you should consider your lifestyle, and study up, getting a pet without study could be very reckless. and you should check if they are legal in your state, otherwise if caught you could be fined and/or the pet could be put down because of the law.
Think about the commitment ferrets life span is around 6-8 but some live up to 12 years. hedgehogs life span is a bit more complicated, some say 3-5 others say up to 7, just be prepared to take care of the pet for however long it lives.
I suggest adopting a pet from a shelter, ferrets adapt well and usually love al new family, but i believe hedgehogs are clingy to theyre former family and dont open up right away, but eventually thay should both grow to love you.
Ferrets are fun, but are very mischivious. they like to crawl in little spots that are hard to reach, will easily swallow small objects (causing a big vet bill) and steal your stuff and put it away in their hiding hole(things like socks, toys, keys, randomly weird things, if you find their hole then dont forget to leave something behind in the place of something you need from there otherwise they'll think they've been robbed and moved their hole elsewhere so you have to find it again).
They need a playtime with the owner for at least one hour, and just roaming the house for two or three (some people just let their pet live all around the house, be carefull to consistently check and make sure the pet is safe.
They have a particular diet, first or second ingredient on the list of ingredients should be chicken (most dont like fish). should contain around 32-35% protein and 20% fat. They need to have food and water in they're bowl/water bottle at all times.
they can be trained to use the litter box, but make mistakes sometimes, and you can teach it tricks like roll over and beg and stuff if you put time into it.
Ferrets can be costly but are totally worth it. (it may be easier to keep two ferrets if your child goes to school for long periods of time. they would play with each other and it could prevent your ferret from getting lonely and being depressed (which could cause it to stop eating.
Ferrets need a good veterinarian, make sure you study about diseases too as they get older they can get many different diseases. they can give colds to us and we can give colds to them, be careful.
Routine ferret care would be occassional (limited) baths (they just smell like that, okay? dont bath them all the time or the oil will dry out of their skin and will come back smelling way worse). nail clipping, ear cleaning. They stay pretty clean themselves so maybe once a month, maybe twice.
Hedgehogs in my opinion are less fun, but also less work. They dont need as much play time as ferrets, but to keep them happy it is prolly a good idea to play with he/she everyday.
Dont forget to find a good vet for your hedgehog also. they can have cancer, fatty liver disease and other common ones that are mostly fatal.
Hedgehogs also use litterboxes and im sure once in awhile they make mistakes, but thats just something that comes with having a pet.
Hedgehogs appear to be omnivorous, eating both plant and animal foods. Their natural diet includes insects, worms, snails, slugs and occasional fruit.
Some websites say you should feel them mealworms, and some others say just dog, cat, or otehr animal food. We dont know what exactly is part of a good hedgehog nutrition, but since wild hedgies find theyre food, commercial dog food is probably not too good of an idea.
So just try looking around, there are hedgehog foods specially formulated for hedgies, but since we don't really know their nutritional diet, you can never know what to expect from them. just try sticking to what you think is right according to the whole thing about the insects, worms, fruit, etc.
2006-08-20 08:09:06
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answer #1
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answered by Kayto 1
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Ferret. Definitely. They are extra companionable than a hedgehog. You can truthfully cuddle a ferret and they're by means of way more wonderful. What Lilblonde mentioned is right, they're plenty of labor and dedication, besides the aspect approximately every day bathing. Baths make a ferret stink extra due to the fact you wash away their dermis oils after which they overproduce to make up for it making them pungent. You should not wash a ferret besides once they roll in whatever or are completing a dropping interval to eliminate further hair. Do your homework on them and browse Ferrets for Dummies.
2016-08-21 00:35:24
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answer #2
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answered by ? 2
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A hedge hog has tiny prickles like a porcupine...ouch!! I am sure they require some special care and handling. A ferret will bite and is pretty exotic. If I were choosing a pet for a 13 yr old (boy or girl) I would pick something more like a hamster or guinea pig. The child would have to should some responsibility in the care and feeding of the animal too.
2006-08-20 07:27:47
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answer #3
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answered by blondee 5
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Ferret. Absolutely. They are extra companionable than a hedgehog. That you can actually cuddle a ferret and they are via a ways more wonderful. What Lilblonde said is right, they're various work and commitment, except the phase about day-to-day bathing. Baths make a ferret stink extra considering you wash away their dermis oils and then they overproduce to make up for it making them smelly. You should not wash a ferret except when they roll in some thing or are completing a shedding period to eliminate extra hair. Do your homework on them and browse Ferrets for Dummies.
2016-08-09 12:02:58
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answer #4
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answered by ? 4
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Ferret. extremely. they are greater companionable than a hedgehog. you could easily cuddle a ferret and that they are via plenty greater unique. What Lilblonde stated is authentic, they're a lot of artwork and dedication, different than the section approximately daily bathing. Baths make a ferret stink greater considering which you wash away their epidermis oils and then they overproduce to make up for it making them stinky. you mustn't wash a ferret different than while they roll in some thing or are ending a laying off era to do away with greater beneficial hair. Do your homework on them and study Ferrets for Dummies.
2016-09-29 11:47:01
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answer #5
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answered by ? 4
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I own two ferrets, and I'm 13. They are GREAT pets, and perfect companions. I adore mine...I vote ferret. A lot of people say they stink, but they've probably never even have owned one. They DO NOT stink!!!! With one ferret, you should only have to clean the cage out ONCE A WEEK, and it'll keep it smelling fine. Good luck!!!
2006-08-20 07:31:08
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answer #6
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answered by Caitlin 2
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Ferrets are more interactive and friendly and handle-able. If you're looking for a pet to "do things with" and have fun with, go with the ferret.
Hedgies are cute, but with their quills and occasional fits of bad temper, they're not the most personable, interactive pets out there.
2006-08-20 07:51:07
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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Definitely hedgie. They don't stink and don't horde things.
2006-08-20 07:24:54
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answer #8
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answered by Stimpy 7
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