Finding a perfect pet for you and your family can easily be one of the most daunting journeys anyone can partake in. With so many possible variables, such as how much attention the pet needs and how it will conflict with your children, there are many things to consider when choosing. But rest assured, you’ll walk away from this at least a bit more informed than when you started!
In this case, we will review the difference between a rabbit and a ferret. Since they are both small animals, it goes without saying that one of them would best suit your needs, but which one is it?
The main difference between a ferret and a rabbit is that one is a carnivore while the other is a herbivore. Another aspect is that rabbits are prey, whereas ferrets are predators. On the other hand, they are both small animals that are perfect if you live in an apartment or small living quarters. However, this is just the beginning of having a rabbit vs. a ferret as pets.
Before we even dive into the intricacies of the animals themselves, it’s best to know beforehand that despite being relatively similar in size and overall build, these two animals have unique needs, both from a dietary perspective and from a raw stimulation and interaction perspective. Another large factor between them would be the dimensions of the enclosure required to house them sufficiently.
What Is The Difference Between A Rabbit And A Ferret?
The biggest differences between these two wonderful creatures are their size, shape, diet, and way of navigating life. However, to better understand how these two could fit or clash with your lifestyle, we’ll dive deeper into what makes them unique.
1. Appearances
Looks are indeed everything (in a joking manner, of course), but these two have quite a few traits that overlap. However, their overall shape is dramatically different, especially regarding diversity in color palette!
Rabbits
A rabbit’s appearance varies greatly depending on the specific species you are speaking about. Some, like the English Lop, have incredibly long, almost cartoonishly large ears, while others are micro-sized, like the pygmy rabbit, which is so small you can almost fit two in the palm of your hand.
Another key aspect of appearance is how the colors of rabbits can be dramatically different from one another, even with the same species. Dutch rabbits, for example, have some of the most robust colors available, with things like blue, chinchilla, chocolate, and black, to name a few. Then, alternating these with unique patterns and markings, you can easily see how diverse these little fluffs can appear.
Ferrets
Ferrets are traditionally very slim, lengthy creatures, earning silly names worldwide like “Tube Cat” and other such titles. Still, their long and skinny frame doesn’t get the notable flexibility in sizes and shapes that rabbits do, primarily because there is but one domesticated ferret species available: the Mustela Putorius Furo. To that end, you see some limited flexibility in color range diversity. Still, there are some very unique colorings available within the species itself.
Among the breeds, you have things like silver, point, striped, blaze, and cinnamon to choose from (with several others that were not mentioned). This allows you to choose a ferret that comes in a color you like alongside adorable little markings that can sometimes run the length of their entire bodies!
As for their actual appearance, ferrets have very long, slim bodies, with cute faces that accumulate at the point of their bodies. Their eyes are usually a solid black, with noses and mouths that are usually a very vivid pink or a darker mix of colors. Their personalities match the diversity that they come in.
2. Diet
As far as diets go, these two creatures are incredibly different; rabbits are herbivores, meaning that they only eat plants, seeds, and other plants for the vast amount of their nutritional needs, whilst ferrets are the direct opposite, as carnivores, their diets consist of mostly meat, with special entries from certain members of a unique animal kingdom.
Rabbits
As a herbivore, you can expect a pet rabbit to be perfectly fine with eating a medley of chopped and diced vegetables that will allow their teeth to remain in good condition from chewing on challenging foods and their diets to remain balanced by sprinkling in things that will ensure they are never facing vitamin deficiencies.
Assuming meal prep is not your forte (which no one can blame you for), you might be slightly more inclined to purchase pellet foods, which are a pre-made food blend made into usually a long oval shape that has all the nutritional value of a well balanced meal, without any of the downtime required to make it yourself.
Ferrets
As carnivores, ferrets are accustomed to and absolutely need meat. There isn’t a real method to train them to eat anything else or convert them into herbivores, as this is dangerous to their digestive system. Even eating small amounts of veggies, fruits, or even grains can become disastrous and hazardous to the animal.
In the wild, ferrets will eat small birds, rodents, and even rabbits and be quite happy in doing so. While domesticated, however, you will need to get high-quality meat options for them, with many things like lamb, chicken, turkey, and the like being perfectly fine.
