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Anonymous
sup /an/,
I want a ferret, apart from chewing electrical wiring and spreading it's shit over the entire house, what else would I have to worry about?
>> Anonymous
it biting you when you try to pick it up
>> Anonymous
>>208997
Ferrets, just like puppies, like to play rough and will nip while playing. However, unlike puppies, ferrets do not grow out of this. Ferrets need to be taught what is acceptable play and what isn't.
Although ferrets are not vicious. Ferrets have very thick skin and a high pain tolerance. What feels like a bite to us is like a playful pinch to other ferrets.

Also ferrets have to be trained to use the litter box. Ferrets have a habit of proclaiming an area the "bathroom area" and will use that area for nothing except that. It's important that you both agree what area is the proper bathroom area.

Ferrets love to explore. They are very curious, and as they say curiosity killed the cat. Before you get your ferret you should ferret proof your house. Seal up any small holes that you can. They will go into your couches to explore so if you have a rocker or reclining chair that could mean a bad end for your ferret. They also LOVE to chew rubber which is dangerous for them because if they swallow any chewed up bits of rubber it gets stuck in their intestines.
Ferrets like to climb to high places while exploring but ferrets have bad depth perception. Sometimes while jumping from one piece of tall furniture to another ferrets will misjudge the distance and fall short. Other times they will just jump down to the floor not being able to see clearly how far down it is.
This is important to note if your keeping your ferrets on the 2nd floor or where they have access to stairs.
>> Anonymous
They usually don't go after electrical wires but they looover softer rubber like pen grips, pencil erasers, TV remote buttons etc. You constantly have to be on the look out for dangerous things your ferret will try to eat. (ferret proofing never ends!) One of mine goes crazy for flower-scented things like soap, shampoo and tampons. Know where an emergency vet that treats ferrets is and how to get there. Likewise, have a good emergency savings of 500+ dollars built up because you'll need it sooner or later. Older ferrets are prone to adreanal disease which usually requires surgery to fix.

Ferrets -like puppies- have to be trained not to nip. Some of them seem to just grow out of nipping, while others who've never been trained will continue to bite. Counter a biter by pulling it off you and making a loud "NO" noise or clapping loudly in its face.

They usually poop in one corner of the cage and one or two corners in the room/rooms they play in. They pick the corners, you put the boxes there. I've found that using old stacks of newspaper is cheaper and better than buying litter, as they can't to make a game of digging the litter out. Also mine have come to associate the smell/texture of the newspaper with "bathroom area" so I long as I don't put something I plan on reading on the floor, I have no problems with crazy pooping all over my house.
>> Anonymous
Random tips: A lot of ferrets with a white "blaze" between the eyes, whiteface "panda" markings and dark-eyed-whites are also deaf. Doesn't bother them a whole lot but can make training more challenging (google for help) and you have to be careful not to surprise them by picking them up w/o warning. Slap the ground first.
>> Anonymous
The stench. Enjoy.
>> Anonymous
>>209184
yeah, also if you get a deaf one, be prepared to have a heart attack every other day when you pick them up while they're sleeping and they don't wake up.
>> Anonymous
this is my bailey! he just turned 5 years old.

he makes a great friend, but he costs a lot of $$.
more like a dog vet bill rather than a hamster/rabbit vet bill

he has insulinoma and had to have several itchy tumors removed from his skin. these health issues are common in ferrets and havent effected his life that much, but the vet bills were thru the roof! you'll also want to watch out for any lose articles of clothing that weigh less than him, for he will drag them and hide them in places you didnt even know he could fit (socks, underwear, phones, remote controls, closed bags of snacks, candy wrappers, pens, etc.)
>> Anonymous
How much they "stink" depends on several factors.

Feeding them a propper diet is critical. Ferrets are obligate carnivores and cannot digest most of the fillers (corn, by-products, gluten, etc) in typical ferret or kitten foods. Using one of these brands results in larger, more foul smelling feces. (Marshall food and Science Diet Kitten are good examples of crap foods) What you want to feed is a by-product free, meat based food with 40-50% protein. Check your ingedients and google. Don't be afraid to spend more on a much better product. Your ferret will smell much less and look much healthier. I've seen it in my own ferrets.

Forget Carefresh or traditional bedding. It gets everywhere, mixes with poo and is a pain in the ass in general. Collect some small piles of old cotton tshirts or polar flece reminants (visit a fabic store). Have two or three sets of this ferret bedding, change and wash weekly. Cheap and clean. Put the money you save on bedding into buying high quality ferret food.
>> Anonymous
I've never actually owned one of these, but I rented a house who's previous owners used to have one.

ANDJESUSMOTHERFUCKINGCHRIST

The carpet.. all over.. smelled like piss.
It took four shampooings to get the stench out.
>> Anonymous
>>209225
Behind every OMG THE STENCH post there's an idiot who shouldn't have had the damn ferret to begin with.
>> Anonymous
>>209225
You sure it wasn't a cat or a dog (or a lot of partying)? ferrets tend to just piss in corners. If the mess was really all over the place, it probably wasn't made by a ferret.
>> Anonymous
honestly? ferrets smell. even if you take perfect care of them, they still smell. the thing is, after a very short time you get used to it and won't notice it in the least. other people might, but it's not an incredibly overpowering smell or anything.
>> Anonymous
Why do ferrets get the bad smell rep when dogs smell even worse? Dogs make your furniture reek and track the scent everywhere. Walk into someone's living room and you can instantly tell if they let their filthy mutts on the couch. Deplorable.
>> Anonymous
Another thing that ive read about the smell is it's generated by the oils they naturally secrete. Most people will recommend giving your ferrets a bath w/special shampoos, but bear in mind you dont want to do this too much. Sources i read stated that after a bath, the ferret's oil goes into overdrive and theyll stink alot more for a few days.
>> Anonymous
>>209274

The difference is this:

Dogs *can* smell, if their owner does not take proper care of them. Dogs only smell if they are dirty or if they have been rolling in stinky stuff.

Ferrets, on the other hand, DO smell. Like all mustelids, they secrete a smelly musk from special glands in their body. Think about that. *Ferrets have stink glands*

As other people have said, it is possible to reduce the smell of a ferret by ensuring you feed it a proper diet and that you clean its bedding frequently. However, you cannot eliminate the smell.