The ferret hammock seems to be the latest craze amidst ferret owners. Everywhere I look people are talking about them or recommending them. This fad is actually backed by facts more than just fashion though. Frankly, if you’re not behind this one you’re doing your ferret a great injustice.

It’s a simple piece of cloth, what’s the big deal? Well, treat your ferret with the same mindset that you’d treat an infant with – less is more. It is often the simplest items that give the greatest pleasure. And it really doesn’t cost that much considering that your ferret could, in theory, spend 80% of its life in it. If that seems high, stay tuned.

Ferrets have three basic activities- eating, sleeping, and playing. You may add going to the bathroom, but I’m calling that eating part two; I digress. The ferret hammock fills two of these roles. And obviously it’s not desirable for it to fill all three because if it did it wouldn’t last very long.

Your ferret will spend a lot of time sleeping in the ferret hammock as it is perfectly designed to allow him or her to do so. Ferrets love darkness for sleeping, and the bunching up of the hammock around the contour of the ferret’s body not only provides comfort, but it shields out some light. It is also designed to put your ferret in its natural sleeping position. It should not be underestimated how important it is that ferrets have a comfortable resting place to sleep as they may spend 20 hours per day doing so.

The ferret hammock satisfies the ferret’s need for play as well. It will climb in and swing around. Incidentally, make sure if you get one it is installed away from the edges of the cage because of this fact. It may not seem like much, but if you’ve seen the hours of enjoyment ferrets and cats get from bags and boxes, you’ll understand.

The only drawback isn’t any more of a drawback than any of the other things you’d get for your ferret; that is the occasional maintenance. This consists of washing it every so often and checking it for wearing and fraying (this becomes dangerous considering how your ferret will play in it). They tend to cost between 8 and 20 dollars and you don’t need to replace them very often. Overall, it is one of the best purchases you can make for your ferret.