep the ferret relaxed and the hamster happy and safe under the same roof, you need to make sure they are ignorant of each other, meaning they don’t know that the other exists.

So keep them apart. Keep each of them in separate rooms, separate cages, give them separate toys, keep their bowls separate, separate carriers, and keep every other accessory separate.

Remember that both of them have different smells, so it is also advised for you to keep their accessories in different rooms to prevent them from getting each other’s smell. If they get a sense of each other’s smell, items may induce either threat or treat sense. 

Plan and follow a Care Schedule

If you are adamant about keeping a ferret and a hamster in your household you need to be extremely careful. You need to plan and follow a care schedule. Which is a timetable you will follow to care for and handle your pets.

You need to make sure that neither of them smells each other on you because it may lead them to know each other’s existence and it might induce anxiety and thrill. The best way we recommend is to change your clothes and wash your hands thoroughly after caring for and handling one pet.

You should also take a little bit of a break before attending and caring for the other pet so that any smell that is left on you can settle too. 

Also, know How Many Babies Do Hamsters Have In A Litter?

Safety tips to follow for your Hamster

If you have done and followed all the safety tips and precautions mentioned above. The final thing is to make the hamster feel safe. You need to make sure that under any circumstance, the ferret cannot reach the hamster’s cage.

This does not mean he will enter the room where the hamster is but you need to be extra cautious. Follow the steps given below to ensure the hamster’s safety: 

• You need to keep the hamster’s cage high off the floor. Place it on your study or your dressing table, place it where there is no chance for a ferret to jump and reach the cage. 
• Further, make sure to lock the hamster’s cage and in the room where the hamster is staying. This is to prevent the ferret from coming into the room and the hamster from going out of the room. 
• Check the cage thoroughly. Make sure that the holes are not bigger or smaller than an inch. This way the ferret won’t be able to enter the cage and the hamster will not get out of it. 

Conclusion 

In the above article, we discussed if a ferret could live with a hamster. We talked about how hamsters are rodents and ferrets are Mustelids, Can a ferret kill a hamster, will a hamster feels threatened by the presence of a ferret and if they can live under the same roof, how and what safety precautions you can take, and some safety tips for the hamster.