Just got my first ferret! Need some help please!?

Question

My boyfriend and I just bought an albino kit today, he's SOOO cute and his name is Coop. I have a few questions to all ferret owners who can help:

I know that he will never smell good, but my landlord was very kind in not making me pay the $400 pet deposit so I want to know everything I can do to keep the smell to a minimum. So far I have read many different things like, "wash him often or don't wash too often", I don't know, so I need someone with experience to tell me =)

Also my little guy seems to be a bit of a biter, most times it's not bad at all, but sometimes it's hard, and enough to break the skin and bleed, does anyone know how I can make him stop?

what should I use for bedding? The pet store gave me wood sheddings, but I've read on here that they're bad for his skin, Are old towels ok?

Do I need the special ferret litter for his litter box? i would love to use kitty litter just because the ferret litter is pretty expensive...

Could I move easily with him? =)

He's already been neutered and descented and he has already started on his vaccinations, we took him to the vet right after we bought him. We're pretty responsible.

I asked about being able to move with him because I am a miliatary brat and right now Im finishing school but I plan on teaching english in various countries after I graduate.

I know that a ferret isn't cheap, I did my research and bought everything the book I bought said I needed, I just wanted to know if Kitty litter would be alright, im not a millionaire!!! =)

Answer 1

First...give this website a thorough look-over. I love it...it has all the info you need and the site is very easy to navigate. You won't even need to buy a book as the inter-net has so much info available for free!

http://www.ferretuniverse.com

Do not wash your ferret more then once every 3 months. :) Use baby wash for bathing and keep baby wipes around for cleaning up paws and faces in-between baths.

Keeping a ferrets cage VERY clean is what reduces odor. The ferret will always have an odor BUT all animals have an odor. Here is what I do in order to keep odor down: Scoop ferrets litter pans twice a day. Completely change litter every 3 or 4 days. Replace old bedding with fresh bedding ever 3 or 4 days. Completely scrub down the ferrets cage with hot soapy water once a week. Make sure those hammocks get washed once a week! You can wash them in the washing machine or hand wash them. Never use the dryer. Let them air dry.

Biting is common in ferrets. Its how they play!! Just like a kitten or a puppy a baby ferret (kit) will be very nippy. Please do not use bitter apple. Its so cruel. Using behavior modification is the best way to go. If your kit bites so hard that it breaks the skin, gently scruff your ferret and push him to the floor. In ferret language this says "Hey buddy...your out of line!" After a few times he will realize that you do not like this 'hard biting'. If he bites hard but doesn't hurt you then do some good old distracting. Make sure you have plenty of treats and toys on hand. When your ferret starts getting nippy, grab a toy and start playing!! This will give your ferret something else to bite. :)

You are absolutely right about bedding. Never use wood chips of any kind! Ferrets appreciat an old worn out sweat-shirt or a pile of old t-shirts to cuddle up in. They are free...and they are washable...and everyone has a hundred of them lying around in their drawers and closets. May as well give them to the ferret who will put them to good use.

I used to always use cat litter for my ferrets. If you buy a NON-CLUMPING and QAUALITY brand that is UNSCENTED it is safe, however, I recently discovered Feline Pine. I love it!! It lasts longer then clay litter and is better for odor control. Give it a try.

Your surely can move easily with them. Make sure you have a cat carrier for vet visits as well as for traveling.

Now that I have answered all of your questions let me give you some suggestions off the top of my head:

Make sure you have a nice glass water bottle. They never get moldy like those yucky plastic ones.

Ferret proofing is very important. My suggestion is to keep your ferret confined to one room such as your bedroom or a spare bedroom. The living room is fine if you use baby gates to keep him in and out of trouble. If the room your keep your ferret in is properly ferret proofed you should have absolutely no problem letting your ferret roam the room all day. Ferrets need a lot of out-of-cage time and this will keep him happy.

You will need LOTS of litter pans!! I keep 3 in my bedroom. I have one in the cage and 2 outside of the cage in my ferrets favorite corners. Also...make sure you have the BIGEST litter pans the petstore sells. The really large ones run about 10 or 11 bucks. Your baby ferret will use the small one until he starts growing then he won't use it anymore. Ferrets like to fit their whole body in the litter pan when they 'go'. Trust me...this is very good advice. You should heed my warning here. lol

Ferrets are 'species social' critters. You should have really purchased a pair of ferrets versus one ferret. :( I think you should start saving. Put 20 bucks a week away until you have enough to buy your ferret a buddy. It will keep him happy and healthy, mentally and physically.

Feed a quality food. I recommend Innova Evo and ZooPreem. You can mix foods to create your own blend. Keep a supplement on hand such as FerriVite. Its a nice treat and helps with trimming nails. Make sure you read the instructions. It is a supplement after all and you must make sure you are not giving them too much.

