How Much Should a Ferret Weigh?

Have you ever wondered, how much should a ferret weigh?

Well, ferret weight depends upon various factors like age, breed, season, and gender. So, we can’t give a direct answer to the weight of a ferret.

In my more than 5 years of experience having ferret, I have seen various changes and complexes in ferret weight.

In this article, I will be sharing those lessons with you. So, make sure you read till the end.

How much should a ferret weigh? can be answered by giving the age and gender of ferrets.

Ferrets get maturity very soon which is 4-5 months. By the age of 3 years, they are middle-aged after that they start getting enter into older age.

A male ferret’s weight is around 2-4 pounds and height (average) is 20-22 inches from nose to tail. While a female ferret’s weight is 1-2.5 pounds and height (average) is 16-18 inches.

It’s important to note that weight plays a crucial role in the flexibility of the ferret. So, as a ferret owner, you must be checking on the weight of your furry friend.

What age is a ferret fully grown?

At the age of 4-5 months, a ferret is fully grown. At this age, they are capable of reproduction.

As you can see they hit maturity very soon and they continue this pace throughout their life. At the age of 3 years ferrets in in their middle life.

After 4 to 5 years your pet is older. So, take care of their health, food, and checkups.

Ferret weight chart or ferret size chart

The below chart will give you a clear idea about ferret size by weight, length, and gender.

Age	Female Weight	Male Weight
At birth	8-12 grams	8-12 grams
4 weeks	Approx 200 grams	Approx 200 grams
8 weeks	Approx 300-500 grams	Approx 400-500 grams
16 weeks	Approx 600-900 grams	Approx 1000-2000 grams
4 months	1-3.5 pounds	2-3.5 pounds
10+ months	1.5-3 pounds	3-6 pounds

What is overweight in ferrets?

Like humans ferrets also suffer from being overweight. Overweight in ferrets takes place equally both in the male and female ferrets.

The ferret overweight can be defined as excessive weight gain from unhealthy food. This results in many health problems in ferrets like heart disease, diabetes, weakness, and more.

Sometimes out of love, you might start feeding excess food to your pet and he/she starts getting fluffy and then overweight.

So, yeah always be careful with your furry friend’s diet and weight.

Overweight symptoms in ferrets

Your ferret getting overweight is one big challenge and identifying it another may be an even bigger challenge.

If you daily interact with your ferret then identifying the increase in weight might be hard. As you see your furry friend daily it creates a blind spot to observe the change.

When you notice that the belly of your pet is dragging on the floor and the chin’s fat is hanging, then it’s a clear and strong signal that your ferret is overweight.

Ferret overweight also makes them to get tired quickly. Due to this they will start losing their nature of being curious and playful

Treatment of overweight ferrets

If you are struggling with overweight of your ferrets then it’s the food that is majorly responsible for it.

As ferrets a carnivore animals, they eat food that has higher protein like chicken, and beef meat both cooked and raw food.

Avoid giving food that contains carbohydrates and fat because they are majorly responsible for ferrets being overweight.

After food, ferret physical exercise or activity plays a major role in ferret weight. Daily, let your ferret out of the cage for at least 30 minutes so she/he can play, roam, jump, and more.

On that note, the following are the factors that contribute to the treatment of overweight ferrets:

Recovery rate in ferrets

When the same food is eaten at different ages of ferrets it affects them in different ways as with human beings.

For example, if you give a treat to your that contains lots of carbohydrates and your ferret is around 3-4 years old. Then it would affect much.

On the contrary, if you give food to ferrets older than 4 years then it becomes hard for them to digest. Also, it affects their health more badly. Because with age, the ferret digestion system starts getting weaker.

The same plus point is with younger ferrets in weight loss. While it’s quite hard for the older ferrets to lose unwanted weight.

Weight of ferret with age

Ferret is much like humans, as with age our hair color changes, and even losing hair also happens. The same is also for ferrets as well.

As human get older, their temperament, strength, physical appearance, and more start decreasing or decaying, all of these are also true for ferrets as well.

Your ferret will also lose hair and teeth with age and it’s normal.

If such physical and mental change doesn’t take place in your ferret then he/she isn’t normal. You to check your furry friend to veterans.

