Ferrets

[AveryandAudrey]

Thanks for your honest opinions guys. I'm looking into a Ferret Nation cage. Its a good size about 5 levels. I'm doing alot research on ferret forums. I will be doing the raw diet, I mean I do it for my dogs so of course I'll do it for my ferret. I do have a spare bedroom to ferret proof so he (I want a male) can have plenty of run and play time. I have been around them, one of my relatives have two. I also ferret sat for a week once. I work only 12-16 hours a week and I'm home like all the time. So I think I'm up for the challenge.

[twotonelover]

I haven't OWNED ferrets myself, but I've worked with a few dozen that have come through our shelter. Basically like everyone else said, nothing will cheer you up like a couple ferrets bouncing around a room, but they are messy, expensive and a lot of work. I absolutely LOVE ferrets, but I would never own one personally.

I do have rats though, which are just as fun and less expensive/messy, but they have such short lives. One of mine just passed, he would have been 3yrs this June :(

[RedneckCowgirl]

Thanks for your honest opinions guys. I'm looking into a Ferret Nation cage. Its a good size about 5 levels. I'm doing alot research on ferret forums. I will be doing the raw diet, I mean I do it for my dogs so of course I'll do it for my ferret. I do have a spare bedroom to ferret proof so he (I want a male) can have plenty of run and play time. I have been around them, one of my relatives have two. I also ferret sat for a week once. I work only 12-16 hours a week and I'm home like all the time. So I think I'm up for the challenge.

Sounds great, but in all honesty when it comes to ferrets 2 is better and three is best. They are incredibly social and need a ferret for company. Two is fine but then it one passes the other is left all alone, that's why I recommend 3

[GoingPostal]

Sounds great, but in all honesty when it comes to ferrets 2 is better and three is best. They are incredibly social and need a ferret for company. Two is fine but then it one passes the other is left all alone, that's why I recommend 3

And then you get four because you have an odd man out, 5 and 6 because they have a sob story, #7 because you already have six so what's one more.....ferret math is real and dangerous to your checkbook.

[AveryandAudrey]

I haven't OWNED ferrets myself, but I've worked with a few dozen that have come through our shelter. Basically like everyone else said, nothing will cheer you up like a couple ferrets bouncing around a room, but they are messy, expensive and a lot of work. I absolutely LOVE ferrets, but I would never own one personally.

I do have rats though, which are just as fun and less expensive/messy, but they have such short lives. One of mine just passed, he would have been 3yrs this June :(

I have a rat rat now and sadly she's getting old and slowing down. Its hard because they are so sweet and just dont live long enough.

[AveryandAudrey]

And then you get four because you have an odd man out, 5 and 6 because they have a sob story, #7 because you already have six so what's one more.....ferret math is real and dangerous to your checkbook.

Ya I have that problem with dog math hahaha! Or pet math in general I would love to get 2 ferrets. I'm sure husband will agree over time. He always does the "no no no" till hes attached to the animal then the "ok but just 1 more." But he actually wants a ferret and I'm stoked that they can do a raw diet sinc I love having my dogs on it. Any suggestions on items? I want the ferret nation double cage (possibly buy the add on later to make it the 3) and hammocks, fleece, toys. I dont want him bored. But I am home alot so he wont be in cage alot.

[xchairity_casex]

I have a rat rat now and sadly she's getting old and slowing down. Its hard because they are so sweet and just dont live long enough.

i used to have 15 rats at one time gosh i loved them they were so sweet and wonderful all my males knew there names and could come when called my females were too nerotic to learn things like that though.
but yeh they dont live long enough once they began hitting age 3 it seemed like suddenly everyone had a tumor or two one girl had some sort of nerological thing and had sezuires all the time she actually lasted the longest she lasted for 4 years by the time she died she was blind in both eyes and had no control over her back legs. i refused to put anyone down becuase no one was in obvious pain and was active up till death. but yeh it was sad in one month i ended up looseing 5 of them to cancer its hard.

[GoingPostal]

They will mostly sleep when caged, some people set up a dig box in the cage but setup a couple of those either way, you can change out what's in them, plastic eggs, rice, starch packing peanuts if they won't eat them, if you are buying kits watch to make sure they aren't chewing and eating the bedding, they send them to stores way too young. Derby eggs and small stuffed animals are usually popular for them to steal and stash.

And there's two more ferrets getting dumped locally on facebook...grrr.

[brandypup]

Well the only thing I know about them is pet store ferrets are not the way to go. Marshall Farms is a leading supplier of ferrets and they are also a leading supplier of ferrets to labs. They are cute. I have been able to find them in shelters and on petfinder.

Good luck.

[AveryandAudrey]

i used to have 15 rats at one time gosh i loved them they were so sweet and wonderful all my males knew there names and could come when called my females were too nerotic to learn things like that though.
but yeh they dont live long enough once they began hitting age 3 it seemed like suddenly everyone had a tumor or two one girl had some sort of nerological thing and had sezuires all the time she actually lasted the longest she lasted for 4 years by the time she died she was blind in both eyes and had no control over her back legs. i refused to put anyone down becuase no one was in obvious pain and was active up till death. but yeh it was sad in one month i ended up looseing 5 of them to cancer its hard.

I'm PMing you