Ferrets
 

Anybody have one? I'm thinking about getting one, they seem to be a wicked pet to have. My friend has one and whenever I go over it goes on my shoulder and all that stuff, pretty cool. Only thing is it smells a bit.

If you have one, do you have any suggestions as to maintaining them etc, they seem to be very needy animals.

Actually, they aren't really that "needy". I've owned 3 ferrets and would have another one in a heartbeat. As far as "maintaining" them, they're pretty much just like any other pet: feed and water, change their litterbox, and give them a bath every now and then... that's about it.

From doing some research, it says that when you're not home you should cage them, otherwise they may dig into the bottom of couches etc, true?

VERY true. Forgot to mention that you will have to "ferretproof" your house before you start letting them run free.

Alright. Thanks alot for your tips. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get one or two (two so the other one doesn't get lonely when I'm not home).

Oh, one more thing, chocolate is toxic to ferrets (it will kill them) so never let them near any chocolate candy, etc.

I really like the little butterscotch colored ferrets, i always wanted one, but I don't think I could be bothered to take care of one the way they need ot be taken care of. They love to play, and are alot of fun to watch. If you build/buy them cool teeter totters and tunnels and whatnot they'll be all over that stuff.

I'm more a fan of pets that allow me to be an irresponsible caretaker. You can leave invertebrates without food or water for weeks at times if you happen to be the forgetful type, come back, throw them a couple crickets and be on your way again...

I just got a pair of these guys
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y58...l/MVC-017S.jpg

I'm currently running a ferret shelter with my friend and taking care of 23 of them. They aren't really that needy but they do need to be looked after more than other pets. They love attention though and yes do make sure you have any place you don't want them going well blocked off as they love small spaces. If they can get their head through it they can normally fit the rest of their body through.

There are also a lot of products out there to reduce the smell. Most of it comes from their poop and not the ferret. We use Marshall Bi - Odor Ferret Waste Deodorizer to help reduce the smell. And they will smell more for awhile after you wash them as their body produces more oil to replace what was washed away.

They have no sense of fear and will get themselves into situations that will kill them. We have a whole room just for the ferrets that use to have 5ft tall 3 story cages for them to sleep and climb around in. Some of the ferrets would jump from the top in an attempt to get over the wall of their pen so they could run around the house.

You don't have to go all out and buy a bunch of toys as they will play with ANYTHING. Cardboard boxes are a big hit with the ones we have and squeaky toys will drive them all into a frenzy.

It doesn't hurt to know what your getting into as some of the ferrets we get are in pretty bad shape. Oh and feed them ferret food. Cat food is ok in a pinch but will kill them after awhile as they don't get everything they need from it.

Ferrets are a blast, but you should definitely learn all about them first. They're like toddlers that never grow up.

Thanks for all the info, it was really informative & will help me in my decision immensely.

that thing is bad ass

I think ferrets are cool as hell, but not sure I could keep any myself due to their strong musk...

Not a big fan of the smell of urine that seems to follow them everywhere 24 hours after you give them a bath.

Yeh D thats my biggest concern is the smell.... but the odour spray etc, should work I hope.

get a female, the few ferrets i have seen that really stunk were all males. if you throw them a long chunk of that flexy hose that runs from the back of your drying machine, they will run laps through that shit all day.

http://alexandriaanimals.org/~awla/animals/ferrets.jpg

i almost want a ferret now, but i am already decided on getting dart frogs next. i need to get out of the porn industry and into the exoic pets trade, lol...

So the females dont smell as much, very nice I knew there was a reason I loved women. That pic is wicked btw.

Cool... so you've made your decision.

:thumbsup

Let us know how the deodorizer goes. I might wanna follow suit and get a couple of ferrets myself down the line... I dig on their curiosity and fearlessness.

ferrets must be pretty tolerant of human bullshit, lol. i saw a whole wack of photos of dressed up ferrets, and ferrets doing some weird shit. i bet they'd make an awesome little pet...

I'll keep you updated for sure D, No worries. They are cool pets, I've wanted one for a while now

yes, thats exactly the type of thing i was talking about.

ferrets in human clothes are teh funny

this could kill yah!:(

those pictures are hilarious!

Actually he couldn't. On a scale of 1-5 their venom is rated a 3, with most written accounts of their bites being fairly mild. I do however have some baby Indian Reds, and a couple of adult Deathstalkers that could though. I have 5 different species of scorpions right now, and a couple more on the way. The deathstalker, though not the most potent scorpion in the world, is responsible for the most human casualties...

It's kind of funny cuz the biggest meanest looking scorpions actually tend to be the more docile and less venomous tropicals, it's the little yellow guys that'll crank ya...

http://www.neareast.org/main/news/upload/up480(2).jpg

this one WILL kill you...

While some think female ferrets don't smell as bad they are known to be a bit more active than male ferrets. We have several male ferrets that are more than happy to just sit there on your lap. We have quite a few female ferrets that are more aggressive and are more than happy to bite your toes, socks, and shoes. But I will say the female ferrets are fun to play with and seem to have more energy overall.

Here's a video of a few ferrets doing their "War Dance":

https://youtube.com/watch?v=bq3_OMz7CMU






Cracks me up every time... :1orglaugh

Holy shit dude, a ferret shelter? Awesome.

I USED to have one before it died :( , you'll have to make sure to keep all rubber items away from them. They bite on that stuff and it's not good for their digestive system also they can choke from it (that's how mine died). Also they take a lot of shits and do tend to smell bad that's why it's your responsibility to wash them and clean them as often as possible. Other than that they are a great pet to have, very smart, and never too lazy.

INSTANT REPLAY!!! :1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

I so want a ferret now...

Just make sure you dont' give them a bath more then once a week. It's actually bad for their fur and skin as you're washing away all of their natural oils. Yeah, they stink, but there is stuff you can add to their food/water to help cut down on the smells.

thanks for all your tips guys, and that video was hilarious lmfao

If I get two how big should the cage be inorder for them to be comfortable and still have fun.

They're good for rabbitting.

A cage should be big enough for both of them to move around and not be cramped together. So it really depends on the size of your ferrets. They will grow more towards their full size with a larger cage. There are some decent 2 and 3 level cages you can get that 2 ferrets would be fine in. It also depends on how much stuff you plan on putting in there with them....lol.

We were using 4 Super Pet Deluxe Care Home Multi Floor cages but now we're only using sections of it as it's easier to clean and removed the tops and the ferrets seem to like it. They loved the big cages but because their digestive track is so short when they have to go....they HAVE to go. The cage is so big we had to have litter pans all over the place as sometimes they just couldn't make it.