I think they are the coolest little guys and I'm considering getting one next year, but I'd like to get informed first.

So do any of you TWWers have a ferret? Any good resources for info? I know the basics, but I'm just curious what it's like day to day.

3/31/2009 4:53:13 PM

i think there was a long thread on this somewhere before. Maybe a mod can bump it for you. There was a lot of useful discussion.

With that being said, I can't stand those things.

3/31/2009 4:56:40 PM

They are awesome. Do your research about potty training. They adjust to whatever your sleeping schedule, day to day. Your house has to be CLEAN... they need to be out for several hours a day, TONS of energy, and the #1 DEATHS in Ferrets is ingesting small things, metal, and raw veggies (carrots) that getting stuck in their stomach and it causes intestinal blockage. They are a lot to keep an eye on, but they're freakin awesome.

3/31/2009 5:11:20 PM

I have never had one, but my roommate did. She was adorable and made a great pet (and she got along well with the kitten in the house, too). He bathed the thing with ferret shampoo once a week (sometimes twice), so she never had an unpleasant smell. In fact, she smelled good most of the time. She used a pan just like the cat, and as long as he kept it scooped, that never stunk either. He kept her in a big cage with a hammock, toys, and the pan, and just opened the door when he was home, and she roamed around the house.

If you can commit to keeping the pan clean and the animal bathed, you'll probably enjoy a ferret. Just keep in mind that they are very curious and get into almost anything, so you have to "ferret-proof" the house.

3/31/2009 5:19:07 PM

They are very curious and always like to snoop in corners or tunnel. I had a problem with mine tunneling behind couch cushions and going into the couch. Also, they are pack rats so make sure if you leave drink bottles/cans around they are closed!

They are natural litter-users, provided you put a litter box in the corner. They back into a corner to do their business, and you should make sure you always have one close by or they will have an accident. The ferret should be bathed regularly, or get oily and start to smell. I always used Johnson-Johnson tear-free baby shampoo. As long as you bathe them regularly, they will not have big issues with the tub.

Generally they are playful and a lot of fun. They will be much happier if not left in a cage all the time, and also if they have a playmate-ferret or even a cat (although they will play with you as well). Also, mine would perch on my shoulder and stay there as I went on walks, which plenty of people were eager to ask about.

[Edited on March 31, 2009 at 5:34 PM. Reason : .]

3/31/2009 5:34:20 PM

oh man.

i am SO getting a ferret after reading the few posts so far.

but it will have to wait for a few years, until we move country and our daughter is a few years old.

are they similar in nature to otters? cuz i see otters on tv and i just want to have one to play with, to hold, and to cuddle with.

btw, this had me lolling:

Quote :

"ferret shampoo"

and esp this:

Quote :

"going into the couch"

3/31/2009 5:58:05 PM

message_topic.aspx?topic=529584&page=1#11692133

I'd suggest taking PY 200 with Mayhorn if you have any questions regarding ferrets

3/31/2009 6:06:17 PM

men who own ferrets = men who own poodles

3/31/2009 7:25:35 PM

ferrets are the shit


i love ferrets

3/31/2009 8:04:53 PM

Last time I was at petsmart, this guy had one on a leash. Shit was hilarious. I guess I just never thought I'd see a ferret on a damn leash or in a collar for that matter.

3/31/2009 8:20:39 PM

I had two growing up. I got them when they were 6 months old, and had them till they died, at 8 and 9 years old. I still miss them sometimes.

My brother and his fiance currently havve 4.

3/31/2009 8:21:44 PM

http://trifl.org/

I have two, "Jack & Stitch". Both were rescues and are around 5 years old now. They are awesome pets.
Check out website for more info.

[Edited on March 31, 2009 at 8:54 PM. Reason : web]

3/31/2009 8:54:10 PM

Everyone I've known who owned a ferret let the thing destroy their apartment. Plus the stink to high heaven

3/31/2009 9:01:43 PM

I had a ferret that is now owned by tdwhitlo. Ferrets are awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Had I not had such a high needs kid, I would still have one. BUT they are natural thieves and sneaks. They'll take anything that they can get to and hide it. They'll also get into any space that they can find. Not to mention, they have a natural musky scent that can put some people off. But man, ferrets are pretty snazzy.

I also feel that it is necessary to add that most people bathe their ferrets way too often. Bathing them just dries them out and encourages the production of their stinkiness.

[Edited on March 31, 2009 at 9:06 PM. Reason : Pu]

3/31/2009 9:03:46 PM

had an ex with a ferret. hell of a time finding the thing when it decides to tunnel or burrow into a couch or closet.

nice pet. played with anyone/anything.

she didn't wash or clean the litter box on the regular though.

[Edited on March 31, 2009 at 9:40 PM. Reason : nor let him out as often as she should have.]

3/31/2009 9:40:21 PM

Odd, just this morning heading to work I pass an old POS car with the trunk wide open and a giant cage stuff inside. Was wondering what kind of pet would need a cage that big until a ferret head popped up into view, climbed around the side of the cage and went back outta view. Keep in mind this car is moving 50+ mph. Sure as hell gave me one of those 'well that's odd' thoughts. Are they anything like hamsters in the fact that they can get stressed easily, leading to a shortened life?

3/31/2009 11:22:16 PM

i had one a while back


very smart, and easy to train


and contrary to what everyone says about them stinking, if you get a descented and spayed female, the only thing that will stink is the cage, and that just takes you cleaning it regularly

3/31/2009 11:37:19 PM

Quote :

"Are they anything like hamsters in the fact that they can get stressed easily, leading to a shortened life?"

not in the extreme like hamsters. ferrets are a bit more resilient.

