I am thinking about getting a ferret sometime... Its something I've wanted ever since I was 7. My parents are considering it and im trying to make enough money to get one by doing lawn service. I call it my "Ferret Funds" xD. I need to know everything possible about ferrets so I can show off to my parents that im responsible enough to keep one (and so I can have this list as proven answerd ferret facts to show them so they know this information is all true) Anyway... these are some questions I may need answered: 1. Do ferrets like being walked occasionally on a harness and leash? 2. Do they like to eat anything else besides the pet store ferret food? 3. How often do they sleep? 4. Will one ferret need more ferrets to keep it company? 5. What diseases can ferrets get and what can they possibly transfer to humans? 6. What is the life span of a ferret? 7. Can ferrets get along with other household pets such as dogs, cats, or rats? 8. Do ferrets generally like running in a large wheel or ball? 9. What kind of cage should I get and how large should it be? 10. Would it be possible to make a cage myself for cheaper? 11. Is their any way to get ferrets to not stink so much? 12. How big do ferrets usually get? 13. Do they need any special grooming? Dental hygene? Fur? 14. Any needed vaccinations? 15. How often should I usually clean out the cage? 16. Do they need to be spaied or neutered? 17. Does NOT spaying or neutering them make any other difference (besides not being able to mate) as opposed to spaying or nertering? 18. Do they like a certain kind of bedding? 19. Can ferrets learn their name easily? 20. Can they learn special tricks? 21. Are they basically just like small little rodent-like cats? 22. How often should I take it out to play? 23. What are their sleeping hours? 24. What do they usually like to play with? 25. Can they jump or climb very high? 26. Can they ruin things like furniture, carpeting, floors, wood, or any other household things? 27. Which is more reccomended: male or female? 28. Are they easy to potty-train? 29. Do they prefer to go outside rather than inside? (both potty-wise and in general) 30. Can I just let them run around the house often without worrying?(with or without dog in the house) 31. Can ferrets tell the difference between a litter box and the corner of the carpet? (like an aged potty-trained dog can) 32. Do ferrets of a different color (such as a pure white) have any other certain needs as opposed to a common dark brown masked ferret? 33. How many ferret types and colors are there? 34. What is a good age to get a ferret at? (age of the ferret, not the person getting the ferret) 35. How often should you feed a ferret? 36. Do they prefer to drink out of a large rodent bottle or a water dish? 37. Can they drink anything else besides water? 38. How hard do they bite/claw? Does this change as they age? 39. Are they usually agressive? 40. What do they do when you adgitate them or they get mad? 41. Do they shed often? 42. Do they prey apon anything such as mice or insects? 43. What are good ways to keep a ferret from getting out of trouble in the house? 44. Is a ferret a geleral overall good pet to have? Thank you for your time of looking at this massive question list, and if theirs anything else I need to know about ferrets... please do tell! =P This is a lot of questions and if you cant answer all of them in one go, then please just give a good website about ferret care and It'l be fine. xD
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1. Do ferrets like being walked occasionally on a harness and leash? It really depends on the ferret. You'll have to train them (inside the house) to the harness and leash. 2. Do they like to eat anything else besides the pet store ferret food? A raw or natural diet is best for ferrets (and any carnivore), in my opinion. If you want to feed kibble, then here's a chart: http://www.mdferretpaws.org/care/food_tr… It will rate kibble for you. I wouldn't go below an 8. For treats, stick with proteins (raw or blandly cooked meats, uncooked bones, eggs, etc). 3. How often do they sleep? From 16-20 hours a day (higher end in the winter). 4. Will one ferret need more ferrets to keep it company? Ferrets are social creatures, so it is best to have at least a pair of ferrets so they can have company ALL the time. 5. What diseases can ferrets get and what can they possibly transfer to humans? They can give humans the flu. That's about it (for pregnant women there's the threat of toxoplasmosis, but most women--who've ever had a cat--are already immune to it). They can get a number of illnesses, diseases, and cancers. Research and know the warning signs and get annual check ups, so you can catch things early. 6. What is the life span of a ferret? On average 6-10 years. Some can live to 13. 7. Can ferrets get along with other household pets such as dogs, cats, or rats? Dogs and cats can interact ONLY under supervision. Even a usually gentle dog can kill a ferret (either out of aggression or just play). A ferret can kill a cat; a cat can kill a ferret. Small animals really should not interact with ferrets. 8. Do ferrets generally like running in a large wheel or ball? NO! This is a bad idea, and under no circumstances should you get a ball. Ferrets generally won't use wheels, either. 9. What kind of cage should I get and how large should it be? I recommend Ferret Nations. For two or more the Ferret Nation 142 is great. Any cage you decide on should at least have similar dimensions to this 10. Would it be possible to make a cage myself for cheaper? It might, but I can't help with that. 11. Is their any way to get ferrets to not stink so much? Daily cage/play area cleaning. Weekly bedding washings. INFREQUENT bathing (once every 3-4 months at most). A high quality diet. Daily litterbox cleanings. 12. How big do ferrets usually get? Males (I'm talking early alter) get up to 3-4 lbs. Females range from ¼ lb--2.5 lbs usually. 