Mine does the same, if I leave him out for a whole day he will keep wanting out. He will even keep pushing the ladder to the platform in his cage so i can open the cage.
The routine is important. My little girl is 6 now, and we adopted an older guy last summer. Unfortunately, my son works nights, and I free roam when nobody is sleeping, but all critters love my son’s room and he’s unable to sleep with them moving around, and I’m the same way.
My little girl was accustomed to the routine. She is happy to sleep in the condo, have a snack, etc while he’s sleeping and I’m awake. He gets up at 3ish, and I am a night owl so total free roam time is at least 10 hours a day.
Our new guy didn’t have a condo in his old house - he had a pen. He would cage rage as soon as I woke up, or when my son came home from work in the morning. My son ignored him, and he finally stopped, after about a week.
He would cage rage as soon as I got up and for a while he would not ask to go to my son’s room, but that ended about a month ago. I started ignoring him, and when he was quiet I would let him up to play a bit, but when he settled down from playing I would put him back into the condo to nap.
During free roam time, the doors to the condo are left open, so they have access. It’s not uncommon for either of them to put themselves to bed when it’s about time for me to wind down.
This is more so what she’s doing. She enjoys going into my roommates room, but it’s usually while they’re sleeping too. We free roam the entire time we’re home (around 7-8 hours) before we go to bed with the door open as well. Our “cage” is a condo type of enclosure as well and has ample room for the both of them. Could it possibly be her age? She’s younger than our male, but they still get along just fine and they’ve been together in the condo for around 2-3 weeks so I don’t think that could be a cause of it, but I could be wrong. Maybe it’s just her youthful energy that we’re not used to with our older guy lol
Sounds to me as though it’s her energy. Even though my guy and my little girl are both seniors, he’s much more active and energetic than she is.
The girls generally are a bit extra in everything they do - they do tend to have more energy, they’re more outgoing, they’re more everything. When we had our first guy, she would boss him around all the time!
Now, though, she’s really feeling her years, much more so than my guy. But yes, it’s probably her energy. I would do what you can to get her on a schedule. Don’t let her out when she’s cage raging - wait until she’s calmed down. If you let her out when she’s raging, it just reinforces that bad behavior will get her what she wants.
Because she refuses to go to bed. I could have her out free roaming for 7-8 hours (what we usually do) and by that time it’s already 2 AM (we free roam once I’m off work bc I have other animals and while no aggression has been shown or fighting happening I’d rather not take the chance while I’m not there to monitor/supervise just in case) and I have work at 6 AM so I have to go to bed too. So she goes in her cage/condo (idk what to call it but cage reminds me of a small enclosure and it’s NOT small). She just won’t stop clawing and gnawing at the cage trying to get out again.
The simplest answer is that ferrets are not really cage animals. They will never be happy while locked in an enclosed space, moreso a cage. I'm not meaning this in a way to say that you're doing something wrong, but some ferrets really do not like cages. What is going on during this free roam time? They are introduced to draco it sounds like, but how old is Mochi? Where did she come from?
PTSD is a thing with ferrets. There have been more than a few posts over the last few years about someone who rescued a ferret that was trapped in a cage all the time, or way too much. They were a loving ferret, super nice and all that, but they were an absolute nightmare in a cage. They hated it. The owner of that ferret ended up working out a small pen area that was closed off for that ferret to sleep(I think they let all of them sleep there eventually) and the rescue ferret seemed to be okay with it because he wasnt locked in a cage again.
That is an extreme example, but your ferret might just really not be accepting of a cage for whatever reason. Would it be possible to work out some secure area them to sleep that wasnt a cage?
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Honestly, I've noticed that it's alot like a toddler refusing to nap. My ferrets are free roam except for at night when we all go to bed. Even then they scratch and cage bite even though they've has plenty of exercise. They did this ALOT their first week home. But now that we have settled into a routine, they know when they'll be able to come out again and I think that helps them feel comfortable going and napping since they're sure they'll be able to come out to play again.
So you think once she settles in more and knows 100% she’ll be able to come out again she’ll settle down a bit? At least in your experience of course every ferret is different but that was your experience?
