Jeff mentioned something about ferrets in the "dog" thread, and I was wondering what sort experiences any of you have with them? I've wanted one for about as long as I've known what they were. As I said in the other thread, I had one for a few days (maybe a week or two), a long time ago, but we had an odor problem with him. Do they eat cat food? Or is there special "ferret food"? Do they get along well with other pets? Mostly cats, but dogs too? Do other pets get along well with them? Anything else you guys know about them would be welcomed.
Well, I had two ferrets that both died last year ( ), but I loved them. They were really great little pets. <b>Do they eat cat food? Or is there special "ferret food"? </b> We fed ours Iams kitten food - the dry stuff - and that worked out fine. That actually is very good for them. <b>Do they get along well with other pets? Mostly cats, but dogs too? </b> They get along with cats fine. They are TOUGH little animals and our cats usually were more intimidated by them than vice versa. I've heard that, unless they are raised with them as puppies, dogs have a tendency to be agressive towards them. You should be careful especially with larger dogs. <b>Do other pets get along well with them?</b> We had a bunny and the ferrets were fine with him. As for the "odor" you mentioned, ferrets do have a musky smell. It is best to bathe them fairly regularly for that and keep their cages clean, especially blankets or those little hammocks they sleep in. Also, IMPORTANT, clean their litter boxes AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. We got ours from a homeless ferret shelter and the woman said, "Their boxes smell much better than cats' boxes." BULL****!!! That is an unholy smell IF YOU LET IT GO. If you clean it regularly (every other day or so), it is fine. By the way, don't use the clumping litter for ferrets. They HATE it. Finally, you should read up on some of the common ferret illnesses. They get some intestinal disorders and adrenal problems that need to be checked and they should have a vet that specializes in ferrets because their problems can be unique. There are two very good ferret vets here in town if you need a recommendation.
Well, I had two ferrets that both died last year ( ), but I loved them. They were really great little pets. Sorry to hear that. What is their average life-span? More or less than the average house cat? They get along with cats fine. They are TOUGH little animals and our cats usually were more intimidated by them than vice versa. I figured, but some cats are pretty territorial too. We had a bunny and the ferrets were fine with him. That is suprising. I would think that rabbits would be on their natural predatorial list. As for the "odor" you mentioned, ferrets do have a musky smell. It is best to bathe them fairly regularly for that and keep their cages clean, especially blankets or those little hammocks they sleep in. Can they be left to roam the house freely like cats? Or is it best to have a "cage" for them to live in? I'm fairly good with building stuff, and I plan to build some crap for our cats when we do get a house. I remember something you posted once about having a enclosed (screened) cat walk from your house out to a screened room in your back yard. I don't know exactly what it looks like, but the way I imagine it, I'm pretty jealous, and plan to do something like that myself. How big is the outdoor room? How long is the cat walk? Have you ever had any trouble with outside animals, who weren't yours, damaging the screen? I'd probably build something for the ferrets too. Don't they like tunnels and stuff? Also, IMPORTANT, clean their litter boxes AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. We got ours from a homeless ferret shelter and the woman said, "Their boxes smell much better than cats' boxes." When you say "clean", do you mean "scoop", or dump everything and wash with soap and water? With our cats I usually scoop 1 to 2 times a day, and do the "dump-and-wash" about once every 1.5 weeks or so. Remember I have the gigantic litter box, about 2.5 times the size of a regular one. It holds 30lbs of litter easily. That is an unholy smell IF YOU LET IT GO. If you clean it regularly (every other day or so), it is fine. Maybe this was the "odor" I was coming across By the way, don't use the clumping litter for ferrets. They HATE it. Good to know. Don't use it, but good to know. There are two very good ferret vets here in town if you need a recommendation. What part of town are they? I am probably a few years away from getting any ferrets. And 2 would most likely be the max, as I plan to have around 4 cats or so. Also, do you know how they are with small children? My wife and I plan to start having children in the next year or so as well.
I had a ferret when I was young...but had to give him away because I was not reponsible enough. They are cool, but a lot of work. I want another one, just to make up for my past wrongs. Anyway, we had a dog (a terrior) who always tried to get him (duh, terriers are bred for that). Anyway, the ferret was pretty tough and could take care of himself until we could scoop him out of harm's way. Clean often. Then clean some more. I am pretty sure Jeff will agree that you should not just scoop out mess, but empty, wash, etc. There are leashes you can get to take them on walks (same as rabbit leashes, I think) but they don't always need that. I never had a chance, but you can train them to climb up you and then get on your shoulders and they will stay there. If you build a cage, make it as big as possible. They are active and it is best not to cramp them when they are locked up. They love hammocks. You have to clip their nails fairly frequently. Cannot think of anything else that Jeff did not mention.