Answer 2

1. Don't bathe too often, as it removes the body will just produce more oils, which is where their musky smell comes from. A monthly bath with a mild soap-free kitten shampoo is fine.

2. To keep the smell down, keep his cage absolutely clean and disinfected. Change the litter and wash the box frequently. Most important, wash his bedding/blankies every day--this will help the most.

3. Some kits are biters, but they usually outgrow this. Spray your hands with Bitter Apple--they will take a taste and hate it! Works great!

4. NO WOOD SHAVINGS. Ferrets eat things and get intestinal impactions. They should have NOTHING that can be chewed up and swallowed. They love rubber, and this is a frequent cause of impaction. You can use regular clay kitty litter in the pan--not scoopable because again it impacts them and gets stuck all over their feet like cement shoes. Yuck. Just use old towels, sweatshirts, baby blankets, etc. on the bottom of the cage. They also love hammocks so rig him up something like a hanging tent.

5. You should be able to move easily with him.

6. When out of the cage, keep an eye on him. They can get under and inside of furniture. They are theives and will steal whatever they can carry! I would buy dryer hoses, pvc pipes, whiffle balls, childrens toys, paper bags, cardboard boxes with holes cut in the sides, and anything that couldn't be eaten and use them for toys. They are so entertaining! :)

www.ferretcentral.org is the best.

Answer 3

i have 2 ferrets both aboout 1 year old as for the smell they make this stuff called bio-odor that you put in the water this product is great i noticed a difference the first day also most ferrets love the water so wash often as for the bitting one on mine doesnt and 1 does some i dont know how to stop it though and they make bedding out of recy. cloth so towels should be ok if that is what you want to use i use different stuff one of mine likes this corn cob stuff you use for birds the other uses the fibers i use reg kitty litter but you can buy recy. newspaper litter that isnt all that much good luck with your little guy they are so much fun

Answer 4

i had a ferret before i went back to college and didn't have the time he needed. (gave him to a friend and he's doing great with his new daddy)

1st - if you give your ferret baths it will cause his musk glands to go into overdrive so dont wash him unless he gets real dirty ferrets are kind of like cats they groom themselves. get him neutered and descented it will cut the musk smell down by about 80%

2nd - if he's a biter when he does it pick him up by the scruff of his neck it won't hurt him it will calm him down and show him that you're the boss.

3rd - bedding NEVER EVER use cedar it causes respitory problems. i recommend shredded newspapre on top of 3 or 4 layres of regular newspaper.

4th - when it comes to litter training you can try but you won't have much luck. if Coop has run or your place put newspaper in the corners of the room he runs around in my ferret Ozzy would only do his business in the corner. i recommend this stuff called "Feline Fresh" for his litter it's clumping pine shavings (smells good kind of like pine air freshener) it's reasonably priced at $5 for a small bag (lasts one cat a month) and $18 for a big bag (lasts 2 cats 4 months) and most pet stores sell it now a days.

Answer 5

I had a silver tipped ferret Bevis. Here's what I learned....

Nothing you can do about the smell, and mine was descented and fixed before I brought him home. I bathed him but it didn't do any good. He still stank. Bevis slept in his cage and I gave him a bunch of old t-shirts and towels he could wrap up in. Use regular cat litter, but be aware...Coop will only poop in corners so you have to clean up after him daily. He'll back his rear up into the corner and just go and after a few times of doing this during the day it's gross. As for the biting...you have to train him. Although that's his method of play you can't have him biting. Thump his nose everytime he does it. And if you can train him to walk on leash...makes life even better. Just know they are curious & fiesty little critters and they are thieves!!! Bevis pulled a bag of Cheetos out of the grocery bag & drug it under the couch when I wasn't looking---I didn't find that bag for months.

Answer 6

both are great pets. I do miss having ferrets, they were a lot of fun, but they were also a lot of work, and, much as I love them, and grew to actually quite like the smell, there's no getting around the fact that they are quite whiffy. they are very playful, can be very destructive, and in many ways are like kittens that never grow up. they can also prove very expensive to care for properly. BUT. while I do miss having ferrets, I can't imagine my life without rats. one of these pets I loved, miss having, but can do without. I can't do without rats. they are the most gloriously loving, sweet, gentle, clever little things. ferrets are probably the smelliest small pet I've ever kept, even though I didn't really mind it. rats are the least smelly. they are considerably easier to care for (although I disagree that they are mostly in their cage. rats need a lot of out of cage time too) rats are also not exactly cheap, but they run cheaper than ferrets. in your position I would do considerably more research on each to find which are right for you. either way you decide, you'll have fantastic animals.

Answer 7

you should have never buy a ferret that bites. You should make the pet store people interact with him in the store so you know who are you buying.
Try wearing gloves first few weeks and whenever he bites you put him back in his cage and stop communicating with him. He will soon remember its better not to bite and have fun outside.
Do not use a kitty litter. You bought this pet, so invest in his well being.