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Forum THE LOUNGE Any ferret owners?

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    • xXPanicXx
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        im just wondering, is a ferret right for me?

        i use to own a bunny (babs) who i loved very much. but she passed. im just wondering if ferrets are similar in taking care of, or if they are super hard.

        i read on a site that ferrets are good with small cages, because they only sleep in there. i had a starter up cage for my rabbit, which she grew out of, and i was gonna use that as the cage for my ferret. but i was watching videos, and this ferret expert lady said you need a biig cage, with many levels and custom made, and stuff.
        i LOVE animals to death, and cant picture living without one.
        so, am i getting myself into something big that i will probably regret?
        people keep saying the smell is horrible, but if you remove the glands, and bathe them every week, they should be ok, right?
        i just dont wanna regret getting one.
         
           


      • Barbie
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          I don’t have too much experience with ferrets, but there used to be a pair at the shelter that I used to visit, and they had a very peculiar smell… They were descented but smelled like stale Fritos. Ick. Unless you like that… Lol. As for the cage, I know ferrets are very active (and also very squirmy and mischievous – at least the ones I’ve met), so I’d say you should probably only use that cage it it’s only going to be to give the ferret a place of it’s own for sleeping and let it be free range the rest of the time… a bigger cage is always better! If you are going to let it free range, I’m sure the same “bunny proofing” rules apply, and then some, because ferrect can climb, right? Maybe you should try to find a forum for ferret owners, similar to this one, and ask around. To throw my two cents in: if you decide to get a ferret, (or any other animal for that matter) please don’t go to the pet store. Not only are pet store ferrets expensive, but also, pet stores only sell animals for the profit, not with good intentions. (case in point:  https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/5…fault.aspx ) I’m sure there are ferret rescues you could get in touch with and you should also check local humane societies. Good luck!


        • KytKattin
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            If you thought that rabbits could snub, wait until you meet a ferret! Okay, that’s a little bit of an exaggeration, but the ferrets I’ve met always seem to be interested in going someplace else and getting into things instead of getting attention. And they do smell more because they are purely carnivores. Meat=Stinky poop. Also, while rabbits thrive on out time and attention, ferrets absolutely need that time out of their cage. In my opinion, they are a lot more work than rabbits are. Though that extra work might be worth it if you find you love the personality and don’t mind the smell. See if you can volunteer at a local shelter or rescue, maybe even foster one to decide if they would be the right pet for you. Reading about them is helpful, but nothing beats some first hand experience!


          • xXPanicXx
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              thankyou. yeah the only thing setting me back on geting one, is im not to sure if my mom will like the smell. i intend to get one from a rescue home <3 and i tried to go to ferret forums, but al lthe ones ive tried so far, im waiting to be activated by the "forum owner"? so i decided to post on here while i waited, cuz i was sure a few bunny owners would have a ferret


            • KytKattin
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                Oh, and I probably would have a ferret if they were legal in CA… Or I would have gotten one when I was younger. Now with college and everything I’m glad that I only will have to worry about the rabbits when I go away!


              • Deleted User
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                  Ferrets chew things, like rabbits, only that ferrets can get pretty much anywhere. Wherever they get their exercise time needs to be proofed top to bottom. When they chew things, they sometimes ingest pieces much like a little dog would.
                  However, I think, they’re very neat to have. They littertrain and it can be fun to groom them once they get used to you.
                  Also to consider, they need yearly vaccines as far as I know.


                • xXPanicXx
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                    i didnt no they wernt legal in CA!

                    hm well it takes work to nurish 2 lives.


                  • LittlePuffyTail
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                      My friend had a ferret and I thought the smell was pretty strong, even though she changed the cage everyday. It’s sort of a mild skunky smell. They are really cute though. Quite different from a rabbit.


                    • tabalab
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                        my sister had a ferret and he was cool! He would roll things to you and let you pick him up. He would run around your feet to be picked up. Most ferrets had at least a 2 story cage but if you were to allow him access else where living room or bedroom he would be fine with a smaller cage. Ferrets needs lots of activity or else they are very naughty. Tunnels and toys. They also need to be nipped trained but if you are adopting they will prolly be litter and nipped trained. Also to reduce smell you need to change their litter once a day and keep they area well vented. I love ferrets cept the white ones with red eyes! My friend had an albino ferret and her name was princess but she was NOT. She would attack you if you got to close.

