File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
I'm thinking of getting a ferret this summer.

What do I need to know about their: Caging needs, exercise needs, any special dietary needs, or other ferret-related caretaking nessesities?
>> Anonymous
Feed then very very high protein food, and make sure most of it is meat-based. Better yet, get one from a private breeder and start it out on whole (frozen) mice and chicks (if you don't do this young they'll imprint on kibble as a food and it will be impossible to change. Kibbles are generally not as good for them.

They need a lot of exercise and companionship. I would recommend never having a single ferret. Two at least, especially since having one ferret is about as much trouble as having 3.

Their cage should be large. Mine have an undersized caged that they've been trained to kennel into (much like many small dogs are) at night or when they're sleepy. Otherwise, they have the run of a 10ftx10ft room full of ferret-sized play stuff (canvas bags, boxes and tubes, etc.) so their exercise needs are well met.

Also, get multiple litter boxes. Ferrets have a shortened rectum so when they need to go they need to go. If they are on an all-meat or very high-protein diet the rate, quantity, and smell of their droppings will decrease. Disturbingly, a healthy ferret's feces smells kinda like Vegemite.

Don't ever feed them fruit or veggies, it's like giving them pure sugar. This isn't bad because it will make them hyper, it's bad because ferrets fed on anything but an all-meat diet are very very prone to type 2 diabetes (acquired from diets too high in sugar). The mass-market foods are improving, they used to be mostly vegetable and corn meal, but like I said all-meat whole animal diets are really best for them.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Read Books.
>> Anonymous
get an otter, they're loads more fun, and cool.. and stuff
>> Anonymous
>>108290
Also unless you are some special vet or wildlife expert not available to you as a pet.
>> Anonymous
clean the cage 5 times a day, otherwise it'll stink up your whole house
>> Anonymous
>>108311
You just need to clean the cage once a day. Preferrably in the morning when you first get up. Then you can go take a shower after.
>> Anonymous
They smell like pee
>> Anonymous
You can listen to that dude if you want, but it's easier to just go out and buy ferret food. Or, if it really needs foot and you can't go out, yeah, it's alright to feed it cat food.

Also, they smell. And I mean SMELL. You will have to be sure to clean its cage -EVERY DAY-, otherwise it will take a while to get the smell out.

Also, if you're going to get one, make sure its cage is moderatly large, and if possible, get two. They'll entertain eachother so that you don't have to as much.

One powerful misconseption is that they're mean, and fight with eachother or attack people. Disregard that, they suck cocks. Their play is just aggressive, they mean no harm. If you don't want it to bite you too hard while it's playing, grab it by the scruff of its neck and lightly "drag" it along the surface of the play area. When they're angry, they'll hiss, back up and fluff their tail.

That's pretty much all you need to know to have a ferret.
Oh, and when they keep going around in circles, that means they have to take a shit. Don't make the same mistake I did and take it as some form of playing.
>> Anonymous
whut
>> Anonymous
Also, not foot, food*

:B
>> Anonymous
you do not want a ferret, i had to, they are horribly demanding, messy and will destroy all of your belongs, Yes they are cute and playful but expect to have most of your time taken up by them. It's like owning a over smelly 2 year old ( even when descented) so really really think about what your getting into.
>> Anonymous
Keep in mind how much they smell. One descented ferret's smell is... well try peeing on a shirt a few times, let it dry in the sun, then smell that up close. That's what a ferret smells like, DESCENTED, in my experience.
They get behind everything and into everything, and they SMELL everything up that they share a room with.
Don't be hoping to bring home a date anytime soon with these things in the house. The moment one enters a ferret-owner's home, the smell is "stale pee" up your nose.
>> Anonymous
A good friend of mine owned four ferrets, and you couldn't smell a damn thing. She had them litterbox trained, cleaned their litter twice a day, and gave them a light dusting of baby powder on their fur in the morning. It's not hard to keep them from smelling if you aren't a lazy fuck and actually take care of your animal and his environment.
>> Anonymous
>>108333
Fine. Cut the lifespan of the animal under your care in half. Cat food is a great thing for that.
>> Anonymous
The ferret will not smell bad if you keep it and its litterbox(es) clean. This is not hard, and honestly, if you don't think you can clean out a litterbox every day, just don't get the damn animal. People that complain that they stink either had one that they didn't care for properly or know someone that has ferrets that aren't cared for properly.
>> Anonymous
I have two ferrets, and they're a lot of work, but they're fun!
I've had ferrets for 10 years, so please take into account what I say.

Caging - They need a large cage, large enough so that they have a seperate place to sleep, pllay, poo, and eat. Not nessesarily attatchments, per say, though that would be better, but a large enough cage with litter on the bottom, and food near the middle. The top can me where they sleep. They have hammocks and stuff that attatches onto the top of the cage.

exercise- your ferret/s need to get out once a day for at least 5 hours. This prevents them from getting sick or depressed.

food- there is special ferret food. I use some off of ferretdepot.com, you can go there. there are certain things that you can give as treats, but some things, like raisins, grapes, and chacolate, that can KILL them.

Other- ferrets are sensitive to extreme temps. so keep them cool in the summer, and warm in the winter.

do not let ferrets outside without watching them, even in a cage. red-ants can kill them, as well as other animals and such.

They will need baths up to three times a week, and I would recommend ferret advantage, to keep the flees off.

They need FRESH water, at all times, and they dehydrate quickly. I would recommend a rabbit water bottle, one that hangs off the cage.

They poop in corners, so it will take some time to get used to cleaning it up. BE AWARE that Salmonella traces have been found in ferret fecal matter, so wash hands after, and use gloves if possible.
>> Samantha Indigo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0V7zJqaNpc
>> Anonymous
OP here: Thanks everyone!

I don't really mind the smell, I have sinuses so I'm usually clogged up anyway. My toilet leaked sewage and I didn't notice for three days.

Anyway, thanks for all the tips, I think I'll save them for reference... Don't wanna hurt the guy due to ignorance.