It goes without saying that since ferrets only eat meat, owning one or several can become quite expensive, as at times, they may very well end up eating more lavish meals than you (a wonderful steak for a good fluffy boy, if you will).
3. Behavior
These two are also dramatically different in behavior, with rabbits being more quiet and reserved and ferrets often being more curious and playful. These tendencies usually flesh out even more when the animals become more in sync with their owners, allowing for a greater expression of love and affection expressly unique to the animals themselves.
Rabbits
While you might not expect a rabbit to be an emotionally sophisticated animal, they are quite expressive. They display a wide range of emotions, sometimes subtle and other times very obvious signs and indicators to clue you in on what they are thinking.
When a rabbit is happy, for example, it may leap and bound around to show just how excited it is. If it is feeling lovable, it may give you some kisses or even nuzzle against you for a nice cuddle. However, as our teenage years have probably taught most of us, not all emotions are positive.
If your rabbit does not want attention, it may opt to push and throw its toys and surroundings, have small tantrums, or even bite when it feels threatened, extending this warning into a series of thumps to alert its family that something dangerous is near.
Ferrets
Navigating the deep waters of a ferret’s emotional responses will be difficult for most people at first. It often requires a large amount of research and time to learn each small gesture’s meaning. For example, most animals wag their tails when excited, and ferrets are no different. They will usually make this an entire body movement, making them look even more silly.
They can also experience a severe case of zoomies, where they want to run and play with anything and everything. By default, this is where they sit mentally most of the time they are awake, with the level of play varying from joyful and fun to wanting to “pretend fight” or utilize their predatory expertise in a mock hunt.
It’s worth noting that, like rabbits, ferrets have negative emotions and behaviors. When they are afraid or upset, things like hissing and potentially biting appear on the menu. The length of these hisses can also clue you in on what they are feeling with a bit more depth.
4. Habits
Under most preset understandings, habits are a culmination of different traits and choices that make your animals who they are or the things that they happen to indulge in the most. These habits usually aren’t too big of a deal, but some of them can tend to be a little destructive or annoying, depending on the situation, so it’s good to know what to expect.
Rabbits
Being the owner of a rabbit can be a relatively straightforward experience when dealing with the daily choices your rabbit wants to make. With a usually calm temperament, you can expect them to remain largely the same daily, often eating, playing, and longing for affection at similar times.
While left to their own devices, however, rabbits may opt to burrow or even rearrange their enclosures if they feel something needs a little sprucing up. As far as direct physical habits go, cleaning themselves is one of the most commonplace habits you’ll observe, with grooming being an almost constant endeavor.
Ferrets
Despite how energetic ferrets are when they are awake, they are notorious for how long they sleep, which typically caps out at about 20 hours per day. Thus, they don’t have much time to compress the litany of things they want to accomplish before getting situated for yet another nap.
Throughout that time, you can expect your ferret to be eagerly exploring every possible inch of your home that is accessible to them, and that is not a turn of phrase or a pun. You cannot keep ferrets from exploring, even if it might become dangerous.
The constant need for adventure makes owning ferrets somewhat difficult for first-time owners. Between that and their need for attention during the odd hours they are away, it is very hard to make a normalized 9-5 work schedule fit around this beautiful animal’s needs.
In a perfect world, you’ll want to get two ferrets instead of one, as having a playmate will make their life much more enjoyable and take a certain level of the guesswork out of it for yourself.
5. Grooming
Grooming, or the act of maintaining cleanliness, is something that both rabbits and ferrets have in common. With ferrets, bathing is much more common, but even still, they rely on their own efforts to remain clean.
Rabbits
Most rabbits don’t indulge in filthy behavior, as they are usually extremely tidy and clean animals that cannot stand gunk on them or near them. This raises the next point: Rabbits technically should not be given baths because it is both dangerous and stressful.
Because most rabbits aren’t accustomed to the concept of bathing, the experience changes from being warm, comforting, and enjoyable to a kind of torture, which scares them and makes them feel as if they aren’t in control of what is happening. This might cause them to panic and hurt themselves.
Bathing your rabbit also opens it up to the possibility of hypothermia and other issues that might arise if it isn’t dried properly, fast enough, or even thoroughly. This leads to the recommendation that rabbits should not be washed in general, aside from a dirty bottom, which can be spot-cleaned and does not merit an entire bath.
