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Post by foxglider12 on Aug 24, 2011 16:27:58 GMT -5
Hello everyone. My name is Ricky but you can also call me Fox (I'm female for future references  ) I am considering getting either a pair of Sugar Gliders or a Ferret for Christmas or in early 2012 after I get my new apartment. I have just a couple of small questions about ferrets to help me consider if they are right for me or not. 1.) Do ferrets really have an odor? 2.) Are ferrets nippy/bitey? Almost every ferret I've encountered, all of them at petstores, were very nippy. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2011 17:12:15 GMT -5
Hello and welcome! You've come to the right place ;D
1) For me personally, the biggest odor with owning ferrets comes from the litter box. It *is* poop and urine ;D. And it really isn't that bad (unless its liver and heart day). My girls have been raw feed for over a year so they don't have a strong odor themselves, and they poop much less than a kibble fed ferret. They do smell a bit musky, and it will vary with each individual (some are more musky than others). However, it is an extremely mild musk IMO. The ferret room will also begin to smell if I fail to change the blankets in their cage. The oils build up and they start to smell a bit.
With regular bedding changes, scooping the litter box daily (or 2x a day), I don't smell anything at all. Diet is a huge contributor to their smell, and the better the diet the better they will smell.
2) Baby ferrets are almost always a bit "mouthy". But you can definitely train them not to bite/nip/mouth. Timeouts, scruffing, etc. Deafies (from my experience) tend to be a bit more nippy, and are more difficult to train.
With proper training you can certainly have a ferret who doesn't bite or nip.
Ferrets are amazing animals, but they are expensive (vet bills mostly) and require a fair bit of time. They are very curious (too curious for their own good) and can easily get into dangerous situations. Thank you for research before going out and buying a pet - it will help you make the right decision for you and your life.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2011 18:23:54 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum and thank you for doing research ahead of making a decision. That always equals an optimal situation for both you and the animal you bring in Jackie's basically said it all  I will add re: odor - how often you wash them, too, factors in on how strongly they smell. IF you bathe frequently, they will smell very strongly. And for the diet: the more carbs are consumed (as well as fish in kibble) will influence smell. Low carb and high protein is the way to go (only fish given, imo, is the real stuff. Then they don't seem to stink like they will on a fish-based kibble, probably because it's not as processed nor do you feed it that frequently). |
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Post by Sherry on Aug 24, 2011 20:41:43 GMT -5
Hi and welcome Best advice I can think of is to pick up a book called "Ferrets for Dummies", 2nd edition(1st edition has some errors they correct in the second one) by Kim Schilling  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2011 23:03:13 GMT -5
Welcome Every once else already answered all your questions awesomely so I just wanted to say welcome and that this forum is a great place to do research too Whether you get a ferret or sugar glider (I've done a lot of research on them too as I used to want one) they both do have very specific diet requirements (sugar gliders are more difficult to balance their diet from what I've read) so have a read over the diet section on this forum as kibble is not a great option for ferrets (nor is it for sugar gliders) and diet is an important part of the decision for sure |
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Post by Heather on Aug 24, 2011 23:57:44 GMT -5
Hi and welcome on board.
First thank you for doing your research. Ferrets are a fantastic fuzzpet but they're not for everyone. Read through the threads, ask questions.
Ferrets have a scent, a musky odour. Some like it, others do not. If you feed kibble that odour is doubled.
Ferrets can and do bite, nip. You can teach them not to...perhaps a rescue is what you need. One that already has some rules, kits have to be taught to behave, same as any baby. It all depends on how much work you're willing to put into it.
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2011 11:05:47 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum, and Thank You for doing your due diligence & research first! Many helpful & knowledgeable people here, and just as a note, I know that many apartments Do Not allow ferrets, just because of their reputation and/or experience with other owners...
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Post by jadewolf on Sept 2, 2011 9:09:25 GMT -5
I know I'm late on the thread, but welcome! The only thing I would add, is that if you adopt from a rescue group, they should be able to give you a non-biter. They have older ferrets whose behavior is established and who really need loving homes. The kits are cute, but a ton of work, as sometimes they're mouthy, don't know what the litterbox is, and have ridiculous amounts of energy that could turn destructive if not used up. Hm, that sounds kind of down on kits, and i don't mean to be, just to point out the advantages of adopting a rescue.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2011 12:08:50 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum! |
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Post by crazylady on Sept 2, 2011 13:23:46 GMT -5
welcome to the forum take care bye for now
Bev aka crazy lady
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