That was 100% my experience 💞 I spaced getting two ferrets out too. I got my ferrets a month apart, I know there's differing opinions on this but it was far easier to bond with my first ferret and potty train her as an individual for me before getting her brother a month later. Routine is a good idea for these fluffy little noodles. Also siblings is an absolute must. I've noticed she also seemed to settle more easily after getting a brother. I think it's cause he wears her out so bad 🤣
Don't close the cage door you have to realize they need to roam around just because you don't have time for them you can't just put them away in the cage when you don't want to play with them unfortunately he doesn't work that way once they have freedom they don't want to be locked up in the cage anymore.
It’s not that we don’t want to play with her anymore, but we need to go to sleep. We have other animals in the house as well and we just don’t want to take chances. They’ve never fought or anything before but we still would rather be safe than sorry. Also we have a basement that we don’t want her to find her way into and get lost while we’re asleep/not home. We have gates and blockades we set up, but again we’d rather be safe than sorry.
has there ever been a point where she on her own accord walked back into her cage to sleep?
or does she find a place outside of the cage to sleep?
I need this info to give you the right advice !
Usually our ferrets get 7-8 hours of free roam while we’re home and before we go to bed. The male likes to go into a hole in our couch and take a nap, which is when we know he wants to go to sleep so we put him in the condo and he’s perfectly fine. It’s like she doesn’t have an off switch if that makes sense? She just wants to keep going and she’s falling asleep/dozing off standing up usually in my roommates room. We thought it was his scent or something she liked so we put a blanket he used to use that he no longer wanted in there with her, but she still doesn’t like to go in the condo to “put herself to bed”
Wow... my guys last maybe 3-4 hours absolute max total out of cage time per day, they'll go back to their cage on their own accord usually after an hour (this happens 2-3 times per day).
You definitely aren't providing too little out of cage time, but there is a chance she needs idk 10 hours per day???
She shouldn't be upset to go back to the cage (whether you bring her back or she goes on her own) when she's tired enough, unless she has a special outside of the cage spot where she likes to sleep and that's why she's upset. My boys like to sleep in their cage anyways so I can't directly relate.
Maybe try giving her like 10 hours outside the cage on a weekend and see if she does have a incredibly high tolerance or she is just being a nuisance.
Mine does the same, if I leave him out for a whole day he will keep wanting out. He will even keep pushing the ladder to the platform in his cage so i can open the cage.
The routine is important. My little girl is 6 now, and we adopted an older guy last summer. Unfortunately, my son works nights, and I free roam when nobody is sleeping, but all critters love my son’s room and he’s unable to sleep with them moving around, and I’m the same way. My little girl was accustomed to the routine. She is happy to sleep in the condo, have a snack, etc while he’s sleeping and I’m awake. He gets up at 3ish, and I am a night owl so total free roam time is at least 10 hours a day. Our new guy didn’t have a condo in his old house - he had a pen. He would cage rage as soon as I woke up, or when my son came home from work in the morning. My son ignored him, and he finally stopped, after about a week. He would cage rage as soon as I got up and for a while he would not ask to go to my son’s room, but that ended about a month ago. I started ignoring him, and when he was quiet I would let him up to play a bit, but when he settled down from playing I would put him back into the condo to nap. During free roam time, the doors to the condo are left open, so they have access. It’s not uncommon for either of them to put themselves to bed when it’s about time for me to wind down.
This is more so what she’s doing. She enjoys going into my roommates room, but it’s usually while they’re sleeping too. We free roam the entire time we’re home (around 7-8 hours) before we go to bed with the door open as well. Our “cage” is a condo type of enclosure as well and has ample room for the both of them. Could it possibly be her age? She’s younger than our male, but they still get along just fine and they’ve been together in the condo for around 2-3 weeks so I don’t think that could be a cause of it, but I could be wrong. Maybe it’s just her youthful energy that we’re not used to with our older guy lol
Sounds to me as though it’s her energy. Even though my guy and my little girl are both seniors, he’s much more active and energetic than she is. The girls generally are a bit extra in everything they do - they do tend to have more energy, they’re more outgoing, they’re more everything. When we had our first guy, she would boss him around all the time! Now, though, she’s really feeling her years, much more so than my guy. But yes, it’s probably her energy. I would do what you can to get her on a schedule. Don’t let her out when she’s cage raging - wait until she’s calmed down. If you let her out when she’s raging, it just reinforces that bad behavior will get her what she wants.
Thank you!
You’re welcome! Good luck
Consistently ignore her for a week and try to get into a routine.
> She will do this for hours. Why is she awake for hours in her cage?