4/1/2009 12:46:59 AM

Ferrets will stress themselves on purpose and then be damned happy they did it. They will play with anything and are happy in virtually every situation.

4/1/2009 6:28:12 AM

Only experience I have with these is going to a guys house who had one and the place smelled so bad. But I think we had one in science class in middle school and it wasn't so bad. I've never played with one though.

4/1/2009 9:32:50 AM

Ferrets are wonderful pets if you have the time to devote to them. They work best in pairs. They are a big responsibility in terms of litter changes and baths. Think of them as small children because they will get into everything as they are very curious and they will chew on things like power cords. In return you will get companions that are very adorable and easily trainable if done early on. The good news is that they can sleep like 16+ hours a day. I miss our ferrets tremendously.

4/1/2009 9:51:09 AM

This thread has taught me that ferrets are super high maintenance cats.

4/1/2009 9:52:21 AM

^that is a fair assessment, but they are much more fun, and people friendly (not such completely loners)

4/1/2009 10:03:33 AM

Sometimes I wish my cats were loners. They won't leave me alone when I'm trying to sleep in on the weekends

4/1/2009 10:23:13 AM

Even demusked, your whole house will smell like shit for eternity. And no ferret I've ever meant has actually been litter trained (it's a myth), it's actually corner trained. So basically you have to have a litter box in EVERY corner or your house. Check out the ones at pet stores and you'll see what I mean. They also have a nasty habit of having zero bite inhibition. They will often randomly freak out and try to rip off your limbs.

Oh, and you have to get them registered and have yearly rabies shots just like dogs and cats, so that's a big consideration too.

[Edited on April 1, 2009 at 10:42 AM. Reason : moof]

4/1/2009 10:37:01 AM

^so you must have had a friend that didn't take care of their ferret at all.

You may have a slight odor, but it isn't a garanteed occurance. You can barely tell that my brother has 4 at his house.

Ferrets are litter trained, but sometimes, they choose the corner. It definately isn't every corner though.
Bitting is something that can be left uncorrected, but is easily fixed. I is not something you can generalize about the species. You have to also remember that their play can be rougher that you expect. They have to be taught not to bite hard, just like a dog.

We never had ours registered, and was never a problem.



We put up baricades so the ferret could only be in one room. Letting them roam the house unattended is just asking for problems.

[Edited on April 1, 2009 at 11:59 AM. Reason : .]

4/1/2009 11:58:18 AM

check out craigslist for ferrets looking for homes.
I constantly see people rehoming ferrets on there, complete with cages and supplies.
Often times the adoption fee is a fraction of what you would pay for the ferret (typically $100-$200 at a petstore), cage (run you $100+) etc...

When ferrets are younger they tend to nip/bite and they must be trained, just like you would a puppy, that it's unacceptable. Adopt an adult and you can avoid this. Mine were two when I adopted them and they've never nipped. They're classroom pets and are incredibly sweet.

Ferrets do need rabies and distemper vaccines. Most vets will do it for $30-$50.

4/1/2009 12:28:36 PM

Quote :

"This thread has taught me that ferrets are super high maintenance cats."

as someone else said, thats a pretty fair statement. Nearly all of their downsides can be corrected, however its a lot more work than I would be personally willing to put into a pet of their nature. Even people I know who cared for and trained them so that the smell wasnt an issue when I visited their place, they were as annoying as any pet could be after the initial entertainment wore out.

Obviously certain people in here disagree; just make sure you know that you will have a bit more responsibility associated with them than a cat or something if you want them to be enjoyable to live with. If you can take care of that it sounds like you'll be good as I imagine you wouldnt get annoyed by them as easily as I am since you are interested in getting one in the first place

[Edited on April 1, 2009 at 12:52 PM. Reason : ]

4/1/2009 12:46:49 PM

Any ferret bred domestically will have been demusked. You still have to bathe them in the tub though 2-3 weeks is a good guideline.

4/1/2009 2:45:21 PM

As an owner of a super high maintenance cat that is incapable of being by herself, I can assure that if that's what a ferret is, you don't want a ferret

4/1/2009 3:34:19 PM

Quote :

"they were as annoying as any pet could be after the initial entertainment wore out."

umm what?

ive had my cat for 6 years and the "entertainment value" hasnt worn out. nor is she anoying

wtf

i hope you dont have any pets

4/1/2009 3:44:38 PM

Quote :

"no ferret I've ever meant has actually been litter trained (it's a myth("

I had mine litter box trained within 3 days, and it was never a problem after that... as long as you research methods about how to go about it, then it is easy to do



another benefit to ferrets (I haven't read to see if it has been mentioned) is that their fur is hypoallergenic

4/1/2009 4:12:49 PM

Quote :

"umm what? ive had my cat for 6 years and the "entertainment value" hasnt worn out. nor is she anoying wtf i hope you dont have any pets"

I think you misunderstood me. I love cats, and dogs and pets in general. Growing up I had a cat that lived 19 years and another that lived 17 years (ie we took very good care of them) and also had a few dogs and towards the end of me living at home, my parents got 2 goats I also plan on getting a dog of my own probably this year.

I didn't mean it as "they were just as annoying as any other pet" I meant "they are as annoying as a pet could be" ie think of the most annoying domestic pet most people have and thats how I view ferrets as a pet. I'm not really sure how to clarify that, its just a saying I guess I've picked up over the years. Ever heard someone describe something/someone by saying "they were as annoying as could be"?

4/1/2009 4:26:04 PM

yeah i guess i get what you're saying now

i read it as pets were objects and got boring and annoying after awhile

4/1/2009 10:18:14 PM

RIP Fritz

4/1/2009 10:19:47 PM