Tell me about Ferret care,?

Question

Are they hard to take care off? what do you need to do? How can you get them to not smell so bad?

Answer 1

I wouldn't consider them hard to take care of, but they do require a lot of attention and time. The key to keeping the smell down is to keep the cage clean and litter box(es) scooped (at least twice a day). You can also bathe them, but over-bathing them will cause them to stink more (once a month at most, less often is better). There are also several ferret 'colognes' and sprays on the market which temporarily cover their scent. An altered ferret smells less than a non-altered one, and descenting has NOTHING to do with a ferret's overall smell. The main thing is to just keep their cage cleaned! Here's some more info that I copied and pasted from a previous question I answered:

Here's a run-down of their daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly routines:

Daily - I scoop their litter boxes twice a day, straighten up their bedding and wipe down the pans with a cage cleaner. Also, I fill up their food and water dishes as needed. They also need AT LEAST 4 hours of outside-cage time.

Weekly - Litter boxes get completely emptied out and scrubbed with hot water and soap, all dirty bedding gets washed and clean bedding is put in, cage pans are washed with hot water and soap, and I wipe down the bars of the cage with hot water. Also, food and water dishes are washed with hot water and soap.

Monthly - I used to give mine a bath once a month, but I've been reading a lot of stuff about bathing ferrets and might stop the bathing. They clean themselves just as a cat does (they're actually very clean animals), so they don't really need a bath. Something interesting I've been reading - give them a tub full of clean dirt - they'll have a ball digging in it and they'll actually get clean from doing it, but it won't dry out their skin like soap does. I think I'm going to stop the monthly bathing, start giving them a "dirt bath" and maybe just have once a month water-play (without any soap).

Yearly (or twice a year, every 6 months, would be even better) - Take them to the vets for a check-up. Most ferret books (and vets) say they should get rabies and distemper vaccines. Some states require ferrets to be kept up to date on shots in order to keep them, if that's not a law in your state, then shots might not be necessary. My vet recommends they get a round of the vaccines when they are babies, after that it really depends on other circumstances (are they outside a lot, are they around a lot of other ferrets/animals, etc.). The more they get those shots, the more likely they are to have a reaction to them, plus some people even believe ferrets are being over-vaccinated. I take mine to the vets for a check-up and bloodwork.

Other things that should be done - nails should be trimmed and teeth cleaned, which I usually do twice a month. If you decide to trim your ferret's nails yourself, I recommend you keep some styptic powder on hand, just in case you clip them too short (they have the vein that runs through the nails like dogs).


And here's some prices for things (most prices are from http://www.ferret.com ):
For just the ferret: about $100 to $150 at a pet shop (at least around where I am); you can also adopt one from a rescue shelter and they're usually under $100 (but a lot of rescue ferrets have health problems, which might not be good for a first time ferret owner).

For other stuff: cage - around $200 (for a good one); food - ranges in price depending on brand, but usually around $20; treats - usually around $3; toys - range from $2 to $20, maybe even more for some things; cage accessories (hammocks & bedding) - $3 to $15; ear cleaner - $4; ferret lax - $4; dental gel - $4; litter box - $3 to $8; litter - $13 (which is for what I use, Kaytee Aspen bedding, a 4 cubic feet bag); Ferretone and Ferretvite - about $4 each; yearly vet visit - I think mine runs about $200, but if he/she has any serious health issues, treatment can be VERY expensive; you might also want some shampoo (baby, kitten, or ferret shampoo) and food and water dishes.


Other info: Ferrets are carnivores; Size of cage depends on how much time they'll be spending in it (the more time in it, the bigger it should be); Ferrets are very social, so two would be better than one; Never over-bathe a ferret (once a month AT MOST, less often is better), it dries out their skin and causes them to stink more; Keeping the litter box(es) scooped and the cage clean is the secret to keeping the smell to a minimum; A descented ferret does not equal a stink-free ferret (descenting has NOTHING to do with their overall smell); Ferrets sleep A LOT (anywhere from 14-20 hours), but still need at least 4 hours of out-of-cage time and are very active when they are out; Every room they are allowed to roam in MUST be ferret-proofed; They can be trained to use a litter box; Kits tend to bite (they especially like going after toes!), so they will need to be trained not to (they don't bite to be mean, that's just how they play with each other);

There's sooooo much to ferrets, I'm sure I missed something, but that's the main stuff I could think of. I listed a bunch of ferret websites below that will also be useful.

Answer 2

They sure won't be like a dog or cat. They get into EVERYTHING, and will always smell musty.

I advise joining some ferret groups, and to get the book Ferrets for Dummies, which is very good. You'll need to locate a vet who works with exotics (ferrets are considered exotic) as well.

Ferrets need a lot of attention, every day. They also bond with an owner and can go into severe depression if given away or abandoned. They also can not survive in the wild. You need to research the species a lot before making a committment to a ferret. Their life span is 6-10 years and there are two diseases they can get that are very expensive to cure---Alutiens Disease and ADV. Having one go adrenal on you will run over $1,000. If they're not spayed, a female can die in under a year if she's not bred. A male that's not neutered will STINK and nothing on this earth can stop that.

Answer 3

The best thing that I could do for you is to offer you some great websites. It would be ridiculous for me to type a 2 page answer! hehe I really could go on and on about ferret care.

Check out these sites. They are both easy to navigate. They have COMPLETE information, not just bits and pieces. Their information is also more organized then I could give you if I was just typing away.

Good luck!

http://www.ferretsr1.org
http://www.ferretuniverse.com

Answer 4

Ferrets aren't difficult to take care of, but they are a BIG responsibility. They are easy to littler train, and they are a lot of fun. They are usually decented ( scent glands removed)before they are sold, so they will not secrete a terrible odor (but they will always smell a little musty). But be aware that they do get sick easilly and are very expensive to care for when the do get sick. American ferrets (usually bred by Marshall farms) are inbred and spayed/neutered too early. This causes a wide range of difficult to treat diseases and short life spans. We bought 2 ferrets and rescued 2 others. In the last year, three of them have died. One had adrenal disease, one died of lymphoma, and one died of congestive heart failure. We spent close to $3,000 in vet bills in a year. I think they are wonderful pets, but plaese be prepared to take care of them properly. Many people buy ferrets thinking they will be cheap and easy to care for, and then just put them to sleep when they get sick. I feel that if you are going to take on the responsiblility of a pet, you should do everything in your power to keep them happy and healthy. I hope this helps.

Answer 5

They require alot of attention and like to play LAAAAte at night