Daily brushing keeps your ferret's coat free of dead and loose hair, and spreads the natural oils that keep her coat looking glossy. If at all possible, you should brush your ferret daily. While you are grooming your ferret, check for skin problems such as dryness, lumps or scabs, and look for signs of fleas or mites.

It's especially important to brush your ferret during the molting season - early spring and fall - to keep loose and dead hair to a minimum. Ferrets, like cats, are inveterate self-groomers and your ferret may ingest excessive amounts of hair at these times of the year, leading to the risk of intestinal blockages. Unlike a cat, your ferret cannot regurgitate hairballs.

What Kind of Brush Works Best?

Brushing your ferret is a simple process and requires minimal equipment. Here's what you'll need:

• A soft nylon pin or soft wire slicker brush. The nylon pin brush works best with short-haired ferrets; the wire slicker brush is recommended for longer-haired ferrets such as the Angoras or European Long Hairs. Or you can use both brushes: first the slicker brush to remove dead hair, then the pin brush to stimulate the skin.
• A flea or other fine-tooth comb. These combs have very fine, close-set teeth and are used to find and trap fleas. They're also excellent for removing dead fur during the molting season.

Establish a Brushing Routine

Get your ferret used to brushing and combing when she's a kit so grooming becomes a pleasant experience and the two of you develop a bond of trust and friendship. Even if you acquire your ferret when she's older, with a little patience and plenty of praise and rewards you can train her to enjoy her brushing routine.

Brushing Procedure

Use this procedure to brush your ferret:

• Hold your ferret down firmly. A good way to do this is to grasp her by the loose skin on the scruff of her neck.
• Brush in the direction of hair growth using soft, gentle strokes.
• Use a slicker brush to remove the loose, dead hair and help prevent hairballs from forming, especially during the molting seasons.
• Follow this up with a bristle brush to stimulate the skin, get the natural oils flowing and add extra luster to your ferret's coat.
• Finally, use a flea or other fine-tooth comb to search for and trap fleas, and to remove any loose hair that still remains.

Cleaning Your Ferret's Ears

At least once a week after you've brushed and combed your ferret, it's a good idea to check her ears. Cleaning your ferret's ears on a regular basis - at least once a month - reduces the risk of infection and ear mites.

To clean her ears, you'll need some cotton swabs and an ear-cleaning solution approved by your veterinarian. Here's how to clean your ferret's ears:

• Hold your ferret by the scruff of her neck or have someone else help hold her down on your lap or tabletop.
• Place a few drops of the cleaning solution in your ferret's ears.
• Massage the ears gently to help loosen the wax and dirt from the inner ear.
• Allow your ferret to shake her head vigorously as this brings the wax and dirt to the outer part of the ear.
• Dip a cotton swab in the cleaning solution and clean the outer part of the ear, then use the dry end of the swab to soak up excess moisture. Do NOT insert the cotton swab in your ferret's ear as this could cause damage to her eardrum.
• Repeat with fresh swabs until you've removed most of the wax and dirt.

Signs of Trouble

Take your ferret to the vet immediately if:

• Your ferret's ears are red with brown, green or yellow discharge and a bad odor. Chances are it's an ear infection. She may also try to scratch or shake her head, or try to rub her ears against the floor.
• The wax from her ears is dark brown or black. This means your ferret has ear mites and needs to be treated, along with any other pets in the house.