Ferret fall injuries are very common, so as a ferret owner being aware of the underlying causative factors and taking precautions to minimize slips and falls can help you avoid emergencies. Fractures, bruises, and abrasions are the most common ferret fall injuries, with the majority of these occurring in the limbs.
Factors that contribute to an increased ferret fall injuries include; ferret playing, jumping on or attempting to get by the owner, and tugging on a collar too hard.
Why Are Ferrets More Likely To Sustain Fall Injuries?
Ferrets are prone to fall injuries because they have a high jumping failure rate. Your ferret, like most others, is a climber who enjoys getting up on high places.
This behavior should not be encouraged because it is likely to result in ferret fall injuries.
Ferrets’ bones are extremely delicate, and even a brief leap or tumble can cause them to break. Ferrets also lack visual acuity and are unable to determine the distance between objects.
Furthermore, ferrets have no fear, therefore leaping from something appears to go well to them, even though it can result in a fall injury. They can’t learn to assess distance, so there’s always a chance they’ll suffer fall injuries.
This is especially critical if you have hard flooring or thin carpeting. Ferrets lack the rotation mechanisms in their feet that allow them to navigate around elevations and obstacles.
Ferrets have just about negligible sensory abilities that allow them to judge their position concerning themselves and other things in space.
How Do You Identify Ferret Fall Injury?
You can detect a ferret fall injury by inspecting your ferret daily for signs of pain, which includes handling it and testing its pain sensitivity. Another technique to identify whether your ferret has a fall injury is to look at its feet and see if it limps.
Examine the area around limbs for marks, scratches, and inflammations.
Ferrets experience pain in the same manner as humans do. Early indicators of injury or discomfort include changes in behavior.
Reluctance to move, weight loss, quivering, collapse, sobbing, whimpering, and teeth clenching are all signs of discomfort or pain.
How Can You Prevent Ferret Fall Injuries?
You can prevent ferret fall injuries by being present to watch its behavior when it is freely roaming in the house. For example, if you spot your ferret on something, pick it up and retrieve it so it does not have to hop off, or get something that could be used as a staircase so the ferret does not have to jump.
If you place anything down like a staircase, a ferret will almost always use it instead of leaping down, therefore, preventing injury. If your ferret climbs a cage, move it away from the wall because they almost always climb by slithering between the cage and the wall.
If the ferret continues to climb the cage, you should provide a safe way for the ferret to exit.
Mounting or positioning pillows next to your ferret’s cage, a cat tree tilted against the cage but with a lot of fluffy parts underneath in case of a fall. Also, a very thick blanket hanging from the side that the ferret can cling to get down will help prevent ferret fall injury.
The best option is to consider acquiring a smaller cage because this will always pose a significant threat to the ferret. If you have a towering ferret tree for your ferrets, place soft objects around the tree in case of a fall.
It will happen at some point, and the ferret could be badly wounded.
Do not assume that because ferrets are household pets, they have the same capabilities as other pets such as dogs and cats. Always take precautions to avoid ferret fall injuries.
How Can You Avoid Ferret Fall Injury While Playing With It?
Ferret owners typically let their pets roam freely around the house, amused by their excellent climbing and jumping abilities. Your ferret can leap; some can jump rather high, but the majority of ferrets can only jump a few feet above the ground.
However, your main worry when playing with your ferret should be where they are jumping and whether it is safe for them to do just that.
Ferrets can leap on and over a variety of objects, but due to their poor depth perception, they may have as many failed attempts as successful ones. Your ferret may sustain an injury if they miss their target.
While landing on their feet is unlikely to cause permanent harm and is normally the preferred outcome for them, the ferret lacks the agility to take a missed landing and modify their body to ensure that happens. As a result, ferrets may land on their necks, backs, or other parts of their bodies, causing severe injuries that may result in death.
Why Is Jumping the Common Cause of Ferret Fall Injury?
One of the main reasons jumps are common causes of a ferret fall injury is the ferret’s limited eyesight, which results in failed jumping. Ferrets are naturally myopic and can see only a few feet ahead of them.
This makes it difficult for them to judge the distance they are attempting to cover, and they frequently fail in their attempts.
Ferrets don’t have the same level of coordination as cats, so they’re more likely to injure themselves if they try to leap higher than they need to. Ferrets are often quite fearless and will jump on or over any obstacle in their path.
