How Many Ferrets Should You Get? (DON’T Buy Just One)

If you are considering starting to keep ferrets as pets, one of the questions you will need to deal with is on how many ferrets to get. This article answers that question

How many ferrets should you get? Ideally, you should get 2 or more ferrets. If you get only one ferret, it may end up suffering from too much loneliness. Ferrets are social animals, which require each other’s companionship. So the ferrets thrive in groups, or at least in pairs.

The exact number of ferrets you actually get will depend on available resources.

Thus the key thing is to avoid having only one ferret. Always remember, ferrets are happier when they are in groups, or at least in pairs.

Are Ferrets Social Or Solitary?

Ferrets are in the category of social animals.

This is to say that they are animals that in nature live in groups. And even in captivity, they tend to be happier and thrive if they are kept in groups, or at least in pairs.

How Many Ferrets Should You Get?

As we have said, ferrets are social animals, which do better when they are kept in groups or at least in pairs.

Given that fact, what is a good number of ferrets to have? A good number of ferrets to have is at least 2. If you can manage to keep more than 2, that will be even better.

Yet there are people who due to certain constraints, find themselves considering having only 1 ferret. So the question becomes, is it OK to have 1 ferret?

The true position is that keeping only 1 ferret is not ideal. If you are able to offer it the attention it needs, it may still be somewhat viable.

But then again, you (as a human) are unlikely to be able to offer the same level of companionship as a fellow ferret.

Thus if you were wondering, is it better to get 1 or 2 ferrets, now you know that 2 is always better.

So with regard to how many ferrets should be kept together, the minimum is ideally 2.

And, as noted, for anyone grappling with the is it better to have 2 ferrets or 1 question, the answer is 2.

But there are also those who may be worrying about the upper limits to ferret ownership. So that is where you find questions like, is three ferrets to much to pet? What about 5 – is 5 too many ferrets to pet?

The truth of the matter is that any number of ferrets above 2 is alright. That is as long as you are able to maintain the multiple ferrets.

Regarding the aspect of how many ferrets do you need at a minimum, that should be 2. The upper limit/maximum is up to you.

What Determines How Many Ferrets You Get?

So far, we have said that you need to have at least 2 ferrets. But it is upon you to figure out the upper limit.

That brings up a question on what exactly determines how many ferrets should you keep.

In most cases, what determines how many ferrets can you keep together is the availability of resources. Personal preferences also come into consideration here.

So you look at the resources at your disposal, and then ask yourself how many ferrets those resources can sustain.

One key consideration here is that of available space. Firstly, ask yourself, how much room do ferrets need? Then ask yourself, how much room do you have available? This will tell you how many ferrets you can sustain.

In working out how many ferrets is too many, you also need to look at the conventions. If you keep far too many ferrets, people who get to see them may have questions. Some may start regarding you as ‘weird’.

In some places, there may also be (formal or informal) limits in terms of how many ferrets can you legally own.

So you may find that if you keep beyond a certain number of ferrets, it looks as if you are running a ‘ferret farm’. And that may require special ferret permits.

Final Verdict – How Many Ferrets Should You Get

Ideally, you need to get at least 2 ferrets.

Ferrets are social animals, which thrive when they are kept in groups or at least in pairs.

If you keep a solitary ferret, it may start suffering from intense loneliness. That is due to its social instincts.

Sure, you may try to offer the required attention and companionship to the solitary ferret. But your attention and companionship may not even come close to what it would get from a fellow ferret.

Thus it is best to get at least 2 ferrets, more if you have the ability. The exact number (beyond 2) of ferrets you end up getting will depend on the available resources, as well as your personal preferences.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet ferret a good and comfortable life!

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️