Ferret Adoption Advice Needed

[Ellie]

I have a few questions about adopting ferrets. Any help or advice you might be able to give would be really appreciated.

So to begin, I already have two ferrets. I've had them about four years now.
I got them from a horrible situation. The previous owner was so desperate to get rid of them, she didn't ask me to pay a cent. 

I'm glad I took them. I love these ferrets to death. In my care they've filled out and gotten bushy coats. They're also very sweet and playful. But to this day I don't know how old they are, or if they're related. 

I do Know that my little girl is a senior ferret now. She has old lady teeth and she's slowed down a lot. She's cuddly and takes naps with me instead of romping around like she used to. 
So the boy, who is at least five or six years old (I'm guessing) has no one to wrestle with. I play with him, but he seems bored. He tries to tackle the old lady but gives up when she doesn't fight back. 

I thought perhaps another ferret would give him someone to play with.

I went to the ferret rescue in my town, and asked if adopting another ferret would be a good idea. I have a large cage that can house six so I know I have the room, and I've been working as an artist from home so I know I can provide them with lots of out of cage time. But would my ferrets like a new friend? The rescue guys were very helpful and told me I should find my boy another ferret friend before the old girl passes away so he has time to form another bond.


To adopt one or two ferrets?

I've been searching for a single ferret. But to my surprise there aren't very many single ferrets up for adoption. I checked CraigsList but the owners are reluctant to set up a play date before hand (They'd rather I just pick them up), or they want me to pay more than a $70 re-homing fee. Some are asking $150 to $200 for their ferrets. 

But I did notice that there were a lot of paired ferrets needing new homes. Perhaps adopting two might make my search easier?

But I think going from two to four ferrets might be overwhelming for me. I feel financially secure enough to keep ferrets but how much more expensive would four be than three? How much more time and clean up would two extra ferrets require? How much harder would it be to ensure every ferret gets along?

Does age matter?

My ferrets are old and oldish. So I've been looking for adult ferrets, but there are a lot of six month old ferrets available for adoption. Should I consider these guys?

Should I adopt a ferret who's best friend just died?

My cousin has been looking to re-home her two ferrets. But then recently one was diagnosed with insulinoma and died. Now she's hoping I'll take her remaining ferret, thinking new friends will ease his depression. I'm concerned that it might be too much change too soon for him to handle. Would he be willing to bond with my ferrets after his friend's death? Would moving to a new home with new ferrets be too stressful? My cousin agreed that if he couldn't get along with my ferrets that they would keep him instead of trying to re-home him. But should we even try?

How to adopt a ferret?

I've been waiting till the shelter in my town has a single ferret available. I know they don't mind me setting up multiple play dates to ensure the ferrets jive alright. But they're a small rescue and don't have any single ferrets available, only bonded groups. So meanwhile, I've been checking Craigslist and other shelters. 

When looking to adopt, should I be the one to make the drive to see the ferret up for adoption, or should the owners come to my house to see my ferrets and house? I've been wanting to set up play dates, but no one is willing to drive to my house, even if it means getting to do a home check. Granted some folks live far away. Is it rude of me to ask them to bring their ferret over here? I try to avoid driving my older ferret around.

Then there's the price. I expect to pay a re-homing fee, but is $150- $200 reasonable? I thought by offering to pay $50 I was being fair. I'm not interested in the cage so I told folks they could keep it and sell it if they wanted. But they refuse to relinquish their ferret for anything less than the asked price. I've offered to send pictures of my home to prove I'm not feeding ferrets to snakes. I go to the best ferret vet in the state, I feed them high quality food. I'm offering a good home. But no go.

Are these people being greedy, or am I being too stubborn? I don't want to support someone trying to make a profit by selling animals on CL but maybe I'm the one being unreasonable?  

I know buying a ferret from pet store might be easier, but I've always thought adoption was kinder. 
Do you have any wisdom, stories or advice to share?

