# Ferrets & Hedgehogs?



## ourico

This may be a dumb question, but can ferrets and hedgehogs come out at the same time? I have two ferrets and a hedgehog (I'm getting 2 more though), and it would be nice if I could. Like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycN5p0RA ... re=related


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## susanaproenca

I think I remember a thread a while back where someone asked the same question, and the consensus was that Because hedgies are prey and ferrets are predators, it is very stressful for the hedgie to be in the same room as a ferret. Therefore, your best bet would be to keep them separated all the time. Sorry, I'm on my phone and can't find the thread -- I'm sure someone will correct me soon if I'm wrong.


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## Lilysmommy

I agree with Susana, I wouldn't try it. The only time I've seen a hedgehog and ferret around each other was picking up a rescue hog from a high school classroom. The ferret was having a grand time hopping around on the (cold metal) table. The hedgehog was in a shaking, huffy, terrified ball. She was so scared that when I went to pick her up, she bit my hoodie sleeve and refused to let go for at least 5 minutes.


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## ourico

The hedgehog in the video wasn't scared at all... :|


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## Lilysmommy

You know your animals best, and as the owner, it's definitely up to you. That's the only experience I've had with ferrets and hedgehogs being around each other, so I figured I'd share it. Personally, I don't think I would try it. Even though one hedgehog being afraid doesn't mean that another wouldn't be afraid, the same could be said for the other way around. Likewise, just because one ferret isn't aggressive towards the hedgehog doesn't mean another won't be. It depends on the animals. It also not recommended to introduce hedgehogs to dogs or cats, but depending on the temperament of the animals, people still do so.


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## Hedgieonboard

I agree too that it wouldn't be a good idea. It's definitely up to you but I've seen to many stories where a hedgehog got hurt from something that happened so fast that there was no way for the human to react fast enough to stop it.


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## SnufflePuff

Also want to point out that ferrets and hedgehogs have very different temperature needs. Hedgehogs are very prone to hibernation and ferrets are very prone to heat stroke. If the room is the right temperature for your hedgehog to play in - it's too hot for your ferret. If it's the right temperature for your ferret - it's too cold for your hedgehog.

Keep in mind ferrets are excellent hunters and some owners feed live prey. In the wild (and in unfortunate domestic instances - speak to Nancy about her rabbit ferret tragedy) ferrets can take down prey as big as rabbits. A ferret would have no issue taking down a hedgehog (minus the quills)... So the ferret is gonna get hurt from the hedgehogs quills and the hedgehog is going to get hurt from the ferret's sharp teeth. Remember a ferret's teeth can easiy tear through bone - my ferrets are capable of eating turkey necks (bones and all). 

So be safe... Not sorry!


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## Nancy

After the tragedy we had here and other instances I have heard of over the years, I personally would not let any ferret around any other animal, especially a small, prey animal. 

Many years ago, when we had 8 ferrets, we'ed got them a new cage and soon after, we were all out shopping one morning and came home to ferrets running through the house. Naturally we feared the worst and I rushed upstairs to my daughters bedroom to find one of the ferrets had killed 2 of her bunnies. There was also bloody foot prints on the bars of another baby bunny's cage and the chin cage. Thankfully those cages were ferret proof but the two girls were in a large enclosure that was totally bunny proof but not the least bit ferret proof. Thankfully, our cat and the hedgehogs were fine. I can only imagine what might have happened had the ferret been able to get into the hedgehog room.

Sometimes the smell of a ferret is enough to keep a small prey animal in a state of constant fear so it's best to cage them in separate rooms and both in escape proof cages. Ferrets are expert escape artists and can figure out many cage catches. Our Tessa, was an expert at opening cage doors and could open one as fast as we could so any doors should be locked using ferret proof catches. Even doors that latch in the middle, some ferrets can tip the corner of the door enough to squeeze through. C&C cages should not be used when a ferret lives in the house. Many ferrets can get through the squares of the C&C. 

That's been my experience with ferrets and unfortunately it ended in the loss of two beautiful bunnies.


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## JLF1995

I have seen both good and bad with hedgehogs and ferrets being together. My friend Stacy had a ferret and a hedgehog, she introduced eachother and the ferret was becoming agressive, befor she could get her hedgehog away from the ferret the hedgehog got agressive and nipped the ferret. The ferret was starteld and was scared of the hedgehog. After a while they became friends and they play with eachother. I would not try to put them together though. My friend was being unrational and almost got her hedgehog killed, she was lucky that her hedgehog bit back to scare the ferret or it would of been dead.


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## MissC

I am always interested when I hear people say 'my hedgie wasn't scared' (I'm thinking of those plastic hamster balls, specifically) - how do you KNOW he wasn't scared? If I view a video, I am even more skeptical when seeing a video shows a hedgie who seems completely content but how do you know for sure? And what happened right before/after the video? Or a month later?

I wouldn't chance it...predator/prey...you may never forgive yourself.


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## nikki

In my opinion letting a ferret, a hunter, play with a hedgie, prey, would be like letting a cat and a mouse play together. Even if nothing has happened yet, why chance it? Neither the hedgie nor the ferret is going to benefit from it.


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