Ferrets and College

[Deleted]

Sorry if this is not the right section, but it has to do with travel, so...eh.

I am basically wondering if it is at all possible to keep a (happy and healthy) ferret while in college. There would probably be quite a bit of traveling back and forth from the east and west coast whenever I came home for holidays or the summer. 

If anyone has experience, please share!

[lyles]

Depends on how you plan to allocate your time. Ferrets need around 3 hours of play time (especially kits) a day. I had ferrets while I was taking full hours and found it difficult to dedicate that much time for them.

[Deleted]

When I lived in Florida, Eckert college was down the street and alot of my daughter's friends at the college, had ferrets.

That said, Two of mine, Roamy and Juliet came home to us, because their ferrent at college had found the first year with them was too much. She didn't want to bring them for her second year. I really don't know the details.

I see from your intro post, that you don't have any ferrets yet. The best person to ask is @muchasbellas, she is in College now and has her Evanna and Marco with her.

[Deleted]

Hi there I'm in my second year at University over here in Texas. I'm not going to lie its really hard sometimes to manage your time efficiently. You have to take into account that you'll have classes, study time, sleep, and ferret time. If you have a job that makes it harder too. Thankfully I have a lot of financial support from family, but I know a lot of people don't have that. The most important thing to think about is your ferrets quality of life. If you think that they might suffer then you should probably wait a little while to get one.
My ferrets are really great travelers. I have a medium sized dog crate that takes up a seat and i can fit a blanket, litter box, and small dish of water. They get let out when the humans get potty breaks, but they mostly just sleep during trips. I just recently took Evanna with me to Missouri which was a 12 hour drive? and she did awesome.

[Deleted]

Do you already have a ferret? If so then it's definitely possible to make time for your studies and your pet. If you don't already have a ferret and are wondering if you can manage the time for one... maybe you should wait until you're more certain.

[Deleted]

Hey @perocore, I'm a senior at Rutgers in NJ. The first thing I would ask you is if you're staying in a dorm or in off-campus housing. Most dorms do not allow pets of any kind, and it's difficult to maintain a high quality of life for any animal if you have to smuggle it in. Much like @muchasbellas said, college (at least initially) is a very foreign experience, and time management is usually one of the biggest problems freshmen have. This may not be a problem for you, but you may want to go to school for a semester and see how you digest college before adding a wonderful furkid to the mix. As far as travel goes, there's a great travel thread on this forum, and you might even be able to keep your fert(s) with you on the plane if they fit under your seat.

Beyond that, I am SO jealous that you're going to school on the west coast I'm also an east coast kid looking to get to California as soon as possible. College is a lot of work and a lot of fun, and I hope you have a great experience out there.

[unclejoe]

Ive been in college full time 4 of the last 6 years. Ive had an average of 7 ferrets at once. It can be done if you have space for them to run. One ferret is a lot less work than seven.
You say from west coast to east coast. If that means across the country, good luck finding an airline that will fly them other than as cargo. And if by west coast you mean Cali, ferrets are illegal there so you need to find appropriate housing. I dont know for sure but i wouldnt expect a college dorm to allow an illegal pet
Dont mean to be a downer but I'm just considering all the angles for the fuzzy's sake. Some colleges do now allow small pets in dorms but not ferrets in Cal id bet. I also think a lot of air travel would be vary stressful on a ferret

[Deleted]

I was thinking about your intro. You have rats and rabbits. One thing to keep in mind, is that a ferret is more like a cat or dog, than a rodent or rabbit. They need alot of out of cage time. They need stimulation and enrichment. They won't do well, hanging out in a cage.

I'm not trying to discourage you. The first time that my daughter brought home a ferret, I thought he would be like a Guinea Pig or Rabbit and happy to be in a cage. I learned quickly, they are as smart as a two year old, and I would have to argue that they are as smart or smarter than alot of dogs and cat.

[Heather]

By the way, flying with ferrets is difficult...just saying and expensive. I noticed someone in the thread above mentioned flying with them. We do have a member who flies with their little one. He does it like a trouper but all ferrets fly cargo, no exceptions. It's a lot of work, worry and expense. If you're planning to fly back and forth...you may want to reconsider a ferret.
ciao

[Deleted]

*Not sure if I'll end up in Cali since we found a great college in Ithaca. Depends on which school accepts me, at this point, hehe.

I think I will wait until at least my second year in college. I do have my ratties to deal with, and unlike my rabbit they have to come with me. And, poncesmom, from the reading I've done, rats and ferrets are pretty similar, as far as intelligence, time spent out of the cage (my rat Styles hates staying in the cage for too long), and affectionate nature goes. So as far as how much time/etc they need, I think I am pretty well prepared. However, it also sounds like ferrets can be very expensive as far as vet visits and such, since they need vaccinations and are prone to some sicknesses(?). Plus it may be best to wait until after my rats have passed away, so that no one feels cheated out of attention.

So, it looks like I am just here to read and learn for now! Just as well, means I will be that much more prepared by the time I'm ready to bring home a ferret!

[Deleted]

Nothing wrong with that! I was a lurker for a while before joining too.

[Heather]

If you're researching don't feel you have to lurk. Getting involved in discussions can often be very enlightening and we don't have a problem with people who are researching and need answers or want to dispel some misgivings or misinformation.
ciao

[Sherry]

While I personally think it is a good idea to wait and research, definitely become involved here Asking questions and joining conversations is the best way to learn.
And yes- ferrets are VERY expensive vet wise. Plan on having a minimum $1000 saved for EACH ferret just for emergencies. A blockage surergy typical runs $800-$1400 where I am. We had a pancreatic debulking($800) done as meds weren't working. While in there the vet found two very diseased adrenals as well. Having the easy one removed ran the cost to almost double what we'd been expecting. Meds for insulinoma CAN become expensive depending what you are giving, etc

[Deleted]

Hi there. Okay, so i'm a sophomore in college now and I chose to commute because I didn't want to leave my ferret caged at home all day because I know my mom couldn't be bothered to look after him. My univ is only 20-30mins away. My first year I paid very close attention to the classes and times I chose because I'm a ferrent(ferret parent) and a worker. So I had to plan accordingly. Sometimes it was hard to stick with my schedule so i'd take my ferret on campus with me so that I could play with him between classes. While I was in class my friend would ferretsit. So for travel I always carry an updated copy of his vaccination record, pet crate with hammock, blankie, food, and water. As someone mentioned before ferrets can be expensive health wise so if you are like me open an account at a different bank and put money in it for your ferret. Mine is Wells Fargo, even though my actual bank is Navy Federal. If I am broke like most college students tend to be I will not touch my WF account because that money is for my ferret even though i' the account holder. Ferret rainy day fund.

Edit: and also treats(for bribing), his harness, lead and a few toys.