do ferrets make good pets??

Question

where do they poop?all over?
do they get along with cats?or will the cat tear it up when im gone?

Answer 1

I have two ferrets. I believe they make very good pets, but they are VERY time consuming and need lots of attetion. Some people tend to think they smell, others dont. They have an odor just as a cat or a dog does. Ferrets also need time out to play, they tend to sleep 18 hours a day, but for the six they are up, they need out of their cage and interaction. Also, the more you bathe them, the MORE they smell. The trick is to keep their bedding (blankes/towels, ect.) and litter boxes clean. Also when getting a ferret it is important that you read up on them, for instance you cant use the same litter that a cat uses, and you cant put wood or cedar, ect. types of bedding in their cage. There is a lot of technical information that if is not read and fallowed, can cause discomfort and sickness to your ferret.

Ferrets if tought will use litter boxes. They will only use the litter box about 80 percent of the time. In general, ferrets will poop in corners and will tend to go in the same spot. ( i say general, cuz i happen to have one that is far from that)

Getting along with another pet depends on both pets. I know ferrets that play and sleep with cats/dogs. But it depends on if they were around them at a young age, and if their teperment is aggreeable.

The cat should not "tear" it up when you are gone, cuz as a unwritten rule ferrets should be locked in thier cages when not being watch or when no one is around. They tend to get in to everything they can, and because of this, can get hurt of no one is there to "save" them.

One more thing you should be aware of, is just as any other pet could be, ferrets are expensive. The food i feed mine is about 15 dollars for a 4lbs. bag. The need toys, and vets are more expensive because they are considered an exotic pet. They need to go atleast once a year. Also ferrets tend to be prone to problems, cancer, adrenal diease, and many more. So you see where the cost could add up.

If you have any more questions feel free to ask. I love my fuzzys and i have read a lot about them. Im always willing to help when it comes to ferrets.

ALSO!!! If you decide to get one, try to find a shelter near you that you could adopt one, instead of buying one from a pet store. There are a TON of fuzzys that need a home becuase people didnt want them any more or because of abuse.

Answer 2

I have a ferret and he is really quite nice. He poops in one corner of his cage and occasionally in a corner of our den (about once a week or so). He has only a faint odor because I bathe him monthly and brush him regularly. Ferrets like to socialize and they love to play so you need to have time to spend with them. My cats currently hate the ferret and don't want anything to do with him but have shown no desire to hurt him. I don't allow them to be together unsupervised and I keep his cage in a spare bedroom with the door closed while the cats have the rest of the house. Cats and ferrets are supposed to get along really well, my cats are a little weird about new animals in the house.

As to the comments about ferrets being wild animals - they are not. They are domesticated polecats and most would have a difficult time surviving outside. They are escape artists and thieves so you have to ferret proof the area when you let them out. My ferret doesn't bite at all and I discipline him by saying no firmly and removing him from whatever he's into. Do read up about ferrets before you get one and know that they can have expensive health issues and require a lot of maintenance.

Answer 3

Yes, the cat will hurt it when you're gone. Do not let your ferret(s) free roam, especially with other pets around. Get the biggest cage you can afford and put him or her in that with plenty of hammocks, sleep sacks, toys, food, & water. They can be trained to go to the litter box BUT, they are not always 100%. I would let them out for supervised playtime at LEAST 3 hours per day and have newspapers in all the corners for them to poop on. They are not as easy to take care of as a cat and need way more attention. They are also a very expensive pet.

Answer 4

We had ferrets and they were wonderful pets. We litter box trained ours, they never really had accidents. We didn't them run loose either, they stayed in a ferret cage when we were gone. They can fit through anything they can get their little heads through, so it really isn't safe to give them run of the house. I never had cats, but our ferrets got along with the dogs just fine. I would go buy a ferret book and do some research before you buy one. Many states have laws prohibiting having them as pets.

Answer 5

ferrets are known to be smelly and also have a reputation to hide stuff if they are loose. My friend had one and said his ferret would all sorts of things of his. He would find it in the most parculiar places when he wasnt even looking for it. You have to make surer you either get you ferret descented or make sure you give it baths quite frequently.

other than that they make very good pets. They are loving animals but need their space too.

Answer 6

not particularly. They have a pretty intense smell, they are predators as well...in many states they are even illegal (which makes people want them more). They are also very slippery, they get out of the house and escape pretty easily if not caged...and well, that's just mean (it's not meant to be a caged animal). You need to worry more about the cat than the ferret...ferretts can be vicious.

Answer 7

yeah they are great if you have the time and money to put into them. my two are litter box trained and DON"T SMELL bad. check out these sites www.ferret.org; www.essentialferretguide.com; www.marshallpet.com; www.ferretcentral.org & www.ferretfacts.com andthey are NOT WILD animals ferrets rarely ever if ever willsurvive out in the wild alone unlike cats those sites will tell you more

Answer 8

Where do most of you get your information from? They're wild animals? They're illegal in most states? Both of those statements couldn't be further from the truth.

Ferrets make awesome pets, but you have to be willing to put the time in.

Go here: http://www.ferretcentral.org/

It is a wealth of information.

Answer 9

They are good pets. Ours never had a problem with pooping all over the place. Mostly in his cage.
You would have to introduce your cat/dog to him. I wouldnt leave them alone together...
They are really fun pets..

Answer 10

Most states have laws prohibiting people from having ferrets as pets.