I have wanted a ferret for years and have done all my research. I am finally able to have one where I live. My apartment is baby-proofed and I found a local vet who deals with ferrets and I have alll but picked out the exact ferret I want already from the store (its a Marshall ferret too!)
I want ferret owners to give me brief answers on you favorite piece of ferret advice. What is that one toy, treat, shampoo, or whatever, you and your fuzzie can't live without? The one thing you wish you knew before?
2007-01-20 07:45:52 · 7 answers · asked by Amy 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
OK first of all....well done for doing your research, I'm impressed! I have 2 ferrets and am quite new to them, I've only been a ferret Mum for about 5 months. If you've done all your research you will know all about the bad points of ferrets so I won't go on about those. I will say that you need to be prepared for the fact that every ferret is different, my boy Freddie is sooooo soft, he loves to cuddle and I feel like we really understand each other! He loves to play with us humans, doesn't hide anything and his favourite toy is probably one of those cat teasers on a rod, he's so funny when I play with him with this. My little girl, Hattie is a whirlwind....she NEVER sits still, is constantly looking for new things to destroy or have a nosey into and doesn't seem to like much human interaction regarding play.
They both LOVE tubes, my husband is a carpet fitter and so we get lots of long cardboard tubes and they will hide in them and use them to climb up onto the furniture with (if you let them!)
I have taught them both to come to me when I squeak a toy and this has been the best thing I could do because they hide EVERYWHERE and sometimes I can't find them so when I squeak they come running for their treat....which leads me into the one thing I couldn't live without and that is a vitamin suppliment called Ferretone which my babies will do ANYTHING for!!! It's so amazing that we have named it "Magic Milk". You can train them to do anything as long as you give them this.
Make sure you use large square litter pans and not triangular corner ones cos most ferrets don't like those. Also when you start to train them to use the pan make sure you push them back into it so they have to lift their legs up to get in it. This was the thing that made litter training easier for me, if you pick them up and put them in, they don't know how to get into the pan (sounds stupid but I promise you it works)
Please try to handle your ferret as much as you can because he will really bond with you if you do that, my ferrets don't bite me at all and I have no fear of them doing so because I handle them lots and lots. Also, let them out of the cage for AT LEAST 4 hours a day, they need to run off lots of energy that they have.
Lastly....I promise you that when you do get your fuzzie you will think he is the best pet ever and wonder why it took you so long to realise how great they are...even though they are hard work!!!
Good luck and let us know what you get and what you name him!! Dook Dook and weasil kisses xx
2007-01-20 10:20:20 · answer #1 · answered by manc red 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Bathing too often increases odor because it encourages overproduction of oil due to dry skin. Mine get bathed maybe 1-2 times a year, barring accidents. The most important thing to remember is that you can ferret-proof a house but you cannot house-proof a ferret. They need a minimum of 2 hours daily supervised time out of their cage. Mine get 6-8. The reason is they are very active, inquisitive animals and have you ever tried to exercise in a closet? Get yourself a copy of Ferrets for Dummies if you haven't already. Every Ferrent needs one. Also, start setting aside money in a vet fund - you will need it.
2007-01-20 10:00:36 · answer #2 · answered by Susan R 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No matter what you do ferret's are crazy and they stink.They are great pets though!They are also the best escape artists I've ever seen better than humans.They pick there own favorite toy so give a good selection.They are very intelligent don't ever be fooled cause they will play you.I love ferrets no other pet like em wonderful creaters.
2007-01-20 07:55:24 · answer #3 · answered by jean l 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a few months ago i had 2 ferrets, george and pepper, pepper was mine, and george was my brother's. (they were marshall ferrets). pepper couldn't live w/o her toy snake, she used to go hide it in her "hidey hole", it was sooo cute!! ferrets absolutely love toys, and they will eventually find their favorite, something i learned was ferrets have to be taught at a relatively young age to walk on a leash, (get "babies") i started late, and neither of our ferrets really knew what to do when put on the leash! also if you are getting atleast 2, which i would reccommend, you need a big cage! they like to hide things, i hope that helped!!
good luck with your new fuzzies!!
2007-01-20 07:54:22 · answer #4 · answered by ferrets4ever 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had 2 ferrets, they were brother and sister. The boy died of cancer and then we just had the female. Except she wasn't the same, she seemed lonely, she wouldn't hardly dook anymore, and she wasn't as playful as she used to be. I guess she missed her brother. Then a few months after her brother's death she died. It was becuase of a tumor, but I think she lost the will to fight it, since she was so sad :( I miss them!
2016-05-24 01:32:37 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Ferrets for Dummies" by Kim Schilling. The ferret Bible. :-)
2007-01-20 10:35:01 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you bathe them fairly regularly, the stink isnt so bad. I lived with a guy who had two and you couldn't tell because he bathed them and cleaned their cage regularly. They like to sleep in hammocks, so have one in their cage. Also, they do like to hide stuff, so be careful. My roommate's had hidden all sorts of things under his couch.
2007-01-20 09:01:28 · answer #7 · answered by Drew 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