13. Do they need any special grooming? Dental hygene? Fur? You need to trim nails and clean ears once a week or every two weeks. At that time, check nose/eyes/ears/mouth/teeth/belly/private… for anything unusual. If something is seen talk to a vet. 14. Any needed vaccinations? I encourage the first shots (distemper boosters and first rabies). After that, it's up to you to decide what to do. 15. How often should I usually clean out the cage? Every day. Up to twice daily, if needed. 16. Do they need to be spaied or neutered? If you live in the UK or get a fert from a private breeder then YES. Females for health reasons (they can get aplastic anemia and die) and males for behavioral reasons (hobs can get aggressive, plus they get extremely greasy and smelly, usually). 17. Does NOT spaying or neutering them make any other difference (besides not being able to mate) as opposed to spaying or nertering? Answered above. 18. Do they like a certain kind of bedding? They DO NOT live in bedding like rodents do. They should have hammocks, old clothes, things like that instead. 19. Can ferrets learn their name easily? Some say no. But all mine know their names. If you give them credit for intelligence, they will show you that they do. 20. Can they learn special tricks? Yes. *If* they want to. 21. Are they basically just like small little rodent-like cats? No. Ferrets are like ferrets. It's a singular experience. 22. How often should I take it out to play? For one at least for 6 hours a day, half of that with you. For a pair or more, at least 4 hours, half of that with you. 23. What are their sleeping hours? They are naturally crepuscular--meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk, though they do play during the day and at night, too. Generally, ferrets will adapt to their owners schedule. 24. What do they usually like to play with? Other ferrets; their human; any ferret safe toys (especially tunnels, crackle sacks, stuffed animals). 25. Can they jump or climb very high? They can jump and climb. They will go as high as your furniture is tall (if it's even *slightly* scalable), and will have no problems leaping off of it. 26. Can they ruin things like furniture, carpeting, floors, wood, or any other household things? Yes to all. 27. Which is more reccomended: male or female? Either. It's a matter of preference, really. 28. Are they easy to potty-train? Yes. It's getting them to be consistent that's hard; but they will master the concept easily. 29. Do they prefer to go outside rather than inside? (both potty-wise and in general). They are not like dogs or cats. They cannot wander outside by themselves, or even off-leash. You should provide boxes inside the house and play area. 30. Can I just let them run around the house often without worrying?(with or without dog in the house). NO. They need to be in a ferret safe area under supervision. Especially with dogs, or you could encounter a ferret ripped apart by Fido (it's happened to a lot of unsuspecting ferret owners). NEVER leave a ferret unsupervised, especially if it's free roam and especially if you are allowing interspecies interaction. 31. Can ferrets tell the difference between a litter box and the corner of the carpet? (like an aged potty-trained dog can). Yes. They just don't care *g* 32. Do ferrets of a different color (such as a pure white) have any other certain needs as opposed to a common dark brown masked ferret? There is a link between white heads (blazes, pandas, etc) having a higher incidence of deafness. That's about it, though. 33. How many ferret types and colors are there? A lot. Besides DEWs and albinos, most of the colors out there are variations on sable. Angoras are a rather new (and if I'm not mistaken in my readings) and are considered a differently classed breed of ferret. 34. What is a good age to get a ferret at? (age of the ferret, not the person getting the ferret). Depends on what you want. For a first timer, I'd advise an older guy (2-3 years). Mostly they are trained and are a bit calmer. 35. How often should you feed a ferret? For kibble, free feed. For raw or natural diets, twice a day. 36. Do they prefer to drink out of a large rodent bottle or a water dish? I prefer water dishes for mine. But most use bottles. 37. Can they drink anything else besides water? Unflavored pedialyte, if they aren't feeling well. No caffeine, chocolate, or anything like that (exceptions are lactose free vanilla ensure--ONLY if your fert is healthy and not insulinomic, and only in restricted quantities as a caloric enhancer) 38. How hard do they bite/claw? Does this change as they age? Kits nip. If they are teething or hungry it can hurt. Play nips generally don't, unless they haven't been socialized. It usually tapers off as they get older, but they NEED to be socialized first. 39. Are they usually agressive? No. Ferrets aren't naturally aggressive. If you encounter one, then you know a human had something to do with it. 40. What do they do when you adgitate them or they get mad? Hiss. Run away. If you are really dense and keep it up, you may instigate a bite. But that would be your fault. 41. Do they shed often? Usually twice a year (before summer and before winter) 42. Do they prey apon anything such as mice or insects? Some have hunter instincts, or will 'play' with the animal/insect to death. Others will just let them mosey on by. So, it depends on the individual ferret. 43. What are good ways to keep a ferret from getting out of trouble in the house? Ferret proof. Give love and attention. Cage them when you are not able to supervise them. Most importantly? PLAY PLAY PLAY. 44. Is a ferret a geleral overall good pet to have? They are great pets. But, no, I don't recommend them for a lot of people. Few have the dedication to take care of them properly. They are high maintenance animals, and need an owner who is willing to take on everything to keep them healthy and happy. Have medical funds set up (emergencies can and WILL happen, and if you choose ferrets you *need* to be able to pay for them). Research on your own. A LOT. And always be willing to do even *more* research. There's a ton of info out there, and more keeps coming, and you need to know what is going on. Think carefully about what you are willing to do and sacrifice for the next 6-10 years. Then see if ferrets are still right for you.
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