Thank you for taking the time to read
 

[Deleted]

We'll I have 3 older ferrets 6-8yrs old and I just took in two rescues yesterday. The new ferts are 2 years old and right now they all are getting along quite well but I do know it's still early. I think a friend would be a good idea and I've had great success with new friends. It does help ease the depression of a lost buddy. Adding 2 more isn't really any more work for me just more food and more poop

As far as CL goes I often find ppl go 2 ways. They either want to recoup all or most of their investment which is why they ask for higher prices which I think is ridiculous or they can't be bothered, don't ask any questions and will hand them over to any one willing to take them. If I was ever in that sort of position, which I can't fathom, I would much rather give my ferret away to a loving home than make money but whatever.

I'd drive to see them bc I'd want to see the ferret in the environment they feel most comfortable. If they come to you, you will not get a true picture of their personality. I would also not be introducing my ferrets to buddies until you know that the possible adoptee has been vetted. Ferrets can catch things from other ferrets and if your older one is fragile it's even more important you know they are healthy. I have a senior who is sick with adrenal, insu and lymphoma and my vet assured me that these ferrets were healthy but I'm still keeping them separate for a while just in case.

Many of the ferrents have adopted and I'm sure they can help. I'm also going to tag Jeremy's Boggle aka Jeremy's boggle, who runs a ferret rescue. I'm sure she has a lot of advice that may help you.

[gfountain]

I just recently adopted a pair of boys from Jeremy's Boggle. I already had a bonded pair but I wanted one more. By the time I made up my mind to go ahead with the adoption, the guy I wanted had bonded with another ferret at the shelter. That meant doubling my business, which made me uneasy, so I put it off for a few more weeks. The shelter was 6 hours away from me. Nicole, the shelter mom, met me midway to deliver the boys. That is what a good rescue does...they find the best fit for their animals and then go above and beyond to help them get to their forever home.

As far as extra work, yes, there is some...more food to prepare, more poop to clean up, more things knocked over and/or spilled. But the payoff is more snuggles, more kisses, more bouncing babies, more FUN!

As far as the rehoming fee, that is entirely a personal choice. As Jerseygirl said, CL rescues usually fall into one of two categories...the ones who just want their money back, and the ones who just want the ferrets gone to whomever. I personally would have a problem with a high rehoming fee simply because CL ferrets very often need extensive vetting. I prefer to spend my pennies getting them the care they need rather than rewarding someone who may or may not have taken proper care of them.

[Jeremy's Boggle]

I wouldn't adopt a ferret much more than a year or two younger than your current ferret if a friend is your main goal. A five year old enjoying a 6 month old is rare. I have one who loves babies and can generally keep up with them but this isn't the norm.

Safety wise your cousins ferret or a shelter ferret will be a good option. They are both unlikely to bring illness home to your old girl. I recently made the mistake of not doing a full quarantine on an intake as she had recently seen a vet and was previously in a two ferret household. She gave all of my adoptable ferrets a stomach virus. (headwall) I know better than this. I'm just d*mn lucky it didn't spread to my residents. If you try your cousin's ferret I would suggest a gradual transition. Have them bring him over and stay the first visit. Then leave him a day or so. Add a little more time each visit if things go well to minimize the shock. Sometimes having just lost a friend makes them more open to a new friend and some never accept another one.

There isn't a huge difference between daily care of two to four. The big thing come in vet care. Can you pay for 4 des implants every six months? You work at home so you can provide supportive care for 4 insulinoma ferrets. I know it sound dismal but after age three ferrets can have both conditions.

If you buy off of CL you have no idea what your getting and $150 is way to much to pay for an older ferret. Most people on there are out to get money and few negotiate. I paid $80 for Grace as the man who had her was unemployed and had to get the money he paid for her back. She desperately needed care.

Most shelters have you come to them. Personally I would not want strangers from CL coming to my home.

[Ellie]

Wow thank you all so much for your thoughtful advice. I'm really glad I asked you first, before I made any big mistakes. It really helps me out.
thank you thank you a million times! (dance)

[Deleted]

Hi and Welcome to the HFF

Mine have all come from different places.
My first Ponce came from a local petstore with no tattoos. He was an only ferret until he crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Now, I wish that he had known the joy of having a friend.

After Ponce passed, I found myself on Craigslist (first and only time). There was a bonded pair being rehomed. I was fortunate a, they were both young and healthy. Their previous ferrent did not misrepresent them. She cared for them, but was headed off to her second year of school and did not want to bring them. I also talked their price down.

