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I think it is important that the kittens still stay with the jill after 6 weeks of age. They remain with the jill until they are sold so they gain maximum attention from her. Using the LFC sleeping box, the jill and kittens can be put in a ferretarium or even just left in the enclosed garden, without upsetting their original ‘nest’ (Fig. 20). A scats tray is placed within easy distance of the box. 21 Ferret ‘Heidi’ on a bridge over the stream between ponds at the southern corner of the garden. Note: ferns around pond make a good jungle!

I have developed my ferret garden with the addition of fishponds, streams, rockeries, plenty of ground-cover plants and shady trees. 3, where rockeries and fishponds, two with streams, are in three positions in the garden. The streams run in the evening and there are waterfalls into the ponds. The back garden can be floodlit in the evening. The idea (in theory) is that on a warm evening one sits in the garden, by a pond with cascading waterfalls and tinkling streams and watches the ferrets run around and play.

Any ferrets kept outside must be protected against the extremes of climate. Ferrets in mosquito-prone areas in the USA must be on heartworm prevention and cages must be mosquito-proof. Ferrets are more adaptable to colder climates as are their wild cousins, polecats, weasels and stoats. However, the cold can be intense even for ferrets, and ferret owners in Canada keep their pets in heated basements during the winter (Bell, pers. comm. 1999). Ferret-proofing the garden Having ferrets as pets or a breeding colony outdoors demands that if you want them to have maximum controlled freedom, the garden must be secure.