1. Nipping and chewing age of ferrets

Usually, up to 4-5 months, ferrets get fully matured and after that, they start becoming socially active. Like they are around you for more time and will engage with any new things around him/her.

After 6 months. you need to take care of two things in your ferret. First, be careful about the diet of your furry friend.

Don’t feed foods containing fats and carbohydrates at all. Once he/she starts eating and liking these unhealthy foods, the weight will increase drastically and they will avoid eating their natural food containing high protein and calories.

The second thing take care of your thing when your ferret is out of a cage. As your ferret is at a naive age with super high energy and curiosity they wouldn’t mind chewing your documents.

2. ferrets’ physical structure

Primarily ferrets are born at 8-12 grams with closed eyes and mouths. They are very fragile after with no fuss at all.

After two days the fur starts growing. At age 5-6 weeks they have fully grown hair on the whole body. The hair growth speed and density depend on the gene of his/her respective mother.

In 4 weeks, the weight of the ferrets reaches from 10 to 200 grams. Due to their inherent curious and socially active nature, they start roaming and exploring the unknowns.

At the age of 8 months, a ferret is fully grown. They easily go for mating time and continue the process of reproduction.

3. Physical mobility of ferret

Once the ferret is grown enough they start exploring things that involve running, jumping, hiding, climbing, and more.

Usually, the physical mobility of ferrets takes place at the age of 6 weeks. So, as a ferret owner, you must be aware of ferret age so that you can manage accordingly.

Physial movement is also quite rich for ferret nature, and weight.

4. Change of coat

If you are a new ferret then you must have a bookmark about the change of ferret coat.

After 2-4 days of birth, ferrets start having fuzz and by hitting their first birthday they have fully grown hairs. As a matter of fact, ferret changes their coat twice a year.

The first they have in summer is a silky, short, and smooth coat so that they can easily lice according to the weather.

The second coat of ferret starts growing in autumn after losing the old coat. The second coat is comparatively thicker and longer which keeps the ferret warmer in winter.

During the changing phase of the coat in autumn, you must take care of ferret skin. Because they lost all the hard in a very short time.

So, you should apply some cream or oil so that the skin of your pet can’t get harmed.

5. Behavior

To keep your ferret healthy without any issue of being overweight or something you must have fed healthy food to your ferret.

A ferret’s life span is usually 6-8 years which means after 4 years they start getting older. So, the type and amount of food should also be according to that.

You can’t feed the same food to a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old ferret. So, you need to take care if this.

However, sometimes you offer a surprise homemade treat to your ferret. This will give immense happiness to your pet which is great for her/his health.

How much should a 1-year-old ferret weigh?

Still wondering, how much should a ferret weigh? The weighs of a ferret depends on gender along with age. So, you can’t say the same weight for both male and female ferrets.

Usually, a one-year female ferret weighs from 0.4 to 1.1 kg while a male ferret weighs from 0.9 to 2.7 kg. It’s important to note that these aren’t measurements.

How big is a full-grown ferret?

There is no direct answer to this question. The size of a ferret depends on age, breed, season, and gender.

In general, a male ferret weighs more than a female. But, unfortunately, in the United States, most ferret is mass-bred. Also, a neutered male ferret is larger than an intact one.

Usually, a female ferret weighs 1-3.5 pounds, while a neutered male ferret weighs 2-3.5 pounds and an unneutered male ferret can weigh up to 6 pounds.

In winter, ferret weight increases due to thicker and longer coats and better digestion which is normal. While in autumn ferrets start losing weight due to the loss of coat and a slower digestion system.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

At what age is a ferret fully grown?

Usually, at 4-5 months a ferret is fully grown.

Can my ferret be overweight?

Yes, when consuming lots of diets containing carbohydrates and fats.

Is a 7-year-old ferret old?

Yes, a 7-year ferret is quite old.

What is the smallest type of ferret?

Whippet is the smallest ferret originally from the United States.

How can you tell if a ferret is overweight?

When a belly touches the floor and a fat roll below the chin then the ferret is overweight.

Conclusion

Now, you have the answer- how much should a ferret weigh?

The weight of ferrets depends upon their age, gender, and health. At birth time a ferret weighs 10-12 grams and by 4-5 months they are fully matured.

If you find any drastic change in your ferret’s weight, whether it’s a decrease or increase, then immediately contact your veterinarian.