# Ferrets and rabbits in the same garden?



## samurai (Sep 9, 2009)

I have 2 dwarf lops in a large run in my back garden but I always liked the idea of having ferrets. I've never got any as I'm not sure how safe it is to have rabbits and ferrets in the same garden (definitely not housed together!). 

I could make the ferrets accommodation so neither ferret nor rabbits could see each other (although they would probably be only about 3 meters apart), they would still be able to smell each other so not sure how much of a problem that would be for either species, I can have some scented plants around to lessen the smell a bit although I doubt it would make a big difference. 
I would double mesh the ferret hutch with very narrowly spaced mesh and put padlocks on both animals homes (I've seen an underweight ferret squeeze through an extremely tiny hole hence my paranoia about this).

The ferrets could be taken in the house while the rabbits are out playing and the ferrets would not have free access to the back garden (not even under supervision) as I wouldn't want them to see each other. The ferrets would get taken out for walks on a harness and exercised in the lounge, there is also a large grassy area outside my house that could be used when there aren't kids playing there. I have a small front garden too that the ferrets could run in but I don't think it would be safe to keep their hutch there.

Does anyone on here keep both species in the same garden or room indoors? Do you take any extra precautions?


----------



## bampoisongirl (Mar 28, 2008)

Don't ferrets eat rabbits? Or am I making that up :lol2:


----------



## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

bampoisongirl said:


> Don't ferrets eat rabbits? Or am I making that up :lol2:


Yep lol


----------



## samurai (Sep 9, 2009)

Yes they do eat rabbits, hence me not yet having a ferret and asking the questions


----------



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Seemed a sensible question to me - no good getting them and then finding that everyone says you're daft for putting 2 species like that close to each other! :2thumb:


----------



## Rowena (Mar 9, 2012)

I've kept rabbits and ferrets in the same room, neither cared about each other.
The ferrets were far more interested in trying to get to the rats in the other room.

It really varies though, if you have rabbits that are easily stressed out then it's not an ideal idea to have them in the same vicinity. 
You could also be landed with a ferret that wont leave them alone.

Ferrets will eat a rabbit but their sole purpose in hunting is to flush them out of the warrens for them to be shot.


----------



## Charlie BRB (Jul 31, 2013)

in college we have a large 10ft by 6ft open top glass enclosure which is divided into three, the ferrets could always see the rabbits but were never bothered by them


----------



## mitsi (Feb 1, 2012)

our rabbits and ferrets are around 4m apart, wouldn't let them be together as have seen first hand what a ferret can do to a rabbit when I was younger, so just wouldn't risk it, don't have any problems with them as they are, when the ferrets are out in the garden the rabbits are kept away and vice versa.


----------



## bbav (Oct 17, 2007)

Depends on the prey drive of the ferrets and how stressy your rabbits are to be honest.
We keep 4 ferrets in big indoor cages with a free roaming house rabbit and have had no problems at all..The rabbit hops-sniffs around the ferrets cages..yes the ferrets sniff at the rabbit but that's all really.We have let the rabbit have (very supervised ) face to face meetings outside of the cage with our 2 older boys as we know neither of them have a high prey drive.
The other 2 have a slightly higher prey drive so have only met though the cage bars.But are getting better..one even had his nose chinned while sniffing though the cage the other week lol.


----------



## miss_ferret (Feb 4, 2010)

my ferret shed is less than 1m from the side of the rabbit shed, neither are bothered. just use common sense and make sure any exposed wire in the rabbit shed is small enough that the ferrets head cant get through. 

I would say that if you're going to have problems at all, its going to be with the ferrets prey drive going mental, but just make sure they cant get in, are well fed and have better things to occupy them than rabbit mascaraing and you should be fine. 

to give an example, most of mine are retired workers, I feed rabbit on a regular basis, yet what was the first thing my former best rabbiter did when she got past me one day? try to play with the goat.


----------



## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

My rabbits have the run of the garden and regularly go up to the ferret enclosure and rub noses with them, neither seem to really care, rabbits can get nervous about the smell of ferrets and very jumpyn but they do get used to it over time once they realise they are in no danger.


----------



## samurai (Sep 9, 2009)

Ok thanks, might be a possibility then


----------

