Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have been wanting a ferret for about a year. My fiance insists that they are horrible to have as pets. He insists that they destroy furniture and they smell very bad. I have known people that have had them and nobody has said anything other that they like to steal things. I guess it's their curious nature. My fiance on the other hand has not had one personally, but has had friends that has and that's where he gets all of his negative thoughts about them. If anyone has advice or knows of a web site that I can have him read I would appreciate it. There's a little ferret in a pet store and he's been there for about 3 weeks and everytime I go in there I play with him, so I think he's waiting for me. Thanks Traci

Ferrets can be destructive. Mine totally trashed my sofa burrowing into it. I got rid of it and bought a futon. Some are bad carpet diggers too. Very few ferrets are 100% with the litterbox so that's another problem with carpeting. It can become smelly from their "accidents". One of the selling points of my house was all but one room have hardwood floors. I intend to pull up the carpet in the one remaining room.

Ferrets themselves aren't smelly but their bedding and litterboxes can become so. Washing bedding at least weekly and cleaning litterboxes daily will keep the smell to a minimum. If you do have carpeting, get a steam cleaner. You'll most likely need it. Arm & Hammer pet formula carpet refresher is great for helping to keep carpets & rugs smelling good. A few months ago my little sisters and one of their friends came to visit. When they walked in the first thing their friend said was, "damn your house smells good". At the time I had 10 ferrets. So the smell some people associate with ferrets can be controlled. It just takes a little work.

Ferrets are wonderful pets but they do have some bad habits. Being aware of the negative aspects of being owned by them will help you make a more informed decision as to whether a ferret is the right pet for you. Some good sites to visit are www.ferretcentral.org and www.miamiferret.org.
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I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it.

Thanks for the advice. Is the arm and hammer for the carpet cleaner or is it just like a spray? I just bought my ferret today. He is just the funniest thing to watch. As for the carpets being ruined, I have a puppy that's taken care of that.

Congrats! Details...boy/girl, color? The Arm & Hammer stuff is a spray on, no vacuuming or anything. Make sure it's the Arm & Hammer brand though, the Renuzit stinks. The Winn Dixie brand smells ok but doesn't last as long. I have a basic ferret care article that the shelter I work with hands out as part of our educational materials. If you would like a copy email me at WeaselLuvr@aol.com.
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I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it.