Would ferrets be the right type of pet for me?

[Ferret_Ozzy]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently looking for a new pet (I recently lost my dearly loved chipmunk) and I have considered everything from rats, degus and chinchillas to chipmunks again, sugar gliders and ferrets, but I keep going back to considering ferrets. They seem to be very rewarding pets to have (and a lot of work too). I have never experienced a ferret in real life, but I have reseached them quite a lot and I'm definitely planning to visit a breeder or a family with ferrets to see how they really are before I decide to get them.
I already have a large cage (1m x 1m x 2m) which would be equiped with shelves hammocks, tunnels, blankets etc. if I decided to get a pair of ferrets.

I'm looking for an interactive pet that enjoys the company of humans, and can be both calm, layed back and sleeping on my lap and spunky, playful and silly. Furthermore I'm looking for an inteligent pet that tolerates being handled and picked up and is trainable. Since I'm currently studying most days the pet needs to be able to be in its cage during that time without being bored, but I definitely don't want a pet that just sits in its cage and takes care of itself without interacting with me and seeking attention. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm looking for a pet that I can form a strong bond with that has its own distinct personality.

When reading this description, would ferrets be the optimal pet for me? I'm ready to put in a lot of work and time to form a good bond with them and keep them healthy. I thought that if i chose to get ferrets I would try to find an "older" pair that already have a good foundation of litter and bite training, so it wouldn't be too overwhelming since I would be a first time ferret owner. Would this be a good idea? 

I have one concern if I chose to get ferrets and that is the amount of time. I would really like to spend a lot of time with my pet/-s, but I know that I'm going to get home late some days, since I study and on top of that have some extra workshops about two times a week. Would this be a problem with ferrets? When do they go to sleep at night? or is it possible for them to adjust to getting playtime early in the morning and when I get home (even if it's fairly late sometimes)? What do you guys do if say you go to work and afterwards are invited to dinner and get home at 9 pm, would this be possible with owning ferrets? I don't think it would be a huge problem, but I know that I need to have the opportunity of doing things after school.  
I'm also considering switching to a different kind of education and I honestly don't know how my schedule and day will look like in 6,12 or 24 months, will this be a problem?

Sorry for all my rambling..I hope you guys can help me decide if ferrets will be the right type of pet for me

[Corvidophile]

Ferrets sleep a bunch, between 12 to 20 hours a day depending on their age and health. I don't know what the median number is during their prime of life, but I'm sure someone else here does! I only have one ferret, and I got him after having pet rats and really enjoying them aside from them breaking my heart by dieing after only two and a half to three years. I lead an unpredictable life as far as how long I'm out of the house and at what hours, and don't have a house that's totally animal proof, so I wanted something small enough to be caged when I was away for safety without being cramped, at least as smart and interactive as rats, and with a much more generous lifespan. A ferret turned out to be very fitting for me!

They're actually far smarter and more emotional than rats. He adapts to whatever my schedule is without any signs of annoyance, and when I let him loose for the whole day he actually gets tired of ME and takes naps for an hour or two before popping up to find me again. Seems to putter out after 3 hours of being free. If he's kept awake much longer than 4 hours (like I have to drive him somewhere) he needs a deeper sleep after and will go down for 3-5 hours at a time.

You do need to have a much larger emergency fund than you would with a rodent, though. A ferret generally gets sick or injured for a longer period of time than a rodent, who quickly either show signs of improvement, or turn south fast. Not that ferrets can't turn south fast as well, but they fight longer and harder battles with treatable illnesses than a rodent can, and therefore their treatments can drain your pockets much more over time.

[Ferret_Ozzy]

Thank you so much for your response. It's great to hear others stories and yours sounds like mine in a way. It's also great to hear that they are able to adjust to ones schedule even though it's not fully predictable.


How is it to just own one ferret? There seem to be a lot of mixed opinions about wether to get one or two ferrets and I want to make the right decicion.

