If you plan on getting multiple pets in your house, the first thing to do is to ensure that the different animal species get along. While most people are aware of the animosity between cats and dogs, there are a lot of other pets that shouldn’t be kept together.
In today’s article we are going to discuss if ferrets and guinea pigs get along, and whether or not you should keep them together.
Do ferrets and guinea pigs get along?
For the most part, no, ferrets and guinea pigs do not get along.
Its not just that they do not get along, but most ferrets will try to kill a guinea pig if they come in close contact with one. While this sounds gruesome, it is just a result of a ferrets natural instincts.
In the wild, ferrets are strict carnivores. This means that they get all of their food from hunting down living animals. Ferrets usually eat squirrels, rabbits, mice, and other rodents. In fact, ferrets are frequently used as a method to control rodent populations from overpopulating.
Therefore, as a rodent, a guinea pig is a very easy prey for a ferret. Some of a ferret’s prey can put up a fighting chance, such as rabbits, who can sometimes outrun a ferret. There are also some squirrels that can group together and fend off a ferret. However, due to its small size and slow speed, a guinea pig has no chance at defending itself from a ferret.
A ferret has very sharp teeth and claws that can rip a guinea pig up in a matter of seconds. Therefore, you should never allow the chance for your guinea pig to come in contact with a ferret, even if its only for a couple seconds.
Think about it. A ferret can easily kill an adult rabbit, which is both stronger and faster than a guinea pig. Even if you sense that your ferret gets along with your guinea pig, you should never leave them alone unsupervised.
Can you have a ferret and a guinea pig in the same house?
Yes, you can keep a ferret and a guinea pig in the same house. However, you should never let them be together in the same room. This means you shouldn’t even carry your guinea pig into a room that has a ferret. There is a chance the ferret’s natural instinct will take over and it will lunge at the guinea pig.
If you are going to have a ferret and a guinea pig in the same house, there are a couple of precautions you should take. For starters, you should make sure that your guinea pig cage is completely ferret proof. Ferrets have a unique ability to squeeze into small spaces, so it is important to make sure your guinea pig’s cage is completely off limits.
Along with keeping them in separate rooms, you should never let your ferret roam the house unsupervised. All it can take is a couple of seconds for your ferret to go into attack mode and kill your guinea pig. If you do have a guinea pig and ferret in the same house, you should monitor your guinea pig’s noises to make sure they aren’t stressed.
It is best if your ferret does not even know that there is a guinea pig in the same house. Therefore, I would recommend always washing your hands after handling your guinea pig. You should do this so your ferret does not pick up the scent of the guinea pig when you play with it.
A much easier animal to keep with a guinea pig is a rabbit. This is because rabbits are herbivores, and do not eat other animals. That being said, you should not keep them in the same cage, as they can spread diseases to one another, especially ringworm.