Does anyone have ferrets also?

[kitty kisser]

I'm considering getting a small animal for my daughter. We have 2 female spayed cats I've seen internet videos of cats & ferrets. They seem to get along. I don't want a pet my cats will see as prey. I've been looking at ferrets at our neighborhood pet store they are $210 each so I'd probably just get one. The cage I want is on Amazon for $130 with shipping I've looked at the reviews and it seems the best built. I love the cage assessories like the banana hammock:lol3: any who. Can anyone tell me how their cats get along with their ferret? What supplies they recommend ? Problems they've had with health ect.

 

[Willowy]

I have had 6 ferrets in the last 20 years, but none currently. They are NOT easy or cheap pets. They do usually get along with cats though. A young ferret may be too rough with an old cat, and vice versa, but young ferrets and young cats are usually best buddies. It's much better to have 2 ferrets, because they're extremely social animals, but if the ferret becomes friends with the cats, and gets enough human interaction, it's not strictly necessary.

This is the best decription of a ferret: a mix between a puppy and a kitten, who never grows up :lol3:.

How old is your daughter? I don't consider ferrets to be appropriate pets for younger children, under about 12 or so. As I said, they're like a mix of a puppy and a kitten, so they nip A LOT when they're babies. It can take a long time to train them not to experience the entire world through their tiny sharp teeth. I've never met a ferret who bit aggressively, but wow, that play nipping can get rough.

The majority of ferrets will never be fully litter trained. They just don't have the attention span for it. If you're not willing to clean up messes, don't get a ferret. They'll get into everything. Is there a garbage can in the room? Haha, now there will be garbage all over the room! They steal your clothes and shoes and hairbrushes and hide them under the furniture. They have a rubber fixation so you have to keep all rubber away from them or they'll eat it and get a blockage. They'll dig your carpets up and rip open the cloth under beds and couches, chew anything plastic, get stuck anywhere they can, crawl through the tiniest holes. They're just really naughty little weezels!

Get a cage that opens all the way. Easy cleaning is the most important thing, because there WILL be times when the ferret makes an unimaginable mess and you want to be able to get in there. There's just nothing as frustrating as trying to properly clean a cramped cage with tiny doors. I recommend FerretNation/CritterNation (the only difference is that the CritterNation has smaller spaced bars so you could use it for a smaller pet later). But it's expensive. Also, the ferret should not be caged all the time. If you can't provide at least a few hours of out-of-cage time every day, don't get a ferret.

Food: they need a high-quality meat-based food. You can use a good cat food like EVO (they also make a ferret food, but it's the same as the cat food so just get whichever one is cheaper). Most of the "ferret foods" they sell at pet stores are terrible, and definitely never get the Walmart ferret food. There's no AAFCO feeding trials for ferrets, you have to read labels and do a lot of research.

Health: oh boy. Ferrets are not very healthy animals. You'll need to find a knowledgeable ferret vet. They need rabies and distemper shots regularly (some vets have moved to a 3-year schedule for distemper, but most still recommend annually. And the rabies shot is only approved for 1-year use). As they get older, they're very prone to various cancers/tumors. It would be best to get pet insurance.

Ferrets are very fun and engaging pets for the right home. But many people aren't prepared for how much care they need and a lot of pet ferrets are badly neglected, left alone in their cage all day, bored and sad. Many end up in shelters because of this. So if you decide that a ferret is the right pet for you and your daughter, check the shelters and classified ads. It will be much cheaper, and maybe you'll find a weezel who is past the nippy baby stage.

I recommend joining a ferret forum. They should be a lot of help in determining if you really want a ferret! And if you do, how to provide proper care.

 

[kitty kisser]

Thanks for all the information Willowy. My daughter is 10 but she is very mature. She has already given away her doll house and stuffed animals to some small children we know. She is always on her iPad playing Minecrafting. I wouldn't mind but it's become an obsession. My husband wakes at 5 am for work and has caught her playing it still ( staying up all night). I'm trying to find something else for her to enjoy. She wants a lizard but I don't see it becoming much of a friend to her. My cat Rose likes to sun in her room during the day. So I don't want a prey animal. My cats ( I have 2 ) are both around 3 yrs old. They are jealous of each other and never cuddle together. They will play fight rolling around on the floor till usually Rose starts hissing cause Catness gets rough. My daughter says the cats are boring and doesn't care much for them.
My oldest daughter is 18 so she will be off to college soon.

 

[Willowy]

Ferrets are fun but mostly not very cuddly. They hardly ever sit still when awake. So it would depend on whether she wants a lap pet or an active and hyper pet.

As long as someone looks at getting a ferret with the same commitment level of getting a cat or dog as opposed to getting, say, a hamster, it should be fine. I think a lot of people put all "small pets" in the same category and don't expect ferrets to need so much care.

As for buying supplies, I think this is where a forum could really help you out. Most of what is sold for ferrets in pet stores is useless and possibly dangerous. And it's been a long time since I had to buy supplies. So the people who have more recent experience with the newest supplies should be able to help.

