# Ferrets?



## tortgirl123 (Apr 25, 2014)

Hi guys! Just want to know if anyone has ferrets? I want to know how hard or easy they are to take care of them. How do you like having ferrets? I have a little convincing to do with my parents, and already owe them money for all my tortoise supplies so title be a while!  their biggest fear is the stench. But they also thought that about torts, my tort only stinks if I feed him Mazuri ( and we should all agree that it smells like dog food!  ) So how is the smell if you just keep up with the maintenance? What kind of daily routine do you go through? Thanks so much!


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## LolaMyLove (Apr 25, 2014)

My sister has two ferrets and they do stink. They get baths every few days and its still pretty strong. Her's are allowed to roam the house freely a few hours a day and I can tell you they will get into everything. Her's like to steal shoes and hide them behind the couches. Last time I was there one stole her iPod and she still hasn't found it. They are cute little buggers though.


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## happyjoyjoy (Apr 25, 2014)

when you walk in someones house that owns a ferret you know instantly or at least I do....... Not only is the poo intense but they do emit an odor through the pores in their skin and yes even if they are de-scented this remains. There are products that you can squirt in there food to manage this..... So not to crush your dreams: get a litter pan in there cage (they potty train themselves) and clean it out everyday, use a mixture of carefresh and the new scent bedding they sell now (lavender,rose,mint) also made by carefresh company, use the edible paste for their skin to stop producing the odor, and frequent baths....... some ppl seem to LOVE them so I'm sure they are great pets. Good luck. 

Use to work at a pet store for 3 years.......


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## Tom (Apr 25, 2014)

Daily maintenance consists of food, water and litter box cleaning. Pretty simple. Mine finally died of old age, but I have had them for many years and none of mine smelled all that bad. You certainly couldn't smell them unless you were holding them or at least very close to them, and even then it isn't a disagreeable scent. Not to me anyway. I think they are a lot of fun and make great pets.


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## NicoleB26 (Apr 25, 2014)

I have 2 and enjoy them very much. They are very comical to watch and play with but the get into EVERYTHING! They have a musky odor that I actually like but their cage does need to be cleaned everyday and I would not have them if I couldn't have their cage in the basement. Good luck convincing the parents!


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## LoutheRussian (Apr 25, 2014)

I had an albino ferret. She was awesome. She smelled awful and **** everywhere but that was my fault for not training her. She was always stealing stuff from my friends and hiding it in the couch. She was a lot of fun until she died while I was on vacation.


Luke&Lou


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## guille24 (Apr 25, 2014)

I never owned a ferret but I have a hedgehog and it really stinks when it poops lol as soon as I smell the odor I clean the cage ! After that i clean everything is back to normal lol


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## ascott (Apr 25, 2014)

http://www.petco.com/product/124029/Arm-And-Hammer-Multi-Cat-Clump-And-Seal-Cat-Litter.aspx

Absolutely a Godsend....with this litter there is not sign of a critter in the home....it is truly the best thing.. I have an uber sensitive nose and can not live in a household where cats are allowed to do their business in an indoor catbox...just can not. A Ferret can be the same way, however, this is the best invention I have ever ever, did i say ever, found. 

Ferrets are furry little balls of fun...the males have a more musky smell than females...but get either fixed, this will "help" the odor...but just as cats have an actual smell to their body, a Ferret does as well....but it is the litter box that can make or break the relationship....so try this litter if you decide to get a Ferret...

I am not a cat person, they are too darn snobby...demanding and such...Ferrets are lovable, love to cuddle, silly, funny and good hearted..they also can and are killed by dogs in the same household...so please do not EVER let one in the same space as a dog nor accessible to a dog...


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## tortgirl123 (Apr 26, 2014)

Thank you for the advice! They do look like a fun companion, but even once I pay off the debt I owe my mom and then earn money they would probably still say no. I guess I'll just put it on my list of animals to get. But thanks for the advice!


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## StarSapphire22 (Apr 26, 2014)

If you keep up on litter box maintenance, REALLY keep up on it, that will help a lot. He's stuck in a cage, closet, whatever until you let him out...if you were stuck in a small room all day with your poo everywhere, you'd probably stink a little too!

Fixing and descenting will also help.

One of my friends swears by old rags for bedding...switch it out if it's soiled, but just throw em in the wash every 3 days or so. Doesn't get as smelly as carefresh does and the ferret will love to snuggle down in it. After working at petco and cleaning small animal cages 2x per week, I can tell you carefresh doesn't do squat for odors.


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## Tiff (May 9, 2014)

littlestella said:


> My sister has two ferrets and they do stink. They get baths every few days and its still pretty strong. Her's are allowed to roam the house freely a few hours a day and I can tell you they will get into everything. Her's like to steal shoes and hide them behind the couches. Last time I was there one stole her iPod and she still hasn't found it. They are cute little buggers though.