                        OH before i forget ferrets play almost as much as kittens so watch out for your toes!!!!


                      • tabalab
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                          http://www.ferretcam.org/

                          check it this is very very cool


                        • RabbitPam
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                            HI, Panic!

                            Knowing what you’ve been through in the last year, I honestly think the perfect pet for you is a guinea pig.
                            I had a total of 3 growing up – one of whom lived at home after I went off to college, and they were just so sweet and easy.
                            They are soft, they bond with you, they sit on your lap or chest. They only smell like cedar chips which is not harmful bedding for them, unlike rabbits.
                            It’s super easy to clean their cages, and they only need limited out time for running around. They eat easy foods like veggies and pellets. They learn to squeak when you open the fridge door. I just love them. Their life span is an average of 6 years, and they will be content with the whole family if you leave home like I did. Plus, they can be long haired, shorter swirly haired (abasinian – can’t spell it – or really smooth haired.)
                            Piggies Rock!


                          • KytKattin
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                              Posted By RabbitPam on 08/13/2009 05:01 AM
                              HI, Panic!

                              Knowing what you’ve been through in the last year, I honestly think the perfect pet for you is a guinea pig.
                              I had a total of 3 growing up – one of whom lived at home after I went off to college, and they were just so sweet and easy.
                              They are soft, they bond with you, they sit on your lap or chest. They only smell like cedar chips which is not harmful bedding for them, unlike rabbits.
                              It’s super easy to clean their cages, and they only need limited out time for running around. They eat easy foods like veggies and pellets. They learn to squeak when you open the fridge door. I just love them. Their life span is an average of 6 years, and they will be content with the whole family if you leave home like I did. Plus, they can be long haired, shorter swirly haired (abasinian – can’t spell it – or really smooth haired.)
                              Piggies Rock!

                               

                              So true! I miss my piggies! I totally would love to have another (or two)!


                            • Barbie
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                                Aww! That makes me want a guinea pig even more now!  I was browsing bunnies (since I’d love love love to have a friend for Leroy) and found a piggy on my shelter’s website and he is absolutely ADORABLE! I don’t like the look of the long haired ones or the ones with all the cowlicks (must have something to do with my borderline OCD tendancies, lol).  My friend used to have guinea pigs and they were so much fun to play with.  They were noisy though, so idk if the b/f will like that when he’s visiting.  He’s already being kind enough to put up with my bunny obsession

                                Also I found another thread on here that was discussing piggies and rabbits together and it doesn’t sound like a great idea, so as cute as this little boy is… I’m going to have to wait on the piggy for now.  Since I’ve read that guinea pigs can’t be litter trained, I really don’t want to have to deal with cleaning a big guinea pig cage on top of Leroy’s two (soon to be 4 when Leroy gets free run of not only the living/dining rooms but everywhere!) litter boxes.

                                 

                                Anyway. I digress. Sorry – back to ferrets!


                              • LittlePuffyTail
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                                  I agree about the guinea pigs. They are very fun pets and much lower maintenance than rabbits. Cheaper too. I had 2 when I was in high school and they never needed vet care once (not to say this is the norm, just my experience). I also heard that ferrets can get quite costly and can have numerous medical problems requiring vet care (and like rabbits it’s often very difficult to find a specialized vet). My experience with guinea pigs was very rewarding. They are easy to keep content and, especially if you have 2, are a blast to watch! They make the most adorable little noises too. I think they make the absolute best pets for teens: lower maintenance and cheaper than a lot of pets.

                                  ps. Go watch G-Force and you will sooooooo want a piggie.


                                • KytKattin
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                                    Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 08/13/2009 01:52 PM

                                    ps. Go watch G-Force and you will sooooooo want a piggie.

                                     

                                    And after you do that go to a shelter and adopt a pig that was left there because someone else saw the movie and wanted one! Seriously though, even if piggies can’t be litter trained, a full cage cleaning for a pig is a lot less work than everything that a ferret needs, even though they can be litter trained. Plus their little personalities really are just wonderful!