I guess I'm lucky regarding the emergency funds since my mom is a vet (she doesn't know too much about ferrets, but she will definitely be able to help with problems that are not specificly aimed towards ferrets), but I know that they are more expensive pets than most and I need to find a vet that specialize/have a great understanding of ferrets for the more ferret specific problems.

[Deleted]

One ferret will be fine alone as long as you give it at least 4 hours of attention and play time a day. Having two ferrets doesn't mean you can give them less play time, but it does kind of lighten your 'work load' so to speak as they do a great job of keeping each other entertained.
The biggest part of the one or two ferret decision is how you think you will do with them. If you only want one, get one. You can always add more to the family later (something I think most of us fall into...)

[Klarissa]

First time I owned ferrets: 2, 3, then 4 (had to rehome due to unforseen circumstances )

Second time, 1 (Bear), then added Trixie & Rocket for 3. Rocket passed, down to 2. Got Willy, back up to three. Trixie passed, back to two. Got Fredzia, back up to 3. "I swear no more ferrets, I promise!" HAHAHAHA! Harleigh & Quinn make 5 ferrets. I just wake up and think "holy h*ll, where'd all these ferrets come from", lol. I wouldn't change it for the world. I honestly don't feel having 2 ferrets is anymore work then 1 ferret.

What I will say is this: ferrets do a marvelous job of entertaining each other. *If* they get along. I have 3 play groups right now, I'm trying to go down to 2 before December, and 1 before January 5th.

You mentioned that you're looking for older ferrets, and already bonded pair might be easier, then trying to introduce two older ferrets that have been solitary ferts. Fredzia is only 3 & Bear is 4 but they've both always been solitary ferrets until I got them. Getting them together is taking a long time (lots of wine too! )

[unclejoe]

A single ferret may bond better with you, but they do tend to get bored when left alone for long periods. Even having a sleeping buddy may encourage them to sleep longer while you're gone. They adapt well to varying schedules, but they should not be left caged for days at a time. My first couple ferrets were singles. One was not a people ferret but the others were a blast. Back then I had a schedule where I could spend hours with them morning and evening. If you have a busy schedule I'd recommend 2. I love watching them play together anyway. Don't believe it if you read that they are not social animals. 98.8% of them love having a buddy. I would recommend adopting 2 that have lived together. That takes away the stress of introductions.

And yeah, they are some work. My biggest "complaint" is their short lifespans and how they rip your heart out when they go.

[Heather]

Hmm....ferrets need to interact with you. They need a minimum of 4 hrs a day out of cage. I'm embarrassed if my guys spend more than 6 hrs in cage. You can only have one but then you're the playmate and you have to keep them stimulated. Katt wrote an excellent article about keeping the single ferret and keeping them happy. The average lifespan of a ferret is 5 to 7 yrs, during that time they will get sick at least once where it will be a near death experience and you will have to pay a ransom to a vet (I"ve told my vet that I have paid for her kids university). They're not a cheap keep. A young ferret will occasionally take the time out to snuggle but don't count on it. Out of 12 that I have right now, I have one that will sleep in my lap and snuggle, she's also the youngest...go figure My oldest at the moment is 8 and is being treated for adrenal and has been for almost 3 yrs.
A ferret will adjust their schedule to suit you but their best time is very early morning (5 am or so their worst Noon to about 5 pm)
Good luck with your research
ciao

[Deleted]

The Dirty Low Down On Ferrets.

If you r expecting a lap animal, you will be terribly disappointed, They cannot be still. If you own a recliner and can't depart with it ---forget it. we can show you a pic on forum how dangerous they r.

They will dig holes in your couches from underneath and from above trying to get somwwhere. Once they get in, they will leave little gifts there---you know what I mean. Expect the same gifts here and there on your carpet. They have hits and misses.

