I am a freshman in high-school. I go to school 7 hours a day, swim 2 hours, sleep 8 hours, chores about 2 hours a day ... I really want a ferret but im not sure if i am ready. Every person says to hall away 1000 dollars incase of a veternairian emergency, is that really nessisary? (i dont have a job!!) I have loved these animals my whole life,, but i have come to my sences i guess the question is how expensive are they really? like with shots, .. basics. And if i would get one how much out of time cage is nessicary ... and if i do get one should i get one ferret or two
Ferrets are expensive.
The main food in the ferrets diet should be meat, ferrets are obligate carnivores and can not digest corn/grains and often get IBD and suffer because the signs are so mild the owners don't even know. High quality food IS expensive.
Marshall Farms Ferrets ARE FERRET MILLS (same as a puppy mill). Supporting Marshall Farms in any way (buying food/hammocks/treats/harness) is supporting a ferret mill. Marshal Farms breeds their ferrets for pets and laboratory testing.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com As ferrets age their health deteriorates, especially those Marshall Ferrets. And blood tests, surgeries and/or a life time of medications will be expensive. Vaccinations are necessary, but I don't recommend over vaccinating and when my ferrets are about 3 years old I stop w/vaccs. (unless its a newly rescued ferret) ADV testing (mink strain of Parvo) is also necessary if you plan on joining ferret clubs.
If your going to get one, then whats one more, right? I like 3 ferrets because if one does die: (then there is a familiar buddy to keep each other comfortable. I had a ferret that grieved himself to death over the loss of his cagemate (I did have other ferrets too) a month to the day and many trips to the veterinarian he died.
Ferrets are great creatures and require about 3-4hrs a day out of the cage to play in a ferret safe area. My home is ferret proofed-and updated daily before I release the lil 'beasts.
The best kind of ferret cage is to buy the biggest one you can afford!!
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
I feed a mix of Drs. Foster & Smith Original Ferret food & Grain Free Zupreem Ferret food & Wellness Core cat food & Before Grain Cat food ... all high quality proteins.
Ditto the last two posts!
I would ammend the out of cage time to a minimum of 4 hours in at least two sessions are better than one out of cage session.
I use Innova Evo ferret food and ZuPreem
Keep blankets and hammocks clean
ferretsanctuary1@aol.com
you sound way too busy ... these little guys need a lot of attention. if you leave them in their cage .. they can become depressed or stressed out. they are social little creatures and they love to play. it wouldnt be fair to the ferret ... i dont suggest getting one. with all the purchases i made to buy my first ferret .. including the cage .. the ferret high quailty food, and all the extras is was almost 500 $ ... so you prolly woulnt be able to afford it in the first place ..... wait to get one. not to mention vet bills ..... whew ...
Like the other posters said , ferrets can be expensive, and you should ALWAYS be aware of that and plan for it. It's just a fact - the majority of ferrets will contract a major disease (not to mention injury) in the course of their life. And some of the big ones can occur at a fairly young age, as well (things like: juvenile lymphoma, classic lymphoma, insulinoma, adrenal, ECE, heliobacter infections, and then such things like broken bones, chipped teeth, BLOCKAGES, etc).
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
I won't say you're too busy (heck, I'm in grad school full time, work part time, and take care of small children, so busy is not necessarily an automatic "no"). I will say high school freshman adding in ferrets to the mix is a lot. I mean, ferrets are very high maintanence, both in terms of chores related to their care and just socializing.
Add up the hours you're busy/sleeping, and then factor in the fact that a single fert needs, at the very poor minimum, six hours out a day (and this is in a suitable cage, not a tiny thing) and half of that with you. Multiples, it's 4 (but would you really cage an active, social animal for 20 hours a day?), and half that with you. Be honest and decide if even these * minimums * work for you. If not , reconsider: D
That being said, since ferrets are very social, it's ideal to have more than one. This gives them someone to play with and snuggle and all that great stuff. I have to agree, though, that 3 + are better. I, too, had a pair back when I first became a ferrent. My male died a bit before his 3rd birthday, and my female almost grieved herself to death. The only things that saved her was vet visits (she ended up with severe ulcers, which are not fun or easy to treat) and the introduction of another ferret. I now have three (about to add in a fourth), and I will never go back to just pairs again.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com I don't want to sound condescending, but I'm sure you're going to do a lot more research before making a final decision, right? It's a lot. I was 19 and in college when I first started out with these guys , so I was older, but I was still * swamped *. It was only through sheer force of will that I made through that and was able to settle down and take care of my guys like they deserve.
