Ferrets as pets?

Question

I want to hear from Ferret owners only, please. I have a 4 and a 2 yr old, and have the opportunity to get a ferret from someone. I'm wondering, do they make good pets for small children, with supervision of course, or are they better for older kids and adults?

I LOVE ferrets, have always wanted one. I did a lot of research on them, but that was before I had kids, so I didn't really focus on learning about their temperament. NO, people, they are not wild and don't smell if taken care of properly. I'm only worried about the safety of my kids, and not actually in taking care of them, that stuff I already know.

Answer 1

No. Ferrets are not good pets for small children. At least unsupervised. I suggest you do a LOT of research before making this decision. I have currently one Ferret but had two. The little female developed cancer and I had her put down in mid September. They are considered an exotic pet and require a Vet who is familiar with them. People treat them like cats, even feeding them Purina Cat Chow....this is BAD. I will provide you with some links that will help. Please, read up first. I never thought I was a Ferret type guy but I love mine and likely will always live with Ferrets from now on.

I hope you find these links helpful, Ferrets are amazing critters, nobody knows till they live with one, or two or nine. ;)

Answer 2

No, I would not recommend ferrets in a household with children THAT young.
Lots of ferrets end up surrendered to shelters because it does not work that well.
Ferrets are never 100% in their use of the litter box, so you'll have the germ factor for your kids to consider.
Ferrets like to steal things and when they decide they want something they attempt to drag it into their hidey hole.
One of my friends' ferrets tried to drag her baby like that, leaving tiny bloody teeth marks on the baby's arm.
One of my ferrets was traumatized when a 3 yr old girl got a hold of him and squeezed too hard. So he bit her as a warning. The little girl threw him on the floor and tried to kick him across the room.
Ferrets need about 4 hours out of the cage to play and with two kids that little there is going to be interaction between the children and the fert.
You'd save yourself a lot of head and heart aches if you waited until the children were at least school age. You could make it a project for all of you then and actually have a lot of fun with it.
Good luck to you whatever you decide.

Answer 3

Ferrets are not appropriate pets for children that young. There's a cleanliness factor for one. Ferrets like to choose their own potty place, then they wiggle against the floor/carpet/rug to wipe off their private parts.

Then there's the injury factor. Your children's and/or the ferret's. Ferrets will bite if frightened or hurt. I don't care how precocious your little one are, youngsters have a tendency to treat animals as if they are stuffed toys. Ferrets also like to steal toys, especially things made of rubber or plastic. They have sharp teeth and will try to take bites out of those items. This can cause intestinal obstruction leading to death. And it ticks off the kiddies when they can't find thier favorite toys.

Third, ferrets aren't really the cuddly type. When they are awake, they are on the go. It's kinda like dealing with an undiapered toddler with adhd.

Bottom line. It wouldn't be fair to the children or the ferrets. Please, please consider a studier, more tolerant animal to be a companion for your family. If you need an apartment sized animal, try a bichon mix. www.dogbreedinfo.com has a very nice online breed selector.

Answer 4

Ferrets are great pets. I have a four month old little boy now & he is wonderful.

When the ferret is first acclimating to their new home, they can be aggressive if agitated due to the stress of a new enviroment. I would supervise the children with the ferret at all times even after the ferret acclimates due to their young age.

I bring my ferret to work with me every day & when my co-workers bring in their kids, they absolutely love Clark (my ferret). We have never had a bite or anything.

I would purchase "Ferrets for Dummies" if you are going to become a ferret owner. There are alot of do's & don'ts with owning a ferret & the book also gives you tips on introducing a ferret to children or other pets if you have any.

Answer 5

FERRET, monkeys scent only as undesirable and are very propose. do not get a monkey, you'd be apologetic about it, i understand it feels like a competent theory, it did to me to yet have self assurance me do not do it, they are SO problematic to look after, and some would nicely be very propose, fantastically even as they become older! I had a ferret not earlier, sure they do stink yet you really could sparkling its field, maximum of them are experienced to bypass in a touch field which makes it user-friendly, and they are HILARIOUS pets, and entirely lovable!

Answer 6

Ferrets are OK pets, but require a great deal of attention. They sleep most of the time, but when awake there curiosity gets the better of them. As to having them and children both, I recommend you choose one or the other!!

Good luck,

Lonnie

Answer 7

Older kids. They bite when angered, and can hurt a lot. They're sweet critters most of the time, but don't deal well with rough playing, and kids that small will have trouble handling them gently.

Answer 8

no dear - ferrets never become completely tame as their hunting instinct is so strong - remember that they are primarily used to flush out rabbits and if the catch them they will kill them by biting their neck. They have razor sharp teeth and once they bite you it is extremely difficult to get them to release their bite.

They are great for Yorkshire rabbit hunters but not suitable at all as pets for children - buy one at your peril.

ps they smell too.

pps - well if you've done as much research as you say - how come you don't know the answer yourself - but at the risk of getting even more thumbs down from idiots - it will be on your head when the 'tame' ferret that you buy for your kids gives them a very serious bite! Don't say I didn't warn you.

Answer 9

i used to have a ferret.it was so cute its name was noddles.they do make good pets but the only problem is that they get things and hide the things somewhere.but yeah they do make good pets.