Ferrets
These little guys find themselves in a very interesting spot as far as grooming is concerned. On the one hand, ferrets have no issue grooming themselves and do a fantastic job of it, but a lot of people mistake them for dirty creatures because they emit a unique odor that comes from the oils they secrete from their skin.
The oil lets them keep their coats nice and clean and prevents them from drying out or clumping from exposure to dirty areas. It’s typically only after you give a ferret a bath that it secretes more of this oil in an attempt to regulate itself that you get the musty scent lingering on it.
Assuming your ferret is clean and behaving normally, you typically don’t need to bathe it more than once every few months. What you do need to micromanage a bit more diligently, however, is their nails with a good trim and their ears, which can get rather gunky when left to their own devices.
6. Lifespan
We all face mortality, and these little creatures are no different from us in that facet of life. The length of a rabbit’s lifespan alters dramatically depending on the species, but a ferret’s is relatively straightforward. These numbers do assume they both have a healthy lifestyle, their needs are met, and obviously no other external life issues arise.
Rabbits
Rabbits have quite a few variables that come into play when considering their lifespan, first and foremost, the breed itself is the largest determining factor, with breeds like the English Flop mentioned earlier living for about 5 to 7 years in captivity, whilst other smaller breeds like the Pygmy rabbit only having around 3 to 5 years alternatively.
You can do your utmost to extend the time you spend with your beloved rabbit by doing them a few favors. For one, rabbits that are either spayed or neutered have been scientifically proven to live longer than rabbits that have not been, on average.
Another tip is that keeping your rabbit indoors will allow it to live longer than normal because it is less exposed to risks a wild or outdoor rabbit would have to deal with. This doesn’t necessarily mean just predators; other factors like weather and even parasites can make a huge impact on how long your rabbit can live.
Finally, you have their overall well-being and diet, which can have a dramatic impact on your animal’s longevity. A proper diet can almost double the lifespan of a rabbit who was simply fed poorly managed nutritional food.
Ferrets
Because there is only one breed of domesticated ferret, you won’t have as much to consider when it comes to how you might go about raising them and what lengths you’ll need to go to for them to lead a long and happy life, which is on average anywhere between 5 to 10 years, but you will need to be a bit more mindful about the specifics of their daily life.
Amongst all animals, genetics plays a large part in how their lives will inevitably lead. Much like humans, a family that is more likely to have high blood pressure could obviously expect it to appear in their children, and ferrets are very much the same.
Having a tracked blood history will allow you to prepare and be advised on what medical anomalies can befall your ferret on the unexpected end, but assuming that isn’t an option, the tried and tested art of keeping them on a balanced diet and ensuring they are exploring and playing enough to remain healthy is your next best bet.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Owning A Rabbit?
The pros of owning a rabbit are that they can be some of the cuddliest, softest, and gentlest creatures around. They have a very calm existence that might bring a person with a chaotic lifestyle a great amount of peace simply by being near them.
Because rabbits aren’t dangerous innately and are very unlikely to be an issue among children or the elderly, they make for a wonderful pet for both growing and established families.
Some of the cons would be that not all rabbits are the same. While they are likely to be cuddly and affectionate (bearing in mind the specifics of the breed you get and their unique temperament), they can also be rather rowdy or more likely to attempt escapes, which can be problematic to keep a lid on. For breeds that aren’t very comfortable with being handled, the temptation to pet them might lead to someone being bitten.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Owning A Ferret?
The wild and adventurous lifestyle a ferret leads can be incredibly inspiring to some people, these free spirits are perfectly content playing with you one moment to exploring the dark unexplored world of the underside of the couch, making them very sporadic and unique to have, often adding spice and complexity to an otherwise very dull and routine lifestyle.
However, because ferrets absolutely must sleep for 15-20 hours a day, seeing them indulge in these antics can be hard sometimes, and if you have a busy work week, you may not want to deal with a ferret or two constantly shifting around and burrowing under your covers or running on your head, when you need the same sleep you gave them.
Final Words
Ultimately, both of these animals can easily fit into your home and, more importantly, your lifestyle, but it’s better to do research and truly imagine what living with one is like before simplifying buying an animal and attempting to wing it, as both of you may suffer the consequences of such an ill-planned decision.
