thinking

[pinkie1205]

I was thinking about a ferret.

Do they need to be socialized? and do they really smell as bad as I've heard?

[scottyc510]

Ferrets are wonderful pets compable to a cat or dog. They dont smell as bad as people say, because now all Ferrets sold by major breeders 9via pet store or what) and most smaller breeders are fixed and decented when they are going. Ferrets as with all animals need to be socialised. They need a lot of out of cage time, it is always recommended to have more then one ferret so they have some one to play with. Once in awhile you will come across a ferret that has ferret aggression and in those cases it is best for it to be an only ferret. I currently have 5 and will be getting a sixth in a week. (its called ferret math =) ) They are great little pets and a totaly joy to watch, just make sure you have plenty of activites/ toys for them as bordem greatly reduces their live span. Most cat toys work great so long as they dont contain cat nip. Also I believe you have mice? Just be careful some ferrets (not all as I only have 2 that do) still have some hunting instinct and they will catch/kill small rodents. Buddy followed me in the small animal room when I was feeding the Hamsters and Gerbils we had in, I didnt see him come in or he would have been showed back out. I just finished a cage and heard a scratching noise and found him on top of another cage trying to get into it. Thankfully I grap him and no harm was done, but it could have been bad.

[VampireFerrets]

Ferrets live to play. They sleep about 18 - 20 hours a day, but when they're up, they want to eat, poop and play. All ferrets have a slight musk to them, but the smell is kept in check by less bathing and keeping up with the litter box and keeping the bedding clean. No one that comes to my home knows I have 11 ferrets unless I tell them. We only bathe them when they first arrive, then not again until they get into something that warrants a bath. Ferrets are like any other animal, some get along with others, some don't. They are natural born hunters, so it's always best to be cautious what animals you let them be near.
Vamp

[DVM12]

I have Cinn.
Shes my first ferret. The more i bate her the more she smells - even though shes doderized. I bathe her once ever 45days because she gets dirty, but she doesnt smell now that i do that. She gets her litter changed daily, no one knows i have her, until i show her.


Also if you dont spay your ferret or buy a spayed ferret or neutered one they burn themselves up soooo badly when they are in heat they die- unless they are breed immediatly- and we dont need more unwanted ferret babies.

[lilchris_28]

I think they smell worse when they are babies. I've noticed if I go longer than a week without laundering their hammocks and spray out the cage and thoroughly cleaning, they do start to smell pretty bad. As long as you keep up on it, it's not so bad. Clean out your litter pan every day.

I would like to point out that they are more expensive that I thought they would be. Ferret food for the kind I get is $21.99 for an 8 pound bag. I mix it with another kind of food that is $14.99 for a 4.5 lbs bag. They also need to have two distemper boosters and a rabies shot when you first get them and then again every year thereafter. The initial cost for my three ferrets for the cage, the ferrets, and all the supplies (hammocks, food bowl, water bottle, etc.) was approx. $2,500. It's very expensive. But they are awesome pets.

[sara8]

lilchris thanks for pointing out the cost, i never would have guessed that high and we were thinking about ferrets at some point, but with four kids and the pets we already have i can't afford that.