Tell EVERYTHING you know about Ferrets.?

Question

Including their behavior.... ALL of that.

Thanks!

behavior at night Also..

Answer 1

I've had friends that have had them. They're cute and playful but they REALLY stink! You'd have to bathe them frequently and even at that they're still going to stink. I don't know why though.

Answer 2

OK 1st off they do not make good pets for children,but for adults their awesome!!!!! they will get in to everything! but if u ferret proof ur home then its OK to let them go most of the time .....they r not meant to be caged animals the need at least of 4 hour per day out of their cage....they love their toys and love hiding their favorites in a "hidey hole".....they live till their about 8 yrs old..........they need a lot of different shots: the distemper (3 sets), an ADV testing, and rabies.....when u take them to a vet to get their distemper shot make sure its the CANINE distemper shot ( not the feline because it doesn't do anything for them)....if u get a Marshall's ferret even if it come with a 1yr life warranty i would suggest getting it cuz to get the warranty u have to feed them Marshall's for a full yr and Marshall's is really expensive and make their poop smell really bad...which is another point they do have a smell even if they had the stink sack removed their poop smells but this stuff called Bio-Oder can help with that......if u love ur fuzzie u have to buy them ferret-tone THEY WILL LOVE U FOREVER FOR IT!!!!! its actually a vitamin supplement for their skin and fur but they love the taste of it...other than that love them and ull definatly get the love back

Answer 3

Ferrets are domestic animals, cousins of weasels, skunks and otters. (Other relatives include minks, ermines, stoats, badgers, black-footed ferrets, polecats, and fishers.) They are not rodents; taxonomically they're in between cats and dogs, a little closer to dogs. They are friendly and make excellent pets. If you've never met one before, the easiest way to think of them is somewhere between cats and dogs in personality, but rather smaller. They can only see reasonably well, but they have excellent senses of hearing and smell. Some are cuddly, others more independent; they vary a lot, just like other pets.

Ferrets have lots of good points as pets, but there are some negatives as well. Like kittens and puppies, they require a lot of care and training at first. They're "higher maintenance" than cats; they'll take more of your time and attention. Ferrets have their own distinct scent, which bothers some people, and many of them aren't quite as good about litter pans as cats are. Although most ferrets get along reasonably well with cats and dogs , it's not guaranteed, so if you have large, aggressive pets (particularly dogs of breeds commonly used for hunting), keep that in mind. Likewise, small children and ferrets are both very excitable, and the combination might be too much.

For more information:
http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/part1.html#what_are

Answer 4

YEARS AGO I HAD 2 FERRETS SHARED WITH A BOYFRIEND OF MINE, THEY WERE ALOT OF FUN. ONE MALE, ONE FEMALE. WE BATHED THEM ALOT TO KEEP THEM FROM SMELLING, AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. THEY SHARED A CAGE TOO. MY BOYFRIEND AND I BROKE UP AND SEPARATED THEM AND HIS MALE FERRET DIED SOON AFTER FEMALE FERRET DIED. I WAS SO SAD AND DIDNT KNOW ALOT ABOUT THEM, SO MAKE SURE TO GET LOTS OF CARE INFO ON ANY NEW ANIMAL YOU MAY WANT, SO IT WONT HAPPEN TO YOU TOO. GOOD LUCK!!!

Answer 5

They stink and like socks. Nothing you do will keep them from stinking.......or liking socks

Answer 6

The best way to answer your question is to either do a google search on ferrets or to buy a book and read up on them. Here's one page that might be helpful:

http://www.ferretcentral.org/

I just got one in January and I had done all the homework one could ask and I can tell you that everything you read still may not prepare you for the mischief that is a ferret. (As my dad says, the only problem doing all that reading is the FERRET doesn't!) I'll give you the quick and dirty version, but I hope and expect you will go search out more detailed information on your own if you're considering buying one.

Food:

Ferrets are carnivores and need high protein diets. You can feed a high quality kitten food like Eukanuba, or you can feed ferret food like Marshall's. It's a bit more expensive than regular cat food, and the amount a ferret eats varies. Mine is a pig and out eats my 16 lb ragdoll cat!

Housing:

Ferrets need a large cage, preferrably with multiple levels and things to do. You want one easy to clean as you need to do it often. They can roam your house but it's a good idea to have a good cage they can't escape while you're not home.

