The Great Ferret Alliance

[Saracirce]

We needed to find some toothpaste for my cat so since we planned to do a quick in and out, we decided to take one of Transkitty's ferrets, Sega. Several people awwhed over him and he got loved on and held by three different people. When he felt he was done interacting with the strangers, he wiggled back into our arms. <3 We actually had to go to three different stores to find what I was looking for so it took longer then we thought it would (though the stores were all very close to each other) and, by the end, the poor guy was trying very hard not to fall asleep on the way home. Sega did extremely well and did not seem afraid at all, just curious about all the things ever. When we got home and put him in his cage, Sony immediately aggressively groomed him then they curled up and passed out.

[Nyxeva]

Im so proud of my boy <3
The next time we have to go to the pet store, it will be Sonys turn!

[Nyxeva]

Sorry about double posting, but I really don't want this thread to die!


So we recently obtained a king size mattress for Saracirce to sleep on instead of a futon. Rather than throw the futon away, we made gates out of it and ferret proofed the living room! The ferrets had a blast, and Sony's aggression problem with the cats seems to be due to how small the out of cage room was at first, because he doesn't go after them in the living room!

[Saracirce]

https://youtu.be/PwCEBz9FrRI We made a dibox for the ferrets. Sega liked it, at least.

[Chamomiled]

Hey guys, im trying to convince my mum to
get me a ferret. She says I will have to prove
I am responsible, and my father says it will
stink up the home, can you guys tell me how
to take care of them? what they eat, requirements
and such? and on a scale of 1-10 how hard is
it to take care of one?

[Angelus Gaston]

Hey guys, im trying to convince my mum to
get me a ferret. She says I will have to prove
I am responsible, and my father says it will
stink up the home, can you guys tell me how
to take care of them? what they eat, requirements
and such? and on a scale of 1-10 how hard is
it to take care of one?

I don't generally recommended ferrets ( you need a pair ) as a first time pet as they require alot of care and vets bill can be very very expensive with a lot of the diseases they get being incurable. There a heart break pet I've lost quite a few to a disease called Aluitions ( spelling ) which has no cure and hits fast.
They need a lot of cage space and out of cage time generally 4 hours but some can go more.
I recommend a raw diet which takes time to perfect and get balanced but if you cant do raw a high quality cat food such as Taste of The Wild or Orijjan ( if that's how its spelt.) none of this cheap stuff.

They are expensive with how much a cage cost and overall care in the long run.

You need to do the research. They are not easy.

[Chamomiled]

I have had a rat before
And currently have a small
Dog. So it would not be my
first pets. I just wanted to
Know how to care for a ferret
Before i was 100 percent sure
I could take care of them. Oh
And does the pair need to be
Opposite sex?

[Nyxeva]

Owning other animals really wont help prepare you for your ferrets. They're very unique in their attitudes and their needs, and they are heartbreaking.

Ferrets are obligate carnivores and absolutely do best on a balanced raw diet. However I don't recommend doing a raw diet without doing research, as if you do it wrong you can do more harm than good. If you're not feeding raw, you need to feed a high quality dry food. I feed my ferrets Orijen cat food right now, and I intend to switch them over to raw.

One thing I look for when I was figuring what to feed is the carbohydrates. Many foods marketed for ferrets out there are awful. Grains, veggies, and fruits are COMPLETELY unneeded. In fact, grains turn to sugar in the blood and can lead to insulinoma which is the human equivalent of diabetes. They need NO sugar in their diet of any kind for this reason. If you want to give treats, you can use pieces of boiled chicken, crickets, meal worms.. anything small and meaty. Look for a food with no grains, and a high meat content.

Like Angelus said, ferrets need to be kept in at least pairs. Those pairs don't need to be opposite sex. I currently have two gibs (neutered male ferrets) that live peacefully together.

You also need to consider where you will be getting your ferret. I don't know where you live, but I know in the states most of the ferrets you will find are going to be from Marshalls. Marshalls is nothing but a ferret mill, just like there's puppy mills. The kits are separated WAY too young from their parents, they are bred with no concerns of health or temperament and the parents are kept in tiny cages with artificial light periods that tend to throw the Jill back into heat much faster than what would normally occur so they are bred back to back to back. Buying from a pet store will only be giving money to the industry. Also, you get a 'money back guarantee' for 1 year if you feed your Marshall's ferret Marshall's food.. which is terrible. :l Not to mention they de-scent which is unnecessary, and they spay/neuter MUCH to young which can lead to Adrenal Disease. If you can't find a breeder in your area, adoption is a wonderful thing.

Speaking of descenting, it does nothing for over all smell. They just can no longer release a 'puff' of bad smell when frightened. In a few cases, since their first natural line of defense is removed, ferrets can become more bitey. CAN, every ferret is different.

You'll also need to consider what type of cage you'll be getting. I have my two in a double ferret nation cage, which I love! The doors open the front of the cage entirely which means cleaning it is easier. It's also a good size cage, and they use every inch of it. Even though I have a big cage, they still need out of cage time every day. No cage will ever be big enough for your ferrets without out of cage time.

Your dad also has a point. Ferrets have a very distinctive scent that tends to permeate, even when their cage is kept clean. Some people think it stinks (Sara xD) and then some people like me love that smell.

Ferrets aren't really hard to care for, but they are tedious. It is time consuming. And it's not cheap.

[Saracirce]

It's not so much that I think it stinks as much as... It's kind of strong and can get overwhelming at times, especially if we don't keep on top of their cage (which we clean at least twice a week).

I thought I wanted ferrets but living with Transkitty and eir ferrets has changed my mind. They're just a little much for me and I get tired of dealing with them fairly quickly on some days. I'm not even the one mainly responsible for their care. I just help supervise out of cage time and we take turns cleaning their cage.

I like the ferrets, I just wouldn't want to own them myself.

[Nyxeva]

Today was cage rearranging day!
I plan to get more hanging beds and toys from them, and the put liners on the shelves and ramps, but other than that it's pretty much complete!