Converting a shed for ferrets

When converting a shed or wendy house for a pair of ferrets, you will first need to make a few adaptions to keep them safe. Inspect the wood shed or wendy house, is it strong and secure? Make sure there’s no rotting wood or gaps in the walls, this will protect your ferrets in case they want to plan a great escape!

Next, make sure the area is on a sturdy ground with a solid floor. This can be either concrete or wood. This will prevent your ferrets from gnawing or tunnelling under, and predators from getting in.

Installing locks

Locks on a shed will further ensure your ferrets are safe and secure in their home. Here are some recommendations:

• Sliding bolts on the outside of the door
• Two secure bolts on the outside – one at the top and one at that bottom
• Swivel latches should not be used as children and predators can easily open these.

Providing ventilation

In the height of summer, wooden sheds and wendy houses can get very hot, so it’s important to keep your ferrets’ converted accommodation well ventilated. This will ensure good air flow and not only prevent respiratory illnesses, but it will also keep them cool in the summer months.

• Replace glass or plastic windows with small gauge welded mesh attached to the inside of the frame. Chicken wire is too weak and will be an easy escape for your ferrets!
• Create a stable door with an inner mesh door by cutting your main outside shed or wendy house door through the middle. This will allow you to keep the bottom section closed, while creating a wooden framed inner mesh door for the top half. That way, you can leave the top half of the door open throughout the day without your sneaky ferrets being able to escape while stopping predators getting in. 

• Use small gauge, strong welded mesh for an inner door. The mesh should be nailed or heavy-duty stapled on a sturdy wooden frame to prevent the ferrets from forcing the mesh from the framework.

Adding insulation

A ferrets’ enclosure should maintain a natural temperature year-round, as well as being sensitive to hot weather, they also feel the cold. Lining your wooden shed with insulation is a great way of keeping them cosy in the cool months. Just ensure the lining is between the large sheets of wood or plywood. This will further prevent your ferrets from biting their way out.

Stopping escapees!

Some pets like ferrets enjoy scurrying out of their enclosure at any given opportunity. You will need a solid barrier secured on the inside of the shed door to prevent a great escape. This should be at least three feet high. Alternatively, installing a double-door system will allow you to walk into a small corridor area, shut the main door behind you and then open the second door to go in with the ferrets.

Flooring

Good flooring in your ferrets’ house will further provide good insulation and safety. Lining the floor with lino or vinyl will be much easier to clean.

Connecting a run and large enclosure

It’s very important that your ferrets have plenty of space to avoid health issues such as obesity or joint mobility problems. Connecting a secure run to your converted shed or wendy house will allow your ferrets to explore 24 hours a day.

You can install pipes and tubes for running through or linking to a different part of the enclosure.

Another option is securely fasten the run to the shed using suitable wood screws, or place the shed within a secure aviary. You can then create holes to allow your ferrets to easily move between two areas. Just ensure this is big enough for your ferrets to fit through.

Read our article on how to house your ferrets and find out the ideal sized run or aviary for your pet ferrets.