Activity:

Ferrets should be allowed to roam at least 1 room of the house a minimum of 4 hours per day. They're very active and inquisitive critters so ferret-proofing is a lot like baby proofing. Watch for any small holes they can climb into (some actually lead to the outside of the house). They will climb into, under, through, or on anything they can. Popular areas that are dangerous are inside sofas or recliner chairs, inside mattresses, etc. Mine can climb into a hole that goes INTO the dishwasher. I have to keep that blocked at all times.

Smell & Bathing:

Ferrets naturally smell musky, they are related to weasels and skunks, and so this is some what of a turn off to many people. You can help this by bathing but over bathing dries their skin out. 1-2 times a month is about the most you want to do. I've seen a product called Ferret Sheen that is supposed to help with the smell and conditions skin and coat but never really used it. I'm used to the smell and it doesn't bother me. Just keep his/her cage clean and the rest is bearable :)

Chewing:

Ferrets are chewers, but mine in particular. They love rubber most of all. This includes rubber grips on all sorts of exercise equipment, rubber on kids toys like Barbies, insoles of shoes, etc. They WILL chew on things that can be harmful and gut blockage is very common. This means you have to be vigilant about what the ferret is doing always. *NOTE: not all ferrets chew. My mother's 2 and the 1 I used to live with years ago never did!

Toys:

Ferrets love to play and keeping lots of toys for yours will help keep it from getting bored. I bought a large cardboard tube (about 4 inches in diameter) and they like climbing through that. They like to dig around in piles of clothes and blankets (so always step carefully!). Mine loves shoes. Many cat toys are good for ferrets, too. They like crinkly things and balls with bells to chase around, etc. Chew toys might be good, also, but make sure it's nothing they can chew apart.

I bought a sterlite sweater box and cut a 4" hole in the lid. I filled it up with pinto beans and put the lid on. He climbs inside and digs and slithers around. This came as a recommendation from another ferret owner. Its fun for them and costs about $15 to make (worth it, though!)

Stealing:

Most ferrets steal, a habit that begins around 4-5 months old. Mine still doesn't and I'm told not all will. Get used to looking for things under couches and such.

Litter:

Ferrets love to use corners to do their business but they are (in theory) litter box trainable. You cannot use clumping litter for them, however. It's harmful to them, but non-clumping cat litter is fine. Finding their favorite corner is the best way to get them to use a litter box but it's rarely 100%. Mine is one of the more difficult ones that use ALL corners so getting him to use his box is hard.

Plants:

They will chew plants as well as dig them out. Put them up out of reach.

Biting:

Baby ferrets, kits, often bite but its not to be vicious. This is how they play with each other. You'll want to start young to nip train a baby ferret. For mine I put something called Time Out on my hands and he quite biting after that, but it's hard to wash off and tastes HORRIBLE.

Discipline:

Never hit your ferret but teach him the word no. I've heard this IS possible though they're hard-headed so be prepared for frequent lessons on this word. Pick him up (while in the act of something not allowed) and give him a firm "NO" and maybe put him in a time out (in his cage) for a few minutes.

Cats & Dogs and other animals,

Ferrets get along well with cats, and can get along with dogs (depends more on the dog). Meetings should be supervised until you know for certain how they'll interact. Often dogs and cats will ignore the ferret. My cats rough house with him. Other animals, especially rodents like guinea pigs, rats, chinchillas, etc are (for good reason) afraid of ferrets. A ferret will kill these very quickly and easily, so don't mix them. Even rabbits (not rodents but as far as ferrets are concern close enough) are not safe around them.

Vet bills:

Ferrets are expensive. Be prepared to provide good vet care. They can live 6-8 years and can rack up quite the bill during that time. I've had mine since January, he's cost me $120 already in vaccines (they need distemper, rabies, etc), vet visits, and medications.

Most ferrets come fixed and descented at the pet store and they come from Marshalls. If you get one from a breeder be sure it's fixed. Females can bleed to death if they're not fixed when they go into heat and males get aggressive. Descenting is not as important but most people do it anyway.

Common nick names for ferrets: ferts, fuzzies, and my personal favorite "carpet sharks!" (Very appropriate and if you buy one you'll understand why).

I hope this helps. Get a book and read more in depth. Those are the most salient points I can think of but it's far from everything. Good luck!

P.S. You asked about night behavior: Ferrets are nocturnal but can be taught to sleep at night. Just keep them busy during the day. Babies sleep a ton, but as they get older they'll last longer before sleeping. They still sleep a lot.