Ferrets

[CrystalTears]

My fiance found a male ferret this morning coming in from work hanging around the parking lot of our apartment complex. He's really cute, very light colored fur and an adorable little pink nose. He walked around outside with him, showing him to the neighborhood kids to see if they recognized him. No one knows where he came from. So until if and when we find his owners, he's living with us.

We also have a black siamese cat. When he brought him home my fiance woke me up and told me Mouser is playing with the ferret in the living room and I just had to go see. These two playing together is just too cute. The ferret was sniffing around Mouser's catnip and she swatted and him so he walked away without a care in the world, exploring all the nooks and cranies.

We'd like to keep him because Mouser could really use a playmate. She's reaching I believe 10 years so she's not as spunky as she used to be and she's bored cooped up in the apartment, so having someone to toy with, even just with today, has improved her spirits.

Anyone have any advice or pointers on caring for a ferret? I could also use some name ideas.

[GOD]

Name the ferret "Lex", thatz a cool name. ;) Hehehe, ferrets are awesome pets, i've had alotta friends that have owned them, but one tip, if u keep it, and it still has that gland that makes it smell, get it removed...man, it really helps. Personaly i've never owned one tho, but i've owned a chinchilla, that was a damn cool ass pet.

[Caels]

First and foremost, get some insurance that his scent glands have been removed. Ferrets naturally have the skunk ability when riled up. Second, you will lose him in the apartment if you don't keep an eye on him. They are extremely curious and love getting themselves in trouble as well. I haven't had ferrets in over a decade so I really can't remember any healthcare tips, but you find tons of info here probably.

Central Pets (http://www.centralpets.com)

or more specifically

Central Pets' ferret directory. (http://www.centralpets.com/pages/mammals/ferrets.shtml)

[Tsa`ah]

Yep, make sure that gland has been removed and be prepared to bath it with regularity.

A friend from college actually raises ferrets and his advice has always been to give them plenty to do when you yourself can't keep and eye on them.

He has about 500 yards of habitrail tubing running throughout a shed.

[peam]

Ferrets are AWESOME pets. I'd love to have a pair, but I just don't have the money.

Cats and ferrets get along great. I think they're actually related somewhere not too far back along the line. Ferrets also have skin which is VERY difficult to puncture, so the cat biting/swatting it isn't a problem.

Good luck. They can be the biggest pains :D

[GOD]

I'd like to get a pet ferret i've always liked them, but livin out in Jamaica, we dont have central air conditioning and wha not so we keep the doors open cuz with the humidity it gets real hot inside...and havin doors open i think that ferret would be out the front and down the street before i was ablee to even notice it wasnt in the room....-john

I want a ferret!

[Weedmage Princess]

Name him Bradley!

[GSLeloo]

Oh God get rid of it! We've always had a lot of pets (cats, dogs, fish, mice, frogs, snakes) but the ferret was the last straw. That thing smells horrible, poops in the corners of the house when it's left out... plus, it bites and chases you! I walk into the kitchen and it'll chase me into the living room trying to bite me. It even chases my poor little dog and she's an 80 pound golden retriever. Anybody want a ferret? You can have ours.

[CrystalTears]

He's been absolutely adorable. Our friend had a terranium that he had that was left behind from owning an iguana, so we put a carpetted cubbie, a dishbowl, water bottle in there and he's happy as a clam. I went home to see him during lunch and he was in the little cubbie, curled up and sleeping.

He's been very friendly with us. My fiance picked him and rubbed his little belly for a few minutes. This morning he was at one point in the bathroom tub and when I reached for him he sniffed my hand and he let me pick him up and he sniffed my nose. He's turning out to be a great pet already.

[GSLeloo]

Have you smelled your hands after you touched him? Oh god ferret stench... she bites my feet and then holds on! She'll be hanging from my socks as I'm screaming for the dog to save me.

[CrystalTears]

No my hands did not smell at all. His glands had already been removed and he had a slightly faint odor only because he been outside on his own for a little while. He was bathed and he's good as new.

[Edited on 9/12/2003 by CrystalTears]

What do you guys recommend purchasing in advance to getting a ferret? I'm thinking of getting one but would like to be prepared.

[CrystalTears]

A clue and some common sense. :D :P

[peam]

Get it a bird to play with. They simply love birds.

[CrystalTears]

I couldn't stand it. I stole Peam's banana for my buddy icon. :P

[peam]

I'll be requiring a nickel per IM as royalties. ;)

[Skirmisher]

Originally posted by CrystalTears
I couldn't stand it. I stole Peam's banana for my buddy icon. :P

Yeah, that dancing banana makes me grin every time I see it:bouncy:

[Skirmisher]

Err, back on topic though, I always thought Ferrets looked like really cute pets. Any idea how much they cost?

[peam]

Around a hundred bucks, give or take 25, from what I've seen. I'm sure rarer breeds or bloodlines, if they exist in ferretland, are more expensive.

[HarmNone]

I would suggest you block entrance to under your bed, couches and chairs. Ferrets love to get under there and tear out the stuffing. Also, bath every day will eliminate that odor that even de-glanded ferrets have.

They are very playful and need lots of attention. They are also nocturnal, and will engage in destructive "fun" during the night if they get bored. The kitty will help a lot, as ferrets and kitties make wonderful friends.

I am envious, but so very glad that someone like you found the little guy! :)

HarmNone loves ferrets

[CrystalTears]

It's not a great picture but I thought it was cute enough to share.

[Dighn Darkbeam]

Check their ears for a tattoo in the form of two dots. If they have this they are most likely from a professional breeding colony.

[CrystalTears]

Yep he does. :)

[Camri]

I have a friend who has a ferret.