Bathing ferrets that often will cause them to produce more oils which makes them smell even more. Ferrets have very sensitive skin and the oil help protect it. One a month should be best for them.


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## Maggie Cummings (May 9, 2014)

If you want to smell something bad...I had Sugar Gilders and not only do they smell, but when I finally got rid of them I realized they had thrown poop, urine and food all over the wall behind their cage. It's that crappy flat paint and after I 409'd it I made bare spots. Plus, they are strictly nocturnal, and I go to bed early, so I just fed a cage...but I have considered a ferret, I pretty much want one too. I have Sulcata and 2 indoor cats, so evidently I can't smell much...lol


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## Tiff (May 9, 2014)

tortgirl123 said:


> Hi guys! Just want to know if anyone has ferrets? I want to know how hard or easy they are to take care of them. How do you like having ferrets? I have a little convincing to do with my parents, and already owe them money for all my tortoise supplies so title be a while!  their biggest fear is the stench. But they also thought that about torts, my tort only stinks if I feed him Mazuri ( and we should all agree that it smells like dog food!  ) So how is the smell if you just keep up with the maintenance? What kind of daily routine do you go through? Thanks so much!


Hi, Ferrets are amazing intelligent creatures! For the most part they are social. Their are ones that bit and do not have desirable temperament. My ferret was the sweetest guy in the world! Ferrets require vet care of every 6 months ones they reach the ago of 3 years. By then they are considered seniors. Ferrets are susceptible to disease manly due to the imbred breeding. Most of the ferrets are from the same breeder. Ferrets poop on average of 8 times a day. You can potty training them. The feces has a strong smell similar to dogs because of the high protein diet. Toys that my ferret loved was a bucket and my tools. He would take anything either shiny or that had my sent on it that was in his reach. They love to steal lol.! Over all ferrets are great but do take a lot of work. If you have any questions let me know, I would love to help!


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## Tiff (May 22, 2014)

Hey, have you decided to get a ferret yet? Let me know if you have any questions.


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## naturalman91 (May 22, 2014)

i had 2 that died of old age and one that died of cancer lizzy zepplin and lithiau they are very smart pets and very good at escaping dang near anything i had zepplin since she was a kit lizzy and lithiau were rescues they were all very smart but they cant go crazy energy burst if you coop them up all the time i used to let all 3 run my ferret approved room for atleast 45 mins a day after they start becoming used to you they are actually trainable i had lizzy trained to where i clapped and she would run up my pant leg and cruise around on my shoulder with me zepplin had a fetish for stealing and sorting anything shinny it always seemed like she would sort it into not very shinny piles shinny piles and REALLY shinny piles lol lithiau unfortunately had cancer by the time i rescued her so i just did everything to make her comfortable the best advice i can give you is daily litter cleaning daily food and water swap and daily activites for them and i put a mini padlock on there cage door help keep them from escaping i can't tell you how many times i woke up with zepplin sleeping on my chest from escaping i never had any problems keeping them together they always got along once the hierarchy was established zepplin was the alfa female lizzy would follow her to the end of the world and back lithiau had her own set up because she was very sick


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## jaredherman (May 22, 2014)

I had an albino for about 8 years and he was awesome. The are VERY smart and playfull, mine actually figured out how to get on the kitcken counter so he could knock over cups, he also liked to steal black socks!


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## Floof (May 23, 2014)

I was the sole caretaker of my brother's ferret for about a year before he finally agreed to surrender her to a rescue (she was very ill, adrenal disease and a couple other issues, and I was broke). She definitely had a smell, but I remember one thing that helped was getting her on a GOOD diet, and sticking with it.

They're carnivores, not unlike cats. Also not unlike cats (and dogs), most ferret foods are full of crap grains/fillers, so paying attention to what you buy is important. I seem to recall reading that avoiding fish in the diet helps, too...


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## AmRoKo (Jun 2, 2014)

I had a previous ferret a little albino female who I and everyone who met her loved dearly unfortunately she got adrenal gland disease (which I had never heard of at the time and didn't know what it was - make sure you research that because its common in ferrets) She ended up having to be put to sleep during surgery to remove the tumor but the tumor had already taken over her whole abdominal section  . I do have 2 ferrets right now a male and female and plan on getting 1 or 2 more sometime, they are great fun and so very energetic. Now that I know what adrenal gland disease is It wont sneak up on me and I will be able to save my babies.


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## chazd1984 (Jun 3, 2014)

I've always really liked ferrets, my cousin had one and he was sooo much fun! I could never own one though. There was a story about a ferret eating a 4 month old babies fingers a few years ago and it freaked me out too much to ever have one at home. i realize the ferret in that story was probably not fed or just neglected and the parents were not monitoring it but I can't get the image out of my head. I also know its not really rational to feel that way and that most species of pets have hurt somebody at some point and I still like ferrets but I can't see them the same as I used to.


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