ALLERGIC TO FERRET

Question
MY SON IS HIGHLY ALLERGIC TO CATS AND WE ARE THINKING ABOUT
GETTING TWO FERRETS!  I NEED TO KNOW BEFORE WE DECIDE TO GET THEM IF MY SON WILL BE ALLERGIC TO THEM?  PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

Answer
Hello Jessica!

It's wonderful that you are thinking about adding a ferret to your family.  They make great, playful pets that will keep you and your son entertained for hours.

It is impossible to tell if your son will be allergic or not.  Some people are pretty species specific (for example, one of my friends is allergic to guinea pigs, but not cats or rabbits).  It would be a horrible thing to obtain a little fuzzy critter, then have to give him up because you discover your son is allergic.  Not only would that be stressful to your family, but for the little creature as well!  

The BEST thing to do would be to give your son ample exposure to ferrets.  The Pet-co pet stores in my area always have ferret events that have a plethora of information and pet ferrets every month.  I am not sure if this is the case in your town, but it is worth a try!  If they do not have events, let him handle the ferrets for sale on multiple occasions before you make the decision.  This will ensure that a ferret is the right pet for you (they do take time and care.. and at LEAST 4 hours out of the cage to play daily!).  

Another thing you can do is find the closest ferret shelter and visit.  (Yes, the DO have these!) This will give your son exposure to MANY ferrets at one time.  I think if his allergies are going to emerge, this would do it!  The shelter in my area usually has between 20-30 adoptable ferrets at one time all loose in the same room.  Talk about madness when 25 weasels come out to play at once!  Who knows, you might find a kid (or two) there you want to adopt.

If you need help locating a shelter