                                  • LittlePuffyTail
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                                      KytKattin- Just because the piggies are really cute and make you want one in the movie, doesn’t mean people shouldn’t enjoy the movie and the cute piggies. Please don’t assume I meant go buy one on impulse. Everyone here knows I’m an animal advocate but the pigs in the movie are really cute, you can’t deny that. Just because some people are idiots and buy one on impulse doesn’t mean animal lovers can’t enjoy cute movies. It’s a great movie and after the movie, I bought one of the G-Force stuffies at Wal-Mart, which is perfectly okay!!!!


                                    • Alicia
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                                        I have always wanted a guinea pig!  When my kids are older and can take care of an animal on their own (or with some guidance from me…GUIDANCE..not me doing all the work LOL) I think I’ll let them each get a guinea pig and put them all in the same cage so that they each get the experience of a guinea pig and only the ONE cage to clean. 

                                        I’ve heard some great things about ferrets but also some not so great things about them.  They can be nasty and they can smell pretty bad and they absolutely HAVE to have outside of the cage time daily.  If you don’t do that it can cause some serious issues.   I’d look into guinea pigs..watch some guinea pig videos on youtube..they seem like they’d be a lot of fun


                                      • KytKattin
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                                          Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 08/13/2009 06:39 PM

                                          KytKattin- Just because the piggies are really cute and make you want one in the movie, doesn’t mean people shouldn’t enjoy the movie and the cute piggies. Please don’t assume I meant go buy one on impulse. Everyone here knows I’m an animal advocate but the pigs in the movie are really cute, you can’t deny that. Just because some people are idiots and buy one on impulse doesn’t mean animal lovers can’t enjoy cute movies. It’s a great movie and after the movie, I bought one of the G-Force stuffies at Wal-Mart, which is perfectly okay!!!!

                                           

                                          Oops, I didn’t mean for it to sound that way. I’m so sorry. I know that you wouldn’t mean that someone should go and buy one on impluse! I just know that there are pleanty of piggies in shelters that need homes and was trying to stress that. It absolutly wasn’t an attack on you! It’s just how I enjoyed Beverly Hills Chihuahuas because I’ve had Chihuahua’s in my life since I was born, even though I knew it would create more of a demand for those deeply misunderstood dogs. It’s kind of a bittersweet thing for me.


                                        • Beka27
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                                            Panic, like the others said, you would need to do a lot of research about ferrets before committing to one. They are as much, if not more work, than rabbits (I think they are harder to clean up after) and they require very specialized, MEAT-based diets. We have members here who have ferrets: Sonn, Bigsis, TankAndRangersMom, as well as others I’m sure…

                                            Ferrets are very misunderstood, much like rabbits… so some research (and possibly joining a ferret forum?) would be a good idea.


                                          • Sonn
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                                              Ferrets are more work than rabbits lol (to me anyway). I have 3 boys and they will get into anything and everything they are not supposed to. If you think something is ferret proofed they will prove you wrong. They do have a ferret smell to some they can smell it very well to others like myself I can only smell them if they are in my face. Certain foods will make their litter boxes smell horrible and if you forget to change the litter box you will definitely know there are ferrets in the house.

                                              They are also very stubborn so if they want to do something or get somewhere they will do everything in their power to get their way lol.

                                              That being said I wouldn’t trade my ferrets for anything. They are super sweet(once nip training is taken care of), smart, hilarious to watch, don’t really take up much room and are generally easy to care for once you get into a routine.

                                              I suggest joining an active ferret forum who are willing to help.

                                              These are my boys

                                              Dopey

                                               

                                              Domino (lol as you can see Dopey is in the background trying to get where he is not supposed to go)

                                              Smokie

                                               

                                               


                                            • LittlePuffyTail
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                                                kytkattin- that’s okay. I just tend to be very defensive when animal welfare is concerned


                                              • Deleted User
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                                                  Guinea Pigs are cute –  but: Panic, is this the type of pet YOU would like? They belong to the rodent family. They can be noisy. Good thing is the housing: they don’t jump out of things like rabbits or climb like ferrets.
                                                  If you like exotic things, a Peruvian Piggy might be worth considering.

                                                  I always look at this site because of the pretty habitats

                                                  http://www.guineapigcages.com/



                                                • Deleted User
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                                                    I didn’t know about this breed of Guinea Pig, it’s called a Texel, has hair similar to a Poodle’s.

                                                    Check it out.

                                                    http://www.youtube.com/watch

                                                     

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                                                Forum THE LOUNGE Any ferret owners?