To properly maintain pets, you need to take care in advance of comfortable living conditions for them. Ferrets are fluffy and quite active animals, accustomed to resting in secluded places such as burrows, near stumps, logs, and bushes. In nature, these small animals prefer to be on soft soil, which perfectly adapts to its body shape. At home, you can quickly and easily make a comfortable hammock for your ferret if you know what and how to use.
Why is it needed?
It’s not difficult to make a hammock – a hanging bed for a ferret – with your own hands, the main thing is to understand why it is needed, what tasks it should perform. For a playful animal, a hammock is not only a comfortable place to sleep, but also for games and watching what is happening around. The ferret loves to hide, looking out for its “prey” from ambush. Depending on the functions assigned to the hammock, it can be made in the form of a cozy house, a long pipe, or a labyrinth.
In addition, a hammock for a ferret should berespect the time of year. For example, in the summer it is not relevant to use a hanging bed made of cashmere, warm felt or drape. These materials are more suitable for the cold season, and in hot weather your pet will not be so hot in a hammock made of thin fabric.
When making a hammock, it should be taken into account that this playful animal is very agile and has fairly sharp claws. Choosing a material for a hanging bed is of high density. Otherwise, there will be nothing left of the hand-sewn product.
What types of hammocks are there?
There are many options for ferret hammocks. There are not only for home, but also for camping, made from tarpaulin, ropes, carabiners. The most popular category includes:
- Classical. The lounger is made in the form of a rectangular fabric made of knitwear, a soft material. They hang it either with ties or with small carabiners.
- Hammock pillow.Outwardly, it resembles the previous product, but with the addition of foam rubber, padding polyester, and rustling balls. This filler will make the product soft, warm, and comfortable.
- Hammock tube/tunnel. It can be made from either soft or thick fabric.
- House. The structure has four walls, a floor and a ceiling. This is a great option for winter. It’s worth adding pockets and toys inside for your pet’s entertainment.
- Multi-level. The lounger consists of several floors and compartments. Suitable for keeping several animals.
To make hammocks yourself, you don’t have to buy expensive materials. Unnecessary jersey T-shirts, fleece blankets, and old felt boots are quite suitable.
Requirements
The size of the hanging bed must correspond to the dimensions of the cage. It is optimal to make it from 30×30 cm to 35×45/35×60 cm. You need to add a reserve allowance to the length of the ties in order to hang the hammock at the desired height.
The material is chosen with increased density, according to the specific time of year. Carabiners are often used as suitable fasteners and are connected to ties. You can attach to each rope using 4 pieces, or you can collect all the ties and connect them at the top using a ring. Any option is quite suitable for a pet.
How to make a hammock for a ferret with your own hands
Considering the different methods of making a hanging lounger, it is worth highlighting the main ones that everyone can do. The main thing is to prepare the necessary material and follow the instructions.
From felt boots
Making a kind of felt felt house for a furry animal is quite simple and quick. To hang it in a cage, you need to stock up on strong, thick braid. A well-dried and cleaned felt boot is turned upside down and the ties are sewn on.Such a house is suitable both for shelter from the heat and for warmth during the cold season.
Hammock pillow
Such a soft hanging lounger will be especially pleasant for a small animal; it is hung on a loggia or terrace. Here you will need a piece of fabric with an allowance of 5 cm on each side. First, the material is turned inside out, stitched along the sides, leaving a small opening on one side for laying the filler. Then they turn it inside out again and fill the inner space with padding polyester and foam rubber. The sewn hammock is hung in the cage by the strings.
Hammock tube
To make a tunnel for a ferret, you need to cut out a rectangle from a piece of fabric. It is recommended to make one blank from soft fleece, drape, felt, and the other from a suitable dense material. The manufacturing principle is the same as for a sandwich:
- Place the top facing layer side down on a flat surface.
- Place foam rubber on it.
- Place the inner side blank on top.
- Connect all layers with pins, sweep, tucking the edges inward.
- Sew.
Out of the bag
It’s quite possible to make a hammock with your own hands from any unnecessary handbag made from natural fabrics. The main thing is to remove fittings and small elements from it. For summer, the house is crocheted and woven using the macrame technique. For winter, a hammock is made using knitting needles. If you have the desire and imagination, then you can create a product from a scarf, hood, sleeves and other things.
Mesh hammock
To make a lounger, you can use a regular fishing net, or you can knit it yourself using one of the simple techniques.It is necessary to cut a rectangular blank from the mesh and wrap it in gathers on tubes (pencils, sticks) from two opposite sides; their length should be 10 cm and diameter 1 cm. Then sew the edges and attach ribbons to them. The result will be a comfortable hammock for sleeping and relaxing.
From fabric
The simplest version of the pattern is a blank in the form of a square with a side of 30 cm, a rectangle with sides of 30 cm and 45 cm. For 2-3 ferrets, the size of the hammock is increased, commensurate with the free space of their main home. The two cuts are connected and sewn on a sewing machine on three sides, first turning them inside out. Then the workpiece is turned inside out again and stitched on the fourth side. If desired, you can use additional lining fabric.
To make it more attractive, a small pillow and toys are placed inside such a bed. Ribbons made of thick fabric and ropes are sewn to the finished product along the edges. Carabiner clasps are relevant here. Furry pets really like pocket-shaped houses. In appearance and design they are similar to duvet covers.
Making a hammock for a playful animal with your own hands is quite simple. You can make do here with improvised materials. It is optimal to sew hanging beds for both hot and cold seasons. The main thing is to focus on durable, natural fabrics.
