I did a ton of research and saved up and months later, ended up finding an ad for a pair of fuzzies at my local Humane Society. I ended up going there and fell in love with them.
Let me quickly dispell a few myths about them, too. /grin
1. They are not horribly smelly, just slightly musky--and as long as you wash their bedding weekly, feed them properly with the right food, and change their litter at least once a day, the smell is non-existant. It's somewhat of an aquired smell for some people, however, much like the smell of a barn/horses is to those that aren't around them, but you really stop noticing it after a minute or two.
2. They're not rats--they actually belong to the weasel family (known as Mustelidae) and are close in relation to otters, badgers, and minks.
3. Ferrets are not dangerous or wild creatures. They've been domesticated for close to two thousand years, and there has never been a reported case of rabies actually being transmitted from ferret to human. There are the few that have behavioural problems, but you'll find this with any animal, and in humans too, and most injuries are just a result of the ferret feeling threatened, being in pain or being mistreated.
But enough of that. Here are some pictures of my sweeties!
Coming home from the shelter...
Sleeping and being tired on the way home--aww.
This is Rambo...he's not too fond of being held for a long period of time but looooves being chased.
He's kinda a weird little thing, and I often find him sleeping this way...haha.
This is Chris. He's my little bandito and actually will chase me down the hallway.
At the vet's clinic. My boyfriend on the left is holding squirmy Rambo, who can never stay still. But little darling Chris is being all cute and perky-eared on the right.
Hammocks are a staple in a ferret's cage!
This is what they do for the majority of the day. What a life.
They're a bundle of fun to have, but are also a lot of work at times. They do sleep for between twelve to eighteen hours a day, but they must be let out for at least two hours a day if not more. They (and this goes for every other pet out there, actually) are not something you should just buy on a whim--they are a long term commitment like every other pet. Since they don't live extremely long they usually ultimately end up with one of three major health issues in their later years, which can end up costing a good chunk of money (up to thousands of dollars). What can also cost you a ton of money is their curiousity--it's not uncommon at all for a sneaky ferret to get into something they shouldn't and end up requiring emergency surgery to fix a stomach blockage. They're basically permanent toddlers... /snicker
If you guys have any questions too, feel free!
And are there any other ferret lovers/owners out there?
Last edited by m00tmuffin on Wed Aug 22, 2007 12:24 am; edited 1 time in total
Let me quickly dispell a few myths about them, too. /grin
1. They are not horribly smelly, just slightly musky--and as long as you wash their bedding weekly, feed them properly with the right food, and change their litter at least once a day, the smell is non-existant. It's somewhat of an aquired smell for some people, however, much like the smell of a barn/horses is to those that aren't around them, but you really stop noticing it after a minute or two.
2. They're not rats--they actually belong to the weasel family (known as Mustelidae) and are close in relation to otters, badgers, and minks.
3. Ferrets are not dangerous or wild creatures. They've been domesticated for close to two thousand years, and there has never been a reported case of rabies actually being transmitted from ferret to human. There are the few that have behavioural problems, but you'll find this with any animal, and in humans too, and most injuries are just a result of the ferret feeling threatened, being in pain or being mistreated.
But enough of that. Here are some pictures of my sweeties!
Coming home from the shelter...
Sleeping and being tired on the way home--aww.
This is Rambo...he's not too fond of being held for a long period of time but looooves being chased.
He's kinda a weird little thing, and I often find him sleeping this way...haha.
This is Chris.
He's my little bandito and actually will chase me down the hallway.
At the vet's clinic. My boyfriend on the left is holding squirmy Rambo, who can never stay still. But little darling Chris is being all cute and perky-eared on the right.
Hammocks are a staple in a ferret's cage!
This is what they do for the majority of the day. What a life.
They're a bundle of fun to have, but are also a lot of work at times. They do sleep for between twelve to eighteen hours a day, but they must be let out for at least two hours a day if not more. They (and this goes for every other pet out there, actually) are not something you should just buy on a whim--they are a long term commitment like every other pet. Since they don't live extremely long they usually ultimately end up with one of three major health issues in their later years, which can end up costing a good chunk of money (up to thousands of dollars). What can also cost you a ton of money is their curiousity--it's not uncommon at all for a sneaky ferret to get into something they shouldn't and end up requiring emergency surgery to fix a stomach blockage. They're basically permanent toddlers... /snicker
If you guys have any questions too, feel free!
And are there any other ferret lovers/owners out there?
Last edited by m00tmuffin on Wed Aug 22, 2007 12:24 am; edited 1 time in total
. I want to have some of them in my garden too( and in the house of course 
so I got 2 guinea pig insted...
