# Ferrets



## AveryandAudrey (Sep 20, 2010)

Hey guys I'm interested in getting a ferret maybe. Is anyone on here a ferret owner? If so got any advice for me, tips, or links, general information? Thanks :smile:


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

I've had ferrets since 2005, 8 over the years although I only have two left now. They are a lot of fun, very adorable, you can't help but be cheered up around them. They are also very messy, expensive, prone to about a zillion health problems, noisy, frustrating little monsters. By which I mean like I will be cleaning out their room, you can leave the litter pan in place for the first half hour, the second I move it and turn my back, my little girl is pooping on the floor. Then she'll go climb in the nice clean box later and throw all the litter out. Or maybe she'll toss the water out. 5am they might both start pounding on the door. I don't cage them, they just have a room but when we did cage them, they would chew and scratch at the door or whatever the second they saw or heard you and not really stop until they are exhausted. They will get everywhere, places they barely fit, you can't get them out of and are dangerous, they will wreck your couch or bed if given access, scratch up carpet, wreck flooring with potty accidents, and then bite the crap out of you for no good reason. They are like dealing with annoying toothy toddlers forever. You can either deal with it or you can't, many get dumped because they demand too much time and attention or are destructive or aggressive. You work around them, we have two futons and crazily defended chairs, they are gated off the kitchen, there is no carpet in their room (holds odor), and plastic sheeting on the floor so they can't wreck it. 

There are a few good breeders but most ferrets are from farms, you can pretty much count on adrenal disease, along with a fair share of lymphoma and insulinoma. Almost all of mine have been adrenal, half with lymphoma, 2 with insulinoma. Possibly a blockage surgery, several emergency visits, I've spent over $5G in vet bills on them so far, finding a good vet in advance very important. They are obligate carnivores, like cats so raw is ideal, otherwise kibble is pretty pricey as well for good stuff. No clay litter. Toys and blankets can be cheap, tunnels, boxes, stuff to dig around in. You'd need a big cage and a lot of time to have them running around, as well as the almost impossible job of ferret proofing, complete with monthly heart attacks when you can't find their new sleeping spot when they are loose.


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

Good forum
The Holistic Ferret Forum - Home

These are the two I have left. 









The one on the left above as a kit, their coats change like crazy!


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## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

GoingPostal described ferrets to a T. Expensive, mischievous, cute yet slightly evil little buggers. I have three and I love them to death, but I've only had them since last Sept/Oct and I've already spent $1,000+ on them between their cage, hammocks/beds, vet bills for the little one when she got sick, food, etc. 

There really is no way to 100% potty train them, my female is pretty good about using the litter box (I'd say about 80%) but the boys are only about 50% trained to use the litter box. I make sure they get plenty of time out of the cage during the day so they'll be nice and tired when it's time for us humans to go to bed, because they do have a bad habit of "digging" in the cage and causing a loud ruckus if they get bored. They're also ridiculously smart and I find that mine get into more trouble when they don't have enough mental stimulation. 

Here's a video of my little girl Ramona rolling over, lol 
IMG_0561.MOV - YouTube

I tell my boyfriend all the time that he should be a "certified ferret trainer" LOL. He's always finding new things to teach them.


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

My sister had a ferret his name was avery and i affectionatly called him the "little retard" he was just like a small retarded child just happy about everything,never paying you any attention youd pick him up to take him away from the trash and he would go back to it take him away go back to it take him away go back to it you could pull him away from teh trash a million times and he would still go right back to it.
and he had a face that didnt change exspressions so he always had that "blank" look to him like cats and dog you can see what they are thinking all over there faces ferrets just always look blank.

dont get me wrong ferrets are not dumb they are very smart he was just known as "little retard" due to his blank exspression and forever optimism about everything.
he drove everyone bonkers becuase ferrets CAN climb and he would climb right up the counter and get on the top of the fridge or in the cupbords or in the top of the closet dont even THINK youll be able to ferret proof your house its near impossable.

he sure was a cutie and i liked him alot he enjoyed roughhouseing with me just like a puppy we would wreslte and chase eachother he was alot of fun.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

I had two female ferrets in the past. I personally will never own them again. They are great for the right person. I am not the right person. The level of cleaning and care required for them was more than what I felt I was getting back in our relationship/ I felt like a slave to my ferrets. They are messy. You can litter train them but if they get too far away from a litter box they have no problem pooping in any random corner. They also smell. I didn't mind the musky smell too much but some people REALLY do not like it. A diet without fish and BiOdor ( a product made with amino acids you add to their water) can help with smell. Also, females are not as pungent ad males. 