They are tenacious and will continue to do so until they either reach the object of their attention or it is removed from their view.
Other animals, on the other hand, are eager to accept failure and move on, but ferrets are not.
Ferrets typically use a combination of leaping and climbing to reach their destination. They will usually attempt to climb before hopping because they are much better climbers.
They are extremely intelligent animals that will quickly maneuver any object to reduce the distance they must jump.
Does Jumping Always Lead To Ferret Fall Injury?
Ferrets are tough little critters, and their jumping does not necessarily result in injury as long as the surroundings are safe and there is a suitable landing zone to accommodate their numerous misses.
To keep your ferret safe, install a web-like netting beneath any area where your ferret is known to try to leap to catch it if it falls. You might also try to remove any potential launching pad that you believe is too high.
Ferrets have been observed to jump off of a variety of objects. They may merely jump a few inches from one level to the next in their cages, or they may try to hop on or over an obstacle that has been erected to keep them out of another region; they may even climb up on you and leap from your arm or couch.
Ferrets enjoy pursuing games because it mimics hunting behavior. They enjoy the thrill of the chase and will jump without hesitation to catch their prey if they are playing and chasing.
Why Understanding Ferret’s Behaviour Is Critical In Preventing Your Ferret’s Fall Injuries.
If you are concerned about a ferret fall injury, in particular, you must first understand why ferrets behave the way they do. Ferrets are continuously attempting to get somewhere or to get away because of something.
In either scenario, you must understand your ferret’s motivations so that you can make the necessary changes to keep it safe.
Which Behaviours Expose Your Ferret To Fall Injuries?
Leaping For Amusement
When ferrets are delighted and want to play, they frequently leap. They become thrilled and begin what is known as the singing and dancing of sheer delight, in which they jump about you in amusing tiny tango patterns.
Ferrets can get so excited that they lose track of where they are leaping and can easily push themselves off of or into items in an attempt to entice you to play with them. This is a behavior that can lead to ferret fall injures.
Hopping For An Item Of Concern
Ferrets are tenacious animals and as such, they can sustain fall injuries due to this trait. When they get their sights set on anything, they can become rather fixated, and if it is not placed out of reach, they will not hesitate to leap to obtain it.
Consider the items that can excite your ferret’s interest while ferret-proofing your residence, and make sure they’re out of range, or better yet, out of sight. Ferrets will be safer if they are exposed to less temptation.
Running Away By Hopping
This is the one you should be most concerned about out of all the reasons for behavior related to ferret fall injuries. They will not only take unwarranted risks to accomplish their grand escape, but once they perceive a route out, they will not give up until they succeed. If you didn’t know a ferret can run pretty fast.
You may not be able to prevent your ferret from making such jumps indefinitely, so you’ll need to keep up with your ferret-proofing efforts. You can be very certain that even if your ferret fails a hundred times if your ferret gets it into the head that your ferret can do it, he will continue to try until he succeeds.
How To Stop A Ferret From Jumping?
There is no one-size-fits-all method for preventing your ferret from jumping. If you’re worried about your ferret leaping, you’ll need a fresh set of nerves.
The only way you can try to discourage them is to eliminate the temptation, but you can almost ensure that another temptation will appear quickly to replace it. Managing your ferret’s life is a never-ending chore.
Each ferret has its personality, which you must learn to recognize and understand, just as they will learn to recognize and understand you. Your ferrets are all curious, love to play, and are fearless, so that’s the one thing you can count on from them.
Conclusion
Ferrets, in general, are tough little creatures who don’t take failure well. Keep in mind that in their endeavors, they have just as many successes as failures.
Most of the time, they will land, be startled for a moment, and then get up and scamper about again.
However, there will be that one time when an unexpected ferret fall injury sends you into a panic and an expensive trip to the veterinarian. So, whether your ferret is leaping off the top of its cage, attempting to leap over huge fences in a single bound, or scurrying after an object it is following, the landing is what you should be concerned about.
You’re lucky if you get a ferret that can only jump a few inches off the ground; some will attempt to jump four or five feet that are really at risk. Whatever the case, once you know your ferret’s abilities and accommodate for them, their many falls may only need to be chalked up to entertainment for you and your family.
This guide will help you prevent them from falling. Another good thing to look out for is ferret hairball prevention.
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