Ferret Owners Only Please?

Question

I have never had a ferret before and if somebody could give me a price range and some important tips that would be great!

Answer 1

When I bought Cali (my girlfriend's ferret) from PetCo, I remember paying somewhere in the neighborhood of $100, but I could be off by a few dollars. At any rate, the real expenses with ferrets don't come in buying the animal itself, but in the care. Vet bills for your little "carpet shark" can get pretty expensive because ferrets are considered exotic animals. While we're on the vet subject, make sure you find a local vet who treats and is well experienced with ferrets BEFORE you buy one. For some additional tips, here's an answer I gave to a question that was similar to yours:

If you are purchasing your ferret from a reputable pet store such as PetCo or Petsmart, then you won't need a high tolerance for odors because the ferret will have had the glands that produce the offensive odor removed. If, however you are purchasing from a breeder, then you will have to take your "fuzzy" to have the glands removed, especially if you're purchasing a male.

The first thing you will need is a home for your new pet. Most pet stores carry a wide variety of sizes. I recently purchased the "Super Pet Deluxe Multi-Floor Ferret Home with Stand" from PetCo and, as far as I know, my girlfriend's ferret loves it. While this cage is a bit pricey, it is definitely large enough for your ferret (even large enough for two) and comes with a stand for easy mobility, tubes and ramps to provide your pet with hours of entertainment, and a hammock for the ferret to sleep in. I believe the bottom part is removable for easier cleaning as well.

Of course, you will also need food, a food bowl, a water bottle that attaches to the cage, and plenty of toys. For the food, I recommend Marshall brand. It has the amounts of fats and proteins that a ferret's diet requires and is suitable for ferrets of all ages.

With the food bowl, if at all possible, find one that will attach to the cage so that your ferret, being the playful, inquisitve creature that he or she will be, does not knock its food all over the place. I've learned this lesson the hard way.

With toys, anything that is bright, makes noise, or you think looks interesting will be best. Try buying new toys every so often to keep playtime fun and exciting for you and your ferret. A harness or leash is good to have if you plan on taking the ferret for a walk around the block, or around the house.

I think I've covered the bare necessities. You may also consider buying a book about ferrets. I've found "Ferrets for Dummies" to be extremely helpful. You should be able to find this book at a pet store or any book store as well.

I hope that answer is helpful to you as well. Above all, do your homework! Look at yourself, your finances, and your lifestyle to determine if you can really take care of a ferret. If they require anything, it's time. I hope I've been helpful, and best of luck to you!!

Answer 2

You can get a ferret that is already spayed or neutered with its shots for around $150, the cage will cost you about the same. There's an awesome cage set at Petsmart that's only about $80, not only a cage with a couple of levels but comes with a corner litter box, a hanging nest, water bottle, and food dish! You really can't go wrong with that price. You are going to need bedding (not pine or cedar!) and some ferret food, shampoo and maybe a harness and lead. I would suggest getting all the stuff for the ferret first.

Answer 3

I got my female for $80.00 when they came on sale at the pet store (they had a whole lot of them left over after the holidays) last year. [My two males were inherited from a cousin who got tired of cleaning up after them, for free.] Most of the time they are around $120.00 to $150.00, but then you have to worry about a pen, because if you cannot let them out to play at least 1 to 4 hours a day, they will need a lot of space in their pen. A good sized pen will cost you $100+, and then the hammock ($15-$20), liter box ($10-$15), liter, food, vitamins, toys (cheap cat toys works fine for mine, just as long as it is colorful and makes noise), you should also have a little ferret first aid kit handy. There are some people who ferrets just like to bite, you should make sure that you can handle that little quirk if you are destined to be a chew toy, and remember that most ferrets do grow out of it after a while. You also need to clean their liter boxes at least two times a day to keep down on their smell, most ferrets in the US come descented and desexed, but they still emit a small odor from the oil in their skin. Bathing frequently only worsens the oily skin stink, once a month should be fine. Good luck

Answer 4

I have 3 ferrets now I've had probably 10 in all....Bear is a cute name...I have one that looks like a bear. My past names are: Pandorah Lucky Gringo *Short for Gringorio Flower Lucy Sebastian

Answer 5

I paid around $120 for my sable and $150 for my albino. Then you need a cage. Get a large enough one so he has room to move about. I paid about $100 for mine. You'll need a water bottle and food dish, a corner litter box(you can train them), and buy a hammock my guys LOVE it! You'll need to give them a bath quite often to keep the smell in check. There is a good one at Petco with eucalyptus in it to soothe their skin. Baby shampoo works, too. Some ferrets love the water and others will scramble like hell to get out( watch out for the claws.....you'll need to get a ferret nail clippers). I fed my guys cat food, you can buy ferret food if you wish. My albino Bob loves puffy cheetos. They will take anything shiny so hide your jewelry...they took my husband's wedding ring right off the table in front of us. Have fun!

Answer 6

between $100 to $200. really depends on the type as in color of the ferret

Answer 7

I recently spoke to a ferret owner and he told me he bought his for $250.

Answer 8

I work with ferrets. They are related to skunks so they do not smell too good. I don't know any price range but they are illegal in most states.

Answer 9

Ferrets nature is to bite...its playful, but it can sting.

They are prone to catching distemper...If you don't like watching an animal suffer, this is something to think about.

Had a few catch distemper even after vaccination. It's very hard to watch.

Answer 10

i got mine for about $150.00, they are very cute, and playful, and usually they don't bite, but you have to litter box train them, and they are quite high maintenance, Good Luck!!