They r drawn to rubber like a moth to the flame. They love it. There r no ink pens in my house with soft grips. Forget pencils with erasers. I had one ferret that liked the latex backing on my throw rugs. Now all my rugs are woven on back. You need to keep your phone up if it has a rubber protector on it. NO toys that r rubber, no toys with beaded or button eyes. Once they eat rubber or anything mentioned on toys, you r looking to pay hundreds of dollars for surgery or more!( intestinal blockages)

They will also tear up your carpet in a matter of seconds if they want in or out of a room.

While they do sleep a lot,it is not fair to keep them in cage for hours more upon waking.
So, if u still want a ferret, then you r a little crazy like the rest of us.

pic of furniture ---all my furniture and one bed

[Corvidophile]

I really like doting all my attention on one animal at a time, I find if I keep more than one all I think about constantly is making sure I'm being fair to everyone and not showing favoritism, which results in me spending less time with any of them. I get the same nerves around people friends too, even as a kid I only liked to hang out with one person at a time, so my choice to get one ferret was really more of a "what works best for me," not a "what is the most ideal way."

[Blue]

This may be my slightly OCD nature, but my main question would be: are you OK with having a pet that will never be 100% with the litterbox? Some are very good, and some never get with the program, especially if they have learning disabilities (Waardenburg).

I was a newbie too last year, and in retrospect I am very glad I got an adult ferret (2.5 years old) who was somewhat laid back and already litter-trained (as much as possible, but at least she's always been 100% in the cage).

As for the one or two question -- I wondered about that too. I got Maisie off Craigslist, where she was a single ferret. After we got used to each other, I figured that if a friend made her happy, she would get one. I boarded her at a local shelter, and asked the shelter Mom to try her out with different ferrets, which of course she was happy to do. However Maisie had different ideas and beat up every single ferret that crossed her path! TBH I was quite relieved because now I could keep her as a single guilt-free. So if you get a single, older ferret, they may not be amenable to a friend.

On the other hand I really would've liked her to have a friend so that she had someone to keep her company when I'm not there, and maybe she would feel safer when I have to board her, because she wouldn't be alone. I can't follow her under the couch, but we do play chase together, and she'll happily wrestle with my hand, generally through a blanket. It can be a little daunting to be her sole source of entertainment, especially since she doesn't like toys, but it works. I order a lot of things on Amazon Prime because she likes the boxes (I'm only half-joking). She always gets to inspect anything new that comes into the house. I hold her up to sniff random things like the top of the door or the window blinds. I move her tunnels and boxes and blankets in different and interesting ways.

As someone mentioned above, most ferrets are too busy to be cuddly, although Maisie did fall asleep on me for the first time ever this weekend. Older ferrets can take longer to bond, especially if they've already been passed around several times.

Thank you for thinking about this carefully beforehand

[Ferret_Ozzy]

Thanks to all that have responded to my post! It has been amazing to read all your various answers

I'm definitely not expecting a lap animal (if I were I would probably be considering a rabbit or guinea pig instead of a high maintnance ferret), but it would be nice to have a pet that is not hyper all the time as my previous chipmunk. Boy do they have energy! If you think you ferret can't sit still for 2 seconds it's nothing compared to a chipmunk. They are spunky, mischevious, trouple seeking, funny, trainable and extremely hyper animals from 7am to 7pm every single day (exept one month of hypernation) He was a joy to have and I believe ferrets have many of the same qualities that I love about chipmunks, but they seem much more interactive, handleable and a little more laid back, which is what I'm seeking.

I'm fine if the ferret can't use the litterbox 100%, in fact I have never had a pet that used a litterbox at all (exept a rabbit I sometimes used to take care of), so I'm just happy that ferrets can be trained to somewhat use a litterbox

In regards to ferret proofing I don't have any recliners and it's imposible to get under my bed (I know you probably just laugh at this statement, hehe). I will have to do something about cords though and maybe move a couch into another room. I also have a piano in one of the rooms, can ferrets do any damage to them? I was planning to have a ferret safe area consisting of primarily three rooms, but I need to move some things around, so they can't get their paws on any collectable items or art projects for example.

