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Ferrets! Anonymous
So I've been thinking about getting a ferret and I got a few questions.

I know they can be pretty expensive, but noone I know seems to know how much. Any rough estimates on what a healthy young ferret is going to cost me cage, supplies and all?

Also I've heard from a couple people that you never want to get them from a pet store. If so, where should I go looking for one?

I also have a dog that has rather keen hunter instincts. Randomly goes into hunter mode when she sees a rabbit. I'm wondering if because ferrets are hunters if this instinct will differ it from a rabbit in my dogs eyes.

Food is a question that I'm curious about. I've been told they eat meal worms. Couple have said it's thier breakfast lunch and dinner, others have said it's just like a treat every once in a while. My question is, what kinda food would you feed a ferret?

Finally companionship. Do they need another ferret or small animal for company? Should I look into getting two ferrets or will one be alright on it's own?
>> Anonymous
wikipedia does wonders
>> Anonymous
When I got mine, the total price was 350. I dont remember the exact specifics for everything, but that was including the ferret, the cage, litter, food, spray, etc.


I got mine from a pet store, it's perfectly fine.

And yeah, definitely keep the two sepperated. You don't want to risk it. While the ferret may have no problem with the dog, it will be lunch in the eyes of the dog.

I feed mine just ferret food. It's almost like dog food. I couldn't stand feeding it meal worms. Nasty. Considering it licks you like a cat (mine does at least), I wouldn't be able to stand the thought of meal worm tongue on me.

I have a solitary ferret. But everyone tells me I should buy a second. It honestly depends on how much time you can devote to playing with it. But if you DO choose to get another one, make sure its a ferret, and make sure its from the same litter.

Hope I helped.
>> Anonymous
at the pet shop i work at our ferrets plus the package goes for 300

food: a good diet is marshall's ferret diet. makes their smellyness less noticeable.

ferrets are fine on their own.. in fact together they can scratch each other up and get abscesses (if their cage isn't cleaned well enough) and they sleep most of the time anyways.
>> Anonymous
>>113643
Awesome, thanks!
>> Morrie
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Yeah it's good idea to get two. Everyone needs company of it's own species. You cant be there for it 24/7 especially if you planning to keep it in a cage. We have 5 ferrets and when the first one was all by itself it was pretty miserable and needed our company all the time. It didn't play much and was always apathic, when we got her some friends she cheered up considerably and became much more lively (which of course is not necessarily a great thing with ferrets XD). Ours are quite horrid monsters and drive us mad by opening closet doors, throwing stuff down from table and one steals everything furry/stuffed, one steals all papers and one steals pretty much anything.
Also they tend to play rather roughly (you get used to it though) but the bite does hurt quite a bit even if they are just playing.
And there is no rule about taking from the same litter. If the ferret has been alone for most of it's life it might not get used to others but when they are babies: they get along with pretty much anyone.
I'd suggest on keeping the dog away from the ferret too.
You need whole lot of patient with ferrets otherwise they are quite easy to deal with.
>> Anonymous
1: $250
2: Your dog will kill it if its a hunter
3: they eat FERRET FOOD that you buy at the PET STORE
4: You can get them at the petstores or a local breeder

By the way, they are like owning a 2 year old, you cannot leave it in a cage all day its like a cat or dog it needs to roam free around the house, they smell bad even descented, they will destroy your carpets/curtians/belongings, They do get sick very easily so if you cannot afford a 300$ vet bill without any warning DO NOT GET ONE. On the brighter note they are very playful, they spend most of their time playing infact, they can also be litter trained ( accendents do happen though), In the end there are more cons than pros to owning a ferret. Also I suggest if you do not have alot of time on your hands to spend with it, dont both getting one because it will just be neglected.
>> Anonymous
If you live in the Southeast US, there is a shelter in Georgia that is dedicated entirely to ferrets. You can check petfinder.com for homeless ferrets in your area.

I've always heard that they are very social, so get two, and that they should be fed a high quality ferret food. Meal worms are pretty high in fat for most animals; I assume ferrets are no exception. Look for a food that is very high in protein (it will have its percentage on the nutrition label). They can be litter trained, and like any animal, will only really stink if you don't take care of them properly. I knew a girl that had three, and they did not smell at all.
>> Anonymous
Getting a ferret from a pet store (surprisingly) is perfectly okay. I would even actually recommend it, since most pet stores ferrets come to you already neutered and descented. I can't stress enough that you need to MAKE SURE that any ferret that you buy is already neutered/descented or that you have a veterinarian lined up to perform the procedures if they haven't already been done.

Also, (most) ferrets get along great with (most) cats if you are wanting to add a non-ferret companion to your household sometime.
>> Anonymous
Illegal where I live, whoooo!
>> Anonymous
buy 'Ferrets for Dummies'

very slightly outdated but still a wealth of information

also Marshall's petfood is shit.