Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have been researching ferrets a good deal for awhile and i want to hear some of your opinions please. Id like to know if yall think i would be a proper owner for a ferret.

My reasoning for interest in them is i used to keep a bearded dragon so im used to having a pet with me that i can play with, keep with me awhile and have some fun.

Heres my life: i work a basic 9-5 kinda deal M-F with the possibilty of overtime(very slim but i need more cash so i hope).
My weekends i am sometimes busy going and the like, mostly at night but sometimes i can be gone for almost the entire day and night on a saturday. The rest of the week i mostly come home and vegitate as it were. Theres sometimes people and noise here on the weekends especially friday nights, not parties so much but more like gatherings.

I believe i can hold up the maintence end of things for the critter and give him his free time, heck can roam my apartment when i come back for all i care. Thats where i do have a question however. I have a basement apartment and sometimes it cool down here, enough to notice, especially in the summer. I would say anywhere from a 5 to 10 degree diff in temp than the upstairs so were looking in the summer ranges from 68-85 and in the winter... id say more like low 60s.

I have no problem with their smell and i have a friend who owns three(im getting the cage from her daughter when she has her bigger one up)so i can always consult local people. Plus we have small animal and exotics specialists in the area incase of a problem should occur.

What do yall think? normally its numeral uno here so thats why i question about owning since im reading everywhere that they like to play and be played with alot and im gone for the entire day. Give me all your opinions, good bad and otherwise im open to all because i dont want to take on a pet and find out at the fuzzballs expense i made a mistake.

Thanks, Ray

Well you do have to realize that ferrets are a high maintenence pet. You will need to clean their little at least once a day and wash their bedding once a week. They do need 4-5 hours of supervised playtime out of their cage especially if it is a smaller cage. They are not caged animals by any means. They do need to sleep 16 plus hours. With a ferret you will need to start staying home instead of always going out. Are you going to be able to spend 4 hours with your fuzzy a day?? If not then a ferret is definately not right for you. Will you have the money if a 600 dollar surgery comes up? They are common for getting things like adrenal disease which means surgery and a large chunk of money taken out of your pocket. Are you ready for that? Are you ready to spend 25 bucks for a bag of their food every 2-3 months? Ready to spend money on toys? Ferrets get bored easily and they do need toys. Are you able to get the vaccinations every year?

These are things that you really need to think about. I volunteer for the ferret rescue in my city and it is sad to see how many people buy a ferret thinking awww look how cute and they leave them to sit in these little cages and the fuzzy waits until the day that he is surrendered cuz the owner does not want him any more. If you are serious about wanting a ferret go out and pick up the book Ferrets for Dummies and read it over. It is a great book and then you will be well educated on what it takes to have a fuzzy in your life!

Ok sounds good. Now can you suggest where i might find Ferrets for Dummies? i havent had much luck at my local shop or petco, would borders or barnes & noble have it?

I would definately think that Barnes and Noble would have it. I am in Canada and I know that Indigo here has it. LOL, but check out Barnes and Noble and see if they have it. I am sure that I saw someone say that they got it there. Any more questions ask away, I have a fuzzbutt that is 3 and I volunteer for the rescue here as well so if I do not know the answer I will get it!

Doesnt anyone live in the lower 48 anymore? Anyway though ill check there tomorrow after work, and thanks for the info.. ill become smarter than i already am.. i just hope i wont have to do a memory dump to make space for the new knowledge( cant afford a memory upgrade lol).hehe ;D

If you do have to do a memory dump, lol, then it will be well worth it! I love my fuzzbutt and the are rewarding little buddies to have in your life!

HEY! while i think on it, ill ask a owner. Do ferrets allow harness/leashes, i see many of them sold at diff places but that means nothing because petstores also lizard leaches and i know lizards HATE to be leashed.

My ferret loves his leash and halter so yes they allow them. You have to get them used to it like a cat or dog, but that is easy and you can use ferretone to bribe them into liking it. They will not always walk where you want them to but they do walk.

hi! sorry im a bit late responding. this board hasnt been to active and i had fallen behind in keeping up with posts

definitly high maintence and expensive pets

PLEASE research before you give your ferret toxins such as vaccines and kibbled food,dont just take it for granted that healthy carnivores need annual diseased needles and grains

(wow, this must be one of the few boards i can say this on without big backlashes)

also, mine loved to go on leashes, except here in florida i dont take them out. they expolored lots of new hampshire, on harnesses

they live in a 3 story cage, with hours of playtime, hammocks, daily poop scoop, etc...

i do believe my barnes and nobles carries ferrets for dummmies

sarah (in the lower 48 states!)
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Sarah
|1 paradise fish, Otis|1 green iguana, Zephyr|2 ferrets,Kody & Roxy|6 painted turtles, Mikka, Leo, Don, Raphy, April, & Poe|5 goldfish, Curly, Moe, Shark, Wiggle, & Fishie Joe|2 applesnails, Timmy & Tommy|2 hedgehogs, Aiden & Loribelle|1 mud turtle, Bug|1 red-eared slider,Nugget|

To find out if a ferret is the right pet for you, I would recommend contacting your local ferret rescue/shelter, setting up an appointment if they require one and let them ask you the questions. I have a rescue in Michigan and I use a screening proccess. In addition to them answering your questions, you will more than likely be able to play with some of the little guys and pick out the one most appropriate for your personality. Hope this helps!
Little Paws Ferret Rescue