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Curious about Ferrets

3545 Views 10 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  Elliriyanna
Hi, I've never owned a ferret, but I've always thought about it. Do they bite and can you potty train them to only poop in a designated spot? How friendly are they, and do they require a lot of attention or are they more independent?

And what are the main differences in between owning a pet sugar glider and a pet ferret?

Those two are on the top of my next-to-get list, but I'd like to know more about them and whether they would be right for me.
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anything with teeth can bite, ferrets can be littre box trainned, they do require a lot of attention just like any other pet ,so they do need time and commitment i definetly suggest if you get a ferret you get a pair not singles, and that you do a lot of research on them, i also suggest you get one thats neutured/spayed and decented already. as for sugar gliders i have no experience with those
Hmm ok.. Thanks :) I'm not seriously considering getting one in the near future, but far off future I've been considering a small exotic to get. I have a fear of getting bitten though :( I'm ok with my dog because although she nips, it's in play and I know she is not going to bite me because I train her and I don't abuse her. I wouldn't be afraid of cats either, though I think they might nibble sometimes. Anything else though I am kind of afraid of biting..
Hmm ok.. Thanks :) I'm not seriously considering getting one in the near future, but far off future I've been considering a small exotic to get. I have a fear of getting bitten though :( I'm ok with my dog because although she nips, it's in play and I know she is not going to bite me because I train her and I don't abuse her. I wouldn't be afraid of cats either, though I think they might nibble sometimes. Anything else though I am kind of afraid of biting..
unfortnatley anything with teeth can bite.
Yeah, but you know what I mean. Intentional biting to hurt you. Dogs and cats don't intentionally bite you to hurt you under normal circumstances with a normal healthy cat or dog.
You can train a ferret not to bit just like a cat, i would suggest not rescuing a ferret with behavioral problems though since you are new it is not something i would suggest taking on. So if you go to a shelter to adopt a ferret or two it is something to ask, we had 3 at our shelter not long ago. 2 were very sweet and the other was slightly nippy, and smelled more and in general needed more work to get to a place where it was very sweet. They are mischivious animals though.
Oh ok - I thought they were more prone to biting than cats or dogs. And I had no idea shelters had ferrets! I'm not looking to get one anytime soon, but I'll definitely check at a shelter first, and I will ask about behavioral problems in the ones I look at because I certainly do not want one with issues. I wasn't sure if they were more prone to biting than other rodents/marsupials
I have no experience with ferrets but...

I would NOT recommend sugar gliders (yes, you need more than one) for someone who's afraid of being bitten ;). They are wild animals and during the bonding phase you will be bitten--hard :lol:.
As stated before, all animals can bite. But ferrets are on the low end of the bite list IMO. I have only been bit a few times by a deaf ferret I rescued from a abusive home.
They sometimes do bite if they are very excited in the middle of play, bare in mind that a ferret's skin if pretty thick, so when they bite eachother during play it does not hurt them but it might hurt you. Though they can learn pretty quickly to not do that to you.
They are also very easy to litter train. Ferrets almost always have to use the bathroom (and they pee and poop at the same time) when they wake up, so put them in the litter box when they wake up and do not let the leave it until they use it. Do that a few times and they get trained very fast. And ferrets like to poop in corners, so make sure to put the litter box in a corner.
Also the do need to be let out at least 2 hours a day. And you can even get them a harness to play outside, but watch them as they can slip out and ferrets cannot find their way back.
Get at least 2 of them, they do like to have friends. You can get males and females however more than one female is more likely to fight with eachother than 2 males. With ferrets females are the leaders and if you get a female and male the female will beat him up a little but should not injure him, just slap him around a bit. lol
Do your research on food brands, alot of ferret food is actually bad for them. And you can spend a little more on the good stuff for ferrets because ferrets eat alot slower than most pets so a 25 pound bag can last 2 ferrets at the very least 6 months.
Also you should not give them toys made of rubber or foam, they like to chew and swallow things and those will get stuck in them.
And because this would be your first time owning ferrets I would recommend a older one, one at least 4 years old. They are much more calm and easier to watch when they bounce around the house doing the "weasel war dance". lol
As for grooming they rarely need baths, in fact too much bathing will cause their skin to become dry and flakey and they will start to smell more. They need their nails clipped and their ears cleaned (BTW their ear wax is red, so it is not blood you are seeing.).
And most ferrets are already spayed and neutered when you get them at a petstore or shelter. I do not recommend getting a unaltered ferret. intact males are very mean and smell horrid. And intact females can actually die of infection if not spayed or mated.
Hmmm, what am I forgetting? lol
Is there anything else you want to know?
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I have had both and both sugar gliders bite A LOT however neither ferret or any I have ever owned bit they also can be litte trained my boys taught each other.

I would recommend going through a rescue :D i think a male and a female would be great males tend to be more GO GO GO females more I'm gonna lay here with you.
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