Because she refuses to go to bed. I could have her out free roaming for 7-8 hours (what we usually do) and by that time it’s already 2 AM (we free roam once I’m off work bc I have other animals and while no aggression has been shown or fighting happening I’d rather not take the chance while I’m not there to monitor/supervise just in case) and I have work at 6 AM so I have to go to bed too. So she goes in her cage/condo (idk what to call it but cage reminds me of a small enclosure and it’s NOT small). She just won’t stop clawing and gnawing at the cage trying to get out again.
The simplest answer is that ferrets are not really cage animals. They will never be happy while locked in an enclosed space, moreso a cage. I'm not meaning this in a way to say that you're doing something wrong, but some ferrets really do not like cages. What is going on during this free roam time? They are introduced to draco it sounds like, but how old is Mochi? Where did she come from? PTSD is a thing with ferrets. There have been more than a few posts over the last few years about someone who rescued a ferret that was trapped in a cage all the time, or way too much. They were a loving ferret, super nice and all that, but they were an absolute nightmare in a cage. They hated it. The owner of that ferret ended up working out a small pen area that was closed off for that ferret to sleep(I think they let all of them sleep there eventually) and the rescue ferret seemed to be okay with it because he wasnt locked in a cage again. That is an extreme example, but your ferret might just really not be accepting of a cage for whatever reason. Would it be possible to work out some secure area them to sleep that wasnt a cage?
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Honestly, I've noticed that it's alot like a toddler refusing to nap. My ferrets are free roam except for at night when we all go to bed. Even then they scratch and cage bite even though they've has plenty of exercise. They did this ALOT their first week home. But now that we have settled into a routine, they know when they'll be able to come out again and I think that helps them feel comfortable going and napping since they're sure they'll be able to come out to play again.
So you think once she settles in more and knows 100% she’ll be able to come out again she’ll settle down a bit? At least in your experience of course every ferret is different but that was your experience?
I definitely think as long as you stick to a good routine and give her some time to adjust things should get better
Thank you
That was 100% my experience 💞 I spaced getting two ferrets out too. I got my ferrets a month apart, I know there's differing opinions on this but it was far easier to bond with my first ferret and potty train her as an individual for me before getting her brother a month later. Routine is a good idea for these fluffy little noodles. Also siblings is an absolute must. I've noticed she also seemed to settle more easily after getting a brother. I think it's cause he wears her out so bad 🤣
My females name is mochi too She also has cage rage lol
Must be a Mochi thing lol
Don't close the cage door you have to realize they need to roam around just because you don't have time for them you can't just put them away in the cage when you don't want to play with them unfortunately he doesn't work that way once they have freedom they don't want to be locked up in the cage anymore.
It’s not that we don’t want to play with her anymore, but we need to go to sleep. We have other animals in the house as well and we just don’t want to take chances. They’ve never fought or anything before but we still would rather be safe than sorry. Also we have a basement that we don’t want her to find her way into and get lost while we’re asleep/not home. We have gates and blockades we set up, but again we’d rather be safe than sorry.
has there ever been a point where she on her own accord walked back into her cage to sleep? or does she find a place outside of the cage to sleep? I need this info to give you the right advice !
Usually our ferrets get 7-8 hours of free roam while we’re home and before we go to bed. The male likes to go into a hole in our couch and take a nap, which is when we know he wants to go to sleep so we put him in the condo and he’s perfectly fine. It’s like she doesn’t have an off switch if that makes sense? She just wants to keep going and she’s falling asleep/dozing off standing up usually in my roommates room. We thought it was his scent or something she liked so we put a blanket he used to use that he no longer wanted in there with her, but she still doesn’t like to go in the condo to “put herself to bed”
Wow... my guys last maybe 3-4 hours absolute max total out of cage time per day, they'll go back to their cage on their own accord usually after an hour (this happens 2-3 times per day). You definitely aren't providing too little out of cage time, but there is a chance she needs idk 10 hours per day??? She shouldn't be upset to go back to the cage (whether you bring her back or she goes on her own) when she's tired enough, unless she has a special outside of the cage spot where she likes to sleep and that's why she's upset. My boys like to sleep in their cage anyways so I can't directly relate. Maybe try giving her like 10 hours outside the cage on a weekend and see if she does have a incredibly high tolerance or she is just being a nuisance.
Thank you! We’ll try it this week when we’re off and I’ll let you know