They also steal your stuff. It is wise to know where they prefer to stash your stuff in case they take your keys or something important. 

They do not cover their poop like most cats do. They sometimes play in their poop. They don't give a crap. They do whatever the heck they want to. They are cute and entertaining but it is a long commitment so make sure you want to do this before you get one (or two, I think they do better in groups). There are SO many in shelters because people do not realize what they are getting into. 

Not to be a Debbie Downer on this one. Just sharing what I know. Good luck on whatever decision you make.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

I was super excited when we bought our house and hubby agreed we could get a pair of ferrets. I'm really glad I did a ton of reading and forum lurking, though, because for being "small" animals, they seem like a lot of work, and expense. I think it takes a real "ferret person" to adequately care for them AND enjoy them. I'd like to maybe have me someday, but am just to committed elsewhere (uh. Dogs. Lol) for them right now. 
I am not saying don't get them, just read read read and decide if you're prepared for them. I learned I wasn't. So I bought a bunch of Dane puppies instead. LOL


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

It's awesome that people do their research and realize an animal is not for them, I always stress the bad parts of ferret ownership because far too many people just see them as cute and adorable and don't think beyond that. 5 out of my 8 were rehomed to me from people who got tired of them, or couldn't deal with them anymore, etc. Bouncing from home to home and in and out of different groups is very stressful on them. Also they aren't really "cuddly", seems to disappoint many new owners, they are very persistent, doesn't matter how many times you try to correct or stop them from doing something, if they can get to it they will continue it. 

Odor is less on raw, it's mostly on their bedding and their poo anyways so if you keep that clean it's not much of an issue, they do poo A LOT. They smell musky if you just sniff them but there is a huge difference between a ferret on cheap kibble and a ferret on raw, when I took in my friends 3 they stunk for 6+ months, it was gross. Even when I had 7 at once people couldn't tell but I had to clean their room 2x a week to keep it that way.


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## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

Wolfsnapps88 made a great point,


> They are great for the right person. I am not the right person. The level of cleaning and care required for them was more than what I felt I was getting back in our relationship/ I felt like a slave to my ferrets. They are messy.


I have gone through this feeling before. It does take some getting used to and I agree that it does take the "right person". I am lucky that my boyfriend splits all responsibilities with me when it comes to the animals. He cleans the cage in the morning and feeds them, I clean the cage and feed them at night. They do make a MESS. Everyone comes up with their own "method" to decrease the mess and/or make it easier to clean up. I've noticed that the more they are out of their cage, the less of a mess they make when you put them back in. I don't use shredded bedding or anything, we just use blankets and wash them once or twice a week (they don't poop or pee on their blankets). The cage never smells unless we delay cleaning it, we are living in a small space so we are really meticulous about the odor. Now that the ferrets have been eating only raw for 6 months, they have very little smell. There is a slight muskiness but nothing compared to the smell they had when we got them - it used to stick to your hands or anything they touched. Now when my friends come over they're like "I thought ferrets were supposed to smell?!" 

I also know what she means about not "getting anything back" in the relationship - they can be aloof and troublesome and frustrating. I am happy to say though, that we have developed a really "close" relationship with our ferrets. They enjoy interacting with us and even have their cuddly moments. They get excited to see us just like the dogs, they get even more excited for mealtime and can be quite demanding.


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## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

I second what pretty much everyone has said. I've owned ferrets for more of my life then I haven't (I'm 20 and owned ferrets for 13 years) and they are a TON of work, but, for some people, its worth it. You can never have a bad day with ferrets around as they are always cheerful and happy with the simplest of toys. You will find that each ferret has its own tastes when it comes to toys. One of mine liked soft things, another crinkly things, another something shiny etc. My ex and I ran a rescue of sorts and had quite a few come in (the most at one time was 17, not including our own 5. Total we had about 200 come through our house) I hate not being able to have them right now, its hard enough finding a place to rent with three big dogs and a cat lol but once I get my own place I will definitely have them again  

And honestly, when it comes to the smell, you start to like it. I actually really enjoy it and miss it now that I don't have them anymore


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## AveryandAudrey (Sep 20, 2010)

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.


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## twotonelover (Jan 10, 2011)

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


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## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

AveryandAudrey said:


> 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


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

RedneckCowgirl said:


> 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.


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## AveryandAudrey (Sep 20, 2010)

twotonelover said:


> 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.


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## AveryandAudrey (Sep 20, 2010)

GoingPostal said:


> 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 :tongue1: 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.


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

AveryandAudrey said:


> 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.


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

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.


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## brandypup (Jan 23, 2012)

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.


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## AveryandAudrey (Sep 20, 2010)

xchairity_casex said:


> 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


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