Their lives are shorter than cats - around 8 to 10 years if well taken care of. They really like to have a cage or at least some quiet area where they can stay out of harm's way. If you leave the cage open during the day, you can just put some blankets and a hammock in there and it doesn't have to be very large. Make sure that the floor is covered (cardboard or a carpet scrap will be fine) because their claws get beat up on wire. Check Petco for some examples but I would say that you could probably build one. They love to get into stuff - climb through tunnels, dig in stuff, crawl through holes, etc - so you REALLY have to ferret-proof your house. Crawl around on the floor in the kitchen, laundry room, etc and try to find places they could get into that you hadn't considered. They will get into ANYTHING if you let them. We love it! The cat walk is approximately 20 feet long from the house to the cat room. The room is fairly small - about 10x8 with a high ceiling. It used to be a gazebo that we enclosed. I'll give you some really important tips that we have learned. 1. Use TOUGH screen. They have stuff at Lowe's that is called "pet proof" - it is nylon stuff that is very good. The regular screen won't just get torn by cats but squirrels too. 2. Put metal screen on anything that is under 3' high. Ours have ledges that allow them to sit near screens like windows but below that is wood except on the door which is a metal screen. They have a tendency to scratch that stuff and, eventually, it will tear. Metal screen on the cat walk is recommended. 3. Seal the room using expoxy or graut and flea dust the hell out of it every couple weeks during the summer. This really avoids the flea problem. Treating the cats with Advantage is also a plus. Also, the epoxy keeps the rain out other than what blows in through the screen. 4. Put a litter box and fresh water out there especially in the summer. 'Nuff said. 5. Put some places for them to sit. We have a big carpeted cat climber thing out there and they have ledges around the edge. The more of that, the better. 6. Install a light and some electricity. When chasing them in at night, this really helps. It also helps if you need to vacuum or use a power tool for any reason. Don't get scoopable litter. They can't use it and it drives them CRAZY. You can scoop out their regular litter, but I recommend just dumping it every other day. They don't go that much, but that should do it. I would definitely clean the entire box with soap every week. They need a little box with low sides for obvious reasons. The triangular one's for use in the corner of cages are ok, but they have a tendency to yank them out of the corners and go in the cage. Also, clean the cage every week or two at the least. One of the vets is in West U the other is off Westheimer near Kirby. They are the best in town with small animals. Ferrets are supposed to be great with kids.
"More than 400 ferret attacks on humans have been documented since 1978, including 63 unprovoked attacks on infants and small children, and one fatality. Although attacks by dogs account for more reported injuries and deaths than do ferret attacks, the risk posed by ferrets cannot be adequately compared to dogs until reliable animal population data are available and animal bites are more accurately reported. The fact that more dog than ferret bites are reported is likely a reflection of the larger dog population and the tendency for bigger animals to inflict wounds that require medical care. There are several characteristics of attacks by ferrets that are of particular public health concern. Many ferret attacks involve infants and small children who are sleeping or lying down. Ferrets have climbed into cribs and inflicted hundreds of disfiguring bites on defenseless infants. In contrast, dogs usually bite when their territory has been invaded, they perceive competition for food or attention, or they view a running or screaming child as prey. There is anecdotal information that the propensity to be aggressive and bite varies with the family line of the ferret. Public health officials believe that more objective data are needed on the risk factors that lead to injuries from ferrets so that specific preventive strategies can be recommended. Until such data are available the safest approach is to restrict ferrets from households that have infants or small children." http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/doh/html/public/testi/12-18.html
Bob: Compare ferret attacks and problems to that of dogs. No comparison. Dogs are by FAR more dangerous to humans, particularly infants, than ferrets.
Not to argue with you Jeff but, there are far more dogs or cats as household pets than there are ferrets. Also, why is it against the law in 2 states to have ferrets as pets?
It is against the law in two states because in those same states it is also against the law to own mice and gerbils. It is against some city laws to own more than 2 cats. Most of those laws are based on a lack of knowledge. My wife and I did a great deal of research on ferrets before we got them.