He has problems with it getting up inside the furniture. It likes to burrow under the couch cushions, and climb up in the backs of upholstered furniture. It's favorite night time game seems to be ripping the stuffing out of furniture, so he has to cage it at night.

One time it got up inside the back of the couch and got twisted up in some heavy thread in there. They had to rip the back of the couch open to get it out.

If you're going to keep it, maybe you should cease buying any expensive furniture.

[Bestatte]

Ferrets are a member of the mink/weasel family. As such, they make gorgeous collars on your denim jackets, and nice warm linings for the cuffs of the jacket sleeves.

Kidding aside (well, only partially kidding - they have exquisite fur!):

Ferrets can subsist on dry catfood. They are mostly carnivorous, but they'll enjoy the occasional bite of veggies as a treat. I wouldn't give them a veggie diet though, their digestive systems need the proteins and minerals that come from red meat.

There is "ferret chow" from Purina, but from what I understand it isn't all that much different from cat chow. Possibly a few enzymes that differ, so you might want to double check with your local vet just in case.

Ferrets, like cats, are curious nocturnal creatures. They will sleep most of the day, and be active much of the night. However, just like a cat, you can train them to live on a less nocturnal schedule. They will need their own litter box, and can be very easily litter trained.

Unlike cats, you should -not- have your ferret declawed, and it -must- remain an indoor pet. Ferrets have been domesticated as a breed and cannot survive very long out in the wild. They are food for many predatory animals, including dogs, snakes, hawks and other birds of prey, and various other carnivorous and omnivorous wild animals.

Ferrets have an instinctive visciousness to them. That yours is not, is lucky and not expected. They bite and scratch, and their claws and teeth are razor-sharp. Unlike cats, their saliva is not naturally antibacterial, so if you do get bitten and it draws blood, you -must- clean it immediately with antibacterial soap and water, apply plenty of triple-antibiotic cream, and if it doesn't clear up within a couple of days, go to the doctor. Don't treat a ferret bite casually, they can become very nasty.

Like cats, if a ferret gets sick, do -not- give it aspirin or aspirin substitute. It can kill it. Bring it to a vet. Similarly, if the cat manages to puncture the ferret's skin with a bite or claw-mark, clean it well, and apply witch hazel with a cotton swab. Don't use "people" antibacterial cream or soap on it. Their bodies heal differently from ours.

Ferrets can be awesome pets. But they are still descended from the weasel, and just like a weasel will have many traits of their wild cousins. They take a LOT of responsibility.

[CrystalTears]

When he's at his most playful, he pounces and does a little nipping and scratching, but it's so light that it doesn't even bother me. I play with Mouser and she'll scratch me hard and not intend to. The ferret's mouth isn't strong enough or his teeth sharp enough to hurt, so I actually enjoy playing the attack/pouncing game with him. I don't have any complaints yet.

As for the furniture, we don't let him out in the general part of the apartment. Only in one room that we plan on spending a large part of the time in so that he's not alone. We don't intend to let him out into the living room anytime soon.

[DCSL]

The guy whose house we go to play D&D at has a ferret. She's the weirdest little animal... she's eight years, which is old for a ferret, I gather, so she's pretty tame compared to these stories. Sometimes she'll be running... running... running... and then stop in the middle suddenly and decide it's time for a nap RIGHT THERE.

No teeth big enough? Man, Flower (the ferret at the dude's house) has got some FANGS. You scratch her under the chin and you can feel those suckers scraping your fingers. I've never seen her even nip anyone, though she does lick.

Get some of that special ferret liquid vitamin stuff! Flower loves that stuff. She'll lick your finger forever for that stuff.

[Betheny]

What's the life expectancy of a ferret?

[GSLeloo]

Originally posted by Maimara
What's the life expectancy of a ferret?


Too long.

[peam]

8 to 12 years, me thinks.

[GSLeloo]

Oh no! Ours is only like 2 years old.. please lord take the damn creature!!

[Bestatte]

If yours is pooping all over the place, then you're doing something wrong. Ferrets like to be tidy and train to the litter box easily. If the regular clay-style stuff doesn't work, try those pine pellet ones. Also use a normal-sized litter pan rather than those humongous things they have for multi-cat houses.

As far as shredding stuff goes, that's the weasel in them. Nesting instincts plus the need to keep their claws sharpened. Some cats do it too. Mine did, til I declawed her. She still tears up toilet paper and shreds the shit out of the newspaper in our recycle box though. With her teeth.

Crystal, if your ferret is that tame, then he's either been trained (and probably missed) by someone else, or he's still very young and his adult teeth haven't come in yet. Even farm-bred ferrets are mostly wild creatures. Breeding them as pets is a relatively new thing; most of their instincts haven't had a chance to be bred out of them yet, and they have to be trained.

My cat learned on her own somehow only to bear down hard on my arm when she attacks, when I'm wearing long-sleeve shrts. When I'm in short sleeves, she aims for my shoulder. When I'm nekked or sleeveless, she doesn't bear down at all, but just kinda gnaws gently. I never taught her this. But she still attacks. Damnable creature, I wanna smush her face she's so cute.

But in any case, enjoy your ferret. It sounds like a winner.

[CrystalTears]

Yes it was obviously previously owned since he was pretty much litter trained already (he just had to get used to it here). He was also bred since he has a tiny tattoo behind his ear. Besides I don't think it showed up at the apartment complex on his own. My fiance has spent the entire week looking out for anyone who may have misplaced him or actively searching for him. He even went to the complex management office to check lost and found and no one has reported a missing ferret. At this point he's not going anywhere. Had he been missing one day from me, I would have had signs everywhere looking for him. I'm also too attached to him to let him go anyway. :)

[Solkern]

Dont forget Ferrets stink!

[ElvenRangeress]

ferrets are sooo cute, i was in MI with my brother and his little ones just loved to snuggle ;o)