Ferret Or rabbit?

Question

I am trying to decide wich animal to get when I move to a different town with my mother. It will be a hard move for me and i need an animail to keep me company. Im looking for an entergetic happy animal with lots of personality. Im leaning tword getting a ferret but i know they can be a lot of work and my mom has heard all the horror stories and is scared of them. I keep telling her..but you know moms :)) Im wondering if I should get a rabbit instead? I really love ferrets though. IF neither of those id get a puppy. Please help.

Questions about feritts

1. I want a female, will it die if it goes into heat and cant find a mate? Do I need to get it fixed? And if so, how much does that cost? Is the operation safe?
2.STINKY?!? De-stink-ification is NESSACARY! In my case. How can I make it not stink? I love them but i need a not stinky animal. Ive seen shampoos and things and even heard of an operation but i honestly need a not stinky ferret

Answer 1

Puppy or ferret. Both are much more entertaining, and a lot of the time rabbits tend to get lost... a ferret will find you out of interest more than anything else.

ADDITION:
1. Yes, a female will die if it does not mate. this can be avoided by spaying the ferret.

2. stink can ALSO be avoided by such... I think. if nothing else, just keep the ferret clean.

Answer 2

I've never had a ferret, but my friend does, she loves it heaps. It is a very active little creature. You mentioned that ferrets take up a lot of time. So do rabbits, I had no clue until I bought two baby female Mini-Lops. Even though they are tiny creatures, they need a lot of care everyday, like a big place to run around (if in a cage, 3 hours in a play pen a day) and everything. I know of a lot of people, where their rabbits actually live in the basement, lol. Honestly, I'd say they take up about the same amount of time a day as my two horses. I'm definitely not trying to talk you out of buying a rabbit, because even though they're a lot of work they're sooooo much fun and adorably cute! And each are so different so how active it is depends on the individual rabbit's personality. I have one that eats, sleeps, eats, sleeps, jumps, eats, sleeps. And my other jumps, jumps, jumps, eats, backflips, jumps, eats, sleep, eats, jumps, jumps. And so on, lol.

Out of them all, I would suggest a puppy though, then a rabbit, then ferret. Good luck with your new pet!

Answer 3

Rabbits fit well in certain circumstances:
1. If you are away (school, work) in the middle of the day, rabbits are great because they won't miss you. They are most active at dawn and dusk. In the early afternoon they tend to be in deep meditation.
2. If you have a quiet household, they are great because they don't make much noise and they thrive in a calm environment.
Other things in their favor:
- they will use a litterbox, so you don't have to take them out when they need to go potty. (And their litterboxes are not smelly.)
- you don't have to take them for a walk - just be sure to give them some running around time indoors.
- food, litter, and vet bills are relatively cheap
- no pet licensing fees or vaccinations
- They can be left unattended for a whole weekend if you have rabbit-proofed the room. They won't eat all the food at once the way that dogs will, and they use a litterbox.
- most have really soft fur, and they are darn cute
- they keep themselves very clean; you don't have to bathe them.

But, a rabbit is not likely to fit in well if:
- you have a rambunctious household
- you have children so young that they will pester the rabbit rather than give it space
- you can't bend easily and reach the floor
- you can't provide a rabbit-proofed room and companionship. (You can adopt a bonded pair of rabbits if you are unable to spend enough time with your pet.)

In 2000 I was deciding between a ferret and a rabbit. I was greatly helped by a book I borrowed from the county library:
"Complete Idiot's Guide to Choosing Pet".
As you may have gathered, I picked a rabbit. And when that one died, I tried to get along without, but I couldn't. So I adopted my current rabbit.

I had an excellent adoption experience. I adopted from a House Rabbit Society shelter. All the rabbits there had been spayed or neutered, as well as litterbox trained and socialized. The adoption fee for HRS members was $55. Local HRS membership was about $18. (National membership was a few dollars extra.)
Once I adopted my rabbit, the HRS was a great help to me. HRS provides information which helps humans to understand and train their house rabbits.

Rabbits can be great fun, very entertaining, and quite loving to their humans. Yet they all have very distinct personalities. For example: my first rabbit was a cuddler; my second is a acrobat and extremely inquisitive.
The great thing about getting an adult rabbit from a shelter is that the shelter staff will tell you about the rabbits' personalities. This lets you choose one that is right for you. This is also true for ferret adoption. There are lots of rescued rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs and other small mammals in shelters. Whatever pet you choose, I hope you will shop at the shelters first.

Rabbits may have behavior problems if you don't spay/neuter. You should spay/neuter anyway so they will live a longer, healthier life.
Other than that, most behavior problems are misunderstandings. If the humans are educated they can correct the rabbit's behavior. Shelter staff will help with advice.

Additional: Yes GI Stasis (gut stops moving) can be an issue. My first rabbit never had it, but my second one gets it when she's under severe stress (like July 4th fireworks). It's easily treated at home if you learn how and treat it at the first signs.

Answer 4

Ferrets are uaually already desented and fixed when you buy them from a pet store.
If you are looking for an inside pet get the ferret, they can be trained to use a litter box, even inside their cage, so it is less messy. Rabbits won't do that at least I have never heard of one doing it. Besides rabbits are usually kept outside. Their stool is something that you would not want getting in your carpet and they have a tendency to kick thier feet when disturbed or excited and everything goes flying everywhere. So they can be very messy inside.
Personally I do not like dogs in the house. Some house train well, others do not. Some wet all over everything when excited and dog urine smell does not fully come out of carpet.
I have had rabbits in the past, and I have had dogs inside and out and I currently have 2 ferrets, and I love my ferrets most of all. They are good with my children and I also have 2 cats, and they all get along great.

Answer 5

well since you are looking for personality, then a ferret is right for you. they are high maintenance but i hear rabbits are too. rabbits poop ALOT, but ferrets' poop is like small human poop. ferrets can be litter trained, take walks, learn their name, and do tricks. also i would get a marshall farms ferrets, (which is what most pet stores sell) and they are already neutered and spayed, and if you can't get a marshall ferret, then you can take them to the vet to get fixed. i loved my little "carpet sharks"!! they are soooooo entertaining and funny!! also you might want to get 2, if you're not home alot, so they have a playmate, and a sleeping buddy. go for it, and best of luck!!
here are some helpful sites on them:

http://www.marshallpet.com/
http://www.ferretcentral.org/

sorry i don't know much about rabbits!!

Answer 6

get a ferret. rabbits tend to be more independent but ferrets love being around people and r great with children. If u dont find her a mate, then u will have to spay her.

Good luck on ferret buying

Answer 7

It's all up to you, but ferrets are A LOT of work. Rabbits are loving animals, but guinea pigs are cool to. actually, i have one. i have a dog too, a beagle. if you get an animal, it would defintely keep you company. good lucK!

Answer 8

Ferret! They are soo much fun and you'lkl never have to watch TV again if you have one no joke mine curls up in bed with me when I turn the light off its cute she's such a snuggle bug!

Answer 9

Rabbits are easier to take care of and ferrets are cuter
your choice

Answer 10

Both are great pets, ferrets tend to be more active. Both are a huge commitment, financially and time wise. Please make sure you are aware of the types of problems these guys can get, as they can be expensive to treat.

Ferrets are prone to adrenal tumors and insulinomas, you can read more about that here:
http://www.ferret-universe.com/health/adrenal.asp
http://www.ferret-universe.com/health/insulinoma.asp

Rabbits are prone to GI stasis:
http://dragonfly.cox.miami.edu/Bunz/ileus.html