Ferret's front claws grow very quickly (presumably because their wild ancestors would wear their front claws down digging tunnels) and therefore usually need to be clipped every month or two. Their back claws rarely need to be clipped but should be checked regularly.

It's important that you don't cut the nails too short because ferret claws bleed profusely if you do. That's because  ferrets have a large blood vessel in their nails. If you look side on to one of your ferret's nails, you will see the blood vessel clearly as a pink line running partly down the nail. Do not cut through this pink line.

Apart from avoiding the blood vessel, it's your choice as to how short your ferret's nails should be. We tend to cut our house ferret's nails as short as is safely possible because this discourages the blood vessel from growing too far down into the nail. However, if you show your ferrets, then you need to leave the nails a bit longer. We're not show experts, but we've been told that ideally the claws should be clipped so that when the ferret is standing on a hard surface, its nails don't quite touch the floor. If you are going to show your ferret, make sure that you cut its claws a day or two before the show, not on the day of the show itself.

Some useful tips:

• If you dribble Ferretone oil into the fur on the lower part of your ferret's abdomen, you will find that your ferret will lie happily on its back, in your lap, licking off the oil, whilst you get on with the manicure.
   
• Accidents will happen (especially if you have a very small or wriggly ferret), so we suggest that you have some styptic (blood stopping) powder to hand, just in case.
   
• After you've clipped the claws, it's a good idea to run an emery board over the tips to smooth out any jagged edges that might catch on the ferret's bedding or your clothes.