Then I decided that Roamy needed a little boy to play rough with. I thought Juliet needed to mother someone. So, I talked to our local petstore and found out that they had a little one inbound. The little one turned out to be a girl and she came home with us. Juliet took right to her, but Roamy was too rough and we had to separate them until she grew up a little.

I still wanted a little boy. We popped into a Petco and found a seven month old boy, who had been overlooked. Wynstan went crazy over my husband and so he came home with us. Roamy again proved to be difficult and it took about five weeks to intro Wynstan.

Then our family doctor needed to rehome his little girl. Her bonded mate had suddenly died and no one was playing with Keller. He just wanted her to be happy and did not ask for any money.
Keller is deaf, which he did not know. She's adorable, sweet, funny, playful and curious. Unfortunately, neither Roamy or Juliet have accepted her.
We're in a free roam house and so for about six months, I've been working on introductions. We're making slow progress. She was terrified of the others, so I didn't want to push her. She's now friends with Mika and Wynstan. We're working on Roamy and Juliet.

Not all ferrets are aggressive like Roamy. He's just very protective of his business (Juliet rules, but Roamy guards).

Good Luck and I hope that you will let us know what you decide.
You might check out PetFinder. It's finicky, so you have to play around with it. Under breed, put in Ferret and it will bring up shelters and rescues and available ferrets.
(dance)

[Deleted]

i had been planning on just getting one but the girl i fell in love with was bonded with a boy she had been caged with at the rescue so i had to get both or niether.  i got both and im happy i did because we didnt get to have much time with our girl.  but having 2 turned out to be perfect for us so it worked out

i will say dont get another just because you can afford to buy more food.  can you also afford to pay more vet bills?  what if more than one gets sick at a time or they all get something?  will you be ok?  that was something i had to worry about when i had rats because i would have between 2 and 6 at a time and sometimes when one got sick others got sick

some people's rehoming fees are crazy!  i saw one mystery aged adult who's owner wanted $300 for him, a crappy cage, and really low quality food.  when getting an animal from another person like that i tend to try and not pay more than $50 for a rehoming fee because you dont know if that animal will need vet care right away.  keep in mind most of these people want to get rid of their ferret quickly and try to make a profit or get back everything they paid for their pet and supplies.  but i will pay more for an animal that comes from a rescue or shelter because most of the time they have had at least a checkup from a vet

as for age, i would assume ferrets are like any other animal, each one is different.  my 13 year old cat loves our playful kitten while our 4 year old acts like a grumpy old lady and hates all things fun

[Sherry]

As for where they come from- my first was a rehome from a client. Next was that one's litter mate, purchased from a pet store.
Next was a surrender to a pet store(she was 4-5 yrs old).
Then again from a pet store as a baby.
Followed by two fosters who we wound up adopting.
Then another pet store "rescue". Major fear biter who had been abused by staff.
Then a surrender to me by a forum member. Every ferret since has come from our local rescue. They number 5 in total lol

[Deleted]

With older ferrets I would be very careful about keeping the age difference as small as possible.

As sometimes with new introductions, younger ferrets can attack the older strangers, because of sickness smell, dominance issues, diet difference smells (raw fed smell vs kibble fed smell) etc.

Also the older ferrets are slower, and get tired faster. While the younger ones keep going for much longer. So then the young one either bothers the sleeping elders, or comes over to you all the time with a sad look. This still happens with mine and they have a 2-3 year difference. The 5-6 year olds want to sleep or explore at their own pace and the younger girl wants to wrestle and go crazy. They play with her but it is not enough, and I have play with her separately after so she gets enough action in her life.

Stores usually only have young ones, so your cousin's or rescue ferrets might be the best bet. And gradual introductions and visits will reduce the shock and stress or a permanent transition to a new home.

As for the price, I know the shelter where i volunteer asks for $150 adoption fee. And at the stores here they cost $250 per ferret. Owners on CL might be trying to get some money back for theirs, but it is also possible that they want to check that the new owner has enough money to spend, so that they would afford health care costs etc.

I think 2-5 ferrets require the same amount of care in general, just the amounts of food consumed, and poop amounts change. But when you have to handle more it becomes noticeable.