How can I get my mom to let me have a ferret?

Question

She says that they're mean, they have sharp teeth, they're ugly, and they smell. I don't think that she minds the ugly part, and I've been trying to tell her that they don't bite any more than dogs or cats. *sigh*

Why don't the pet stores smell?

Answer 1

Ferrets tend to get a bad wrap for being mean, in fact their illegal in NYC. But I used to have two and have met many others and I have yet to meet a mean one. They do have a smell to themand need to be bathed regularly, Id saythats the biggest con about them. Do some research o nthem and talk to her with the paperwork there for her to see. In the end if mom says no it's no.

Answer 2

My two boys wanted a ferret and I thought I had reasearched it really well. But my big concern was the smell. I have dogs and a bird...and I am very stickler about the house smelling clean. We went to Petsmart and talked to them..insane how they tell you they are descented and fixed and do not smell if you keep their cage clean. Total misinformation. After some dancing and begging from my kids the Petsmart told us we could buy a ferret and take it home, if it didn't fit in to our house we had fifteen days to return it. OHMYGOSH the STINK. We bathed them because they had never been bathed. The musky smell, that NEVER goes away. My son hugged me and he reeked of ferret musk. GAG. They poop almost constantly, which is easy enough to clean but it was toooooooo much. I was thankful Petsmart took them back, no problems. But was irritated by so many saying they don't stink. Perhaps folks should say that they have a constant odor, because if you don't like that musky smell, you won't get rid of it.

She is right, they do bite, but it really is like a puppy or kitten. If you get one, just play with it a lot.

But honestly, think it through. Do you really, really want to clean its cage every single day? You will smell of ferret, all the time. A musky, old stinky pet store stink. It's not true that if you bathe them, even just once a month, that they do not stink. THEY DO. Almost all are fixed and descented, and they smell up the entire house.

They poop constantly. And by that I mean about the size of a puppy's poop, just as messy, and always in the corner. You may train it to poop in a litter box in it's cage, but once you take it out, it's going to head for a corner and poop.

Good luck with your mom. If you think you can clean their cage of poo..and I mean every single day..for months and months and years....then talk to her about it. If you are wary of all that poop, perhaps sit down and talk with her about some similar pet that SHE suggests. A rat may be a good choice (get her to hold one at the store) or a bird or a cat.

Answer 3

they can be mean but they can be nice to its just how they were raised at the pet store and if the mother was thier as long as she needed to be my friend got ferret and he is nice but my cousin had a ferret and he was a little shy and when u picked him up he would squirm and get agressive so its all about picking the write 1

Answer 4

Keep nagging her like my kids do. She will give in sooner or later. Also tell her that you will be very responsible with it. Just so that you know we have 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 turtle, and fishes.......I am the one that takes care of them. But my kids sd they would.

Answer 5

GET A SMALLER ANIMAL SO SHE KNOWS U CAN TAKE CARE IF THAT THEN SEE IF SHE NOW TRUSTS U TO GET A FERRET I HOPE SHE LETS U MY MOM WONT LET ME GET 1:( GOOD LUCK!!:)

Answer 6

Hm, good question. First off, I don't think they're ugly, but I'm biased, I love ferrets. They do have sharp teeth and some of them do bite. You can train them not to, but you have to know how. I'd cross that bridge when you get there. Some of them are mean, and again, it all depends on how they have been treated, especially if you adopt one from a shelter. Those tend to have had an owner before and who knows how that owner treated them. Again, you can retrain them on that too, most times.
Ferrets always have a distinct smell to them, that is true. It's a musky odor, and it's always there even if they've been descented before you buy them. Most ferrets you get in the stores are descented and spayed/neutered. The ferret smell can be kept to a minimum by keeping their litter boxes scooped, I do mine twice a day and by keeping their area clean. I wash my cage out once a week and change the bedding(old t-shirts all over every inch of the cage floor, that keeps them from pooping anywhere but in the litter box) and the hammocks once a week as well. Ferrets can be bathed but shouldn't have a bath more than once a month, maybe even less, unless they get into something nasty. Bathing them more often strips the oils from their bodies, making them itchy. The oil glands then go into overdrive to replace the oils and you'll have an even smellier ferret in no time.
Keep an eye on what you feed them. They are carnivores and need a diet high in protein and fat, low in carbohydrates(no fruits, grains, veggies). If the main protein source is fish(read the label) their waste will be smellier than if the protein comes from chicken or lamb. All in all I don't think ferrets smell any worse than dogs or cats with their litter boxes.
Now, ferrets are expensive though. They need large cages and hammocks, litter and special food. You have to take them to the vet once a year at least to get their shots(rabies and distemper) and check ups. Ferrets like to get into things and get into trouble, so sometimes you end up with emergency vet visits, because they are injured or swallowed something they shouldn't have(small pieces of plastic, rubber, fabric aso). As ferrets get older they are prone to certain diseases like adrenal disease or insulinoma to name just two. There are treatments, but those are not cheap even if you are lucky enough to find a ferret knowledgeable vet in your area. So you'll have to have an emergency medical fund that you put money into now, so you have it when the time comes. Most ferrets are going to need one form of surgery or another in their lifetime, so be ready.
Lastly, I want you to make sure you have the time to devote to the little carpet shark. You cannot leave them in the cage ALL the time. They need about 4 hours out of the cage play time a day and that means you have to play with them too. They have to have a ferret proof room at least to do that in, so they don't get hurt or accidently escape.
Can you do all that?
If you think you are able to commit yourself to 6 - 10 yrs of caring for one of the funnest pets there is, do this to convince your mother. First off, do your homework and by that I mean learn everything there is to know about ferrets. It shows your mother you mean business. Start the emergency medical fund on your own. Use your allowance and do extra chores for money. Get "Ferrets for Dummies" it's full of awesome information and it's funny too. You'll learn a lot from it.
Show your Mom that you can be responsible for other things as well.
Go to www.petfinder.com and look up ferrets under "small and furry" in your zip code. If there are any in the shelters near your, have your Mom take you to visit them a few times. Who knows, she might just fall in love with one herself, especially if she realizes that they'll put the little ankle biter down if nobody wants him/her.
Good luck, I hope I helped with your venture. Mail or message me if you like. I'd like to know what became of you and your wish to be one of us: Those that are being owned by fur faces.
DOOK!!!!
PS: They actually smell worse in the pet stores I thought, because a lot of pet stores just have them in a little enclosure with a bunch of their little buddies. They are not potty trained yet, so they go where ever they feel and some of them end up sitting in it. Mine smelled to high heaven when I first picked her up and I was already wondering if I could put up with it, but once we got her home and bathed the first time she didn't smell so bad at all. My males actually smell like corn chips when they're sleeping, weird, huh?

Answer 7

They do bite but its just being playful they dont draw blood.

Answer 8

YOUR whole house will smell to high heaven. dont do it.

Answer 9

tell me about it, my mom says the exact same thing. :'(