How high can ferrets jump/reach?

Thanks again everyone!

[gfountain]

Nov 18, 2015 15:21:01 GMT -5 Ferret_Ozzy said:

How high can ferrets jump/reach?

My little height-obsessed she-devil was caught almost at the top of the living room curtains, so about 8 feet up. And her brother has been known to rearrange boxes, chairs, and stools so he can get onto any piece of furniture he wants.

[Sherry]

Jumping up? Unless they can grab onto something about 3' up not very high. But they can definitely climb. I've pulled one off the curtain rod before lol. They also manipulate their environment, as in moving a box or toy so they can have a higher reach.

[Klarissa]

Jumping is not their strong suit, just YouTube "ferret jump fails", though I do have a Houdini ferret, Fredzia, and she can jump 2ft over & 2ft up to escape her enclosure

But ferrets have an uncanny determination & perseverance when it comes to trouble. You'd be amazed (and annoyed) at what they can climb (curtains, screen doors), and like someone already said, they are more then happy to rearrange ferret-furniture (boxes, toys, tunnels, etc) to get where they are going. Bear pushed a box to the cage, climbed up the 5ft cage, so she could lay in a dirty litter box I had put ontop while I swept.

Don't try & understand their madness. It's futile

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[mjbez]

Just thought I would chime in my 2 cents.
Single vs mulitples - I had a single ferret for about 8ish months. It was fine, but having a playmate was way way better for me. It meant I could do more than focus on one ferret for a few solid hours and wonder what to entertain her with next. 2 or more ferrets are so much fun to play with, but if you need a break (cooking supper for example) they do entertain each other as well. And even though my oldest was only solo for about 8 months she still would seek me out every play time and was never as content playing with the others. They are much more needy. More than one means they have a sleep buddy too.
Varying schedules - not a problem imo if you are still able to find a good time frame to play with them and let them out to explore. That may be in 1 long play time or 2-3 shorter. I found mine would tire after 2-3 hours and fall asleep anyways. So 2x out was optimal for mine. (now mine are free in a room, and they are most active early in the morning and later in the evening)
Cuddle/Playfulness - this depends sooo much on the ferret. I have owned 5. I have gotten all 5 of mine to spend some time cuddling. That being said, with my oldest male, I would be ecstatic to get 3-4 mins of quiet snuggles in a week. With my oldest female, I get maybe a couple mins a day. My second oldest female would give me cuddles if she wanted to... My youngest male is too hyper most days and my youngest female will snuggle me the most. I have never had much luck with cuddles longer than say 10 mins (and I felt lucky for that). But all of mine do like rubs and massages.
Litter Training - I have used puppy pads with wayyyyyy more success than I have ever litter trained. Larger target. But be prepared to lay them out where the ferrets want... not where you want
Climbing - Yes, they do this VERY well. Jumping - mine weren't great at jumping vertically - like Sherry said, but a couple of mine were pretty darn good at jumping horizontally.. maybe 3-4 feet.
Ferret proofing - this is a tough topic, because every ferret is different. Definitely no rubber or small pieces that can come off of toys, and inspect toys often. But none of mine ever chewed or showed interest in cords. They did not get in under my couches (but found small holes in corners of the couches, which meant they could end up inside... (very dangerous due to the springs in the couches). I have a recliner no one was allowed to sit in if ferrets were out. I did not allow mine in my bedroom for the fear they would get into my boxspring. Mine could also open my old kitchen cupboards.. so I had to ferret proof those... which is difficult to do considering they can squeeze through small spots.
All that being said - I hope that some of the answers you have gotten on this thread have been helpful and enlightening. Good for you for doing your research into things first. Definitely look into proper diet/ litter/ health of ferrets etc. This forum is an amazing place to do research and ask questions!