 

[LTS3]

Instead of buying a ferret from a pet store, adopt one from a local shelter

It'll cost a lot less than $210 and most shelters will have the ferret checked out by a vet before you take it home.

 

[hatchytt]

Honestly, from experience, I might recommend a rat. They're cheaper, they'll practically eat anything, and if you get a ball for the rat, then kitty can't get it. I've had cats and rats before. The rats spend most of their time locked up tight in a cage. Cats watch the rats, but don't mess with them during handling training. Males are more cuddly, but have a scent which can be managed with proper cage cleaning and baths, females are more active but often pregnant when you get them from the pet shop. I used to tell people that my rats were apartment sized dogs. I lost them all in a fire. I still miss my boy Soth. He used to sit on my shoulder and brux in my ear. He was an agouti, so he looked like a sewer rat.

 

[Willowy]

I agree that rats make great pets! If she isn't ready for the commitment of a ferret, that might be a good choice for her. If you get a CritterNation cage, she could use it for a ferret later on if she's still interested .

 

[hatchytt]

Actually, ferret size cages and balls and other accoutrements are generally recommended for rats. They need the extra space for their tails.

 

[kitty kisser]

Thanks Hatchytt for the rat recommendation I will consider it. I worked at a pet store once and the baby white rats where sorta appealing to me. I am looking for a non prey friend for my cats though. I want them to play together.
@LTS3 I seen some ferrets on a site for my town Bid It, Buy It , Sell It , Give It they had two with a cage for $250 but I think someone already bought them. I will look on the Internet for a rescue in my area first. Great Idea!

 

[goingpostal]

I second rescuing if you decide ferrets are for you.  Not only are most ferret shelters absolutely overwhelmed with them, but that way you aren't directly supporting a huge ferret mill.  You would also have better luck finding one who would be suitable with a cat.  My cat is not good with other animals and avoids or smacks them.  Some of mine have just wanted to play, others have viewed her as just another prey item. 

Ferret basics-highly expensive sickly pets that aren't very trainable and behave basically like a toddler.  They get places they shouldn't, that are dangerous for them, they will eat stuff that causes blockages-some are crazy for rubber, fabric, wires, etc.  They love to dig, in your furniture, carpeting, in their food, in their litter, at any closed doors or cupboards.  They will not stop.  You have to ferret proof places for them to play.  They will poop and pee wherever they feel like it, although some are better potty trained than others and they go often.  By about age four most are adrenal and insulinomic, that's if you are lucky enough to avoid lymphoma.  Both can be managed with medication and will gain you a couple years.  Having a good exotics vet is important, so are regular checkups.  You really have to love them to put up with them, they will drive you crazy and make you laugh and break your heart. 

Cages, toys, gates, food, vetting, nothing is cheap.  Mine have their own room to free roam and eat a raw diet to slow down/prevent insulinoma, this also helps odor and poo level.  We added four rescues on Sat, was down to one and have had 8 others over the years.  Two are obviously adrenal, I suspect the third is also.  One is a hard biter although better already and part of that might be the disease. Tomorrow they go in for checkups and vetting and I'm not looking forward to the bill.  Hormone implants for adrenal are about $150 and good for 6 months to a year.  Blood glucose tests to check for insulinoma on all of them is $20/each-I run this at least yearly after 4 years old, exams $45/each.  We've had a couple emergency bills in the 1k+ range for sick ones. 

 

[LTS3]

Shelters have all sorts of small animals when you are ready to get one

Try Petfinder.com

Some cats may view anything live and furry / feathered/ scaled / etc as prey / toys and no amount of training will deter the cat from trying to get to the small animal. You just have to keep the cage or tank away from the cat, preferably in a room with a secure door that the cat can't get into. Other cats may not care about a small animal at all and will leave them alone. It's hard to determine if a a cat will be able to peacefully cohabitate with a small animal or not. My previous cat had no interest in any of the gerbils or he mouse I had, even when I had the small animals out playing in their separate playboxes or rolling around in balls. When my current cats were kittens, they were interested in the elderly gerbils I had (sitting on the tank to watch, etc). Of course, everything intrigues curious kittens.I didn't have any small animals for a few years afterwards and just rescued a trio of mice. My Aby surprisingly has no interest in the mice while my DMH will sit next to the tank to watch until I put her onto the floor with a firm No.

  Blood glucose tests to check for insulinoma on all of them is $20/each-I run this at least yearly after 4 years old, exams $45/each. 

Have you tried blood glucose testing at home yourself? It's similar to testing a diabetic cat's blood glucose level. Instead of an ear you use a ferret paw pad to get a drop of blood. You can use either a Human blood glucose meter or a pet specific one.

 

[goingpostal]

I should pick up my own meter, just never had enough of a need for it, my last few insulinomics were all pretty well managed so we only checked a couple times per year and I keep saying no more....Was just eyeballing one the other day again and probably will bite the bullet.  None of the new kids checked out badly today although one's blood sugar is a bit low, will have to watch her.   Exams jumped to $55.  Walked out a grand poorer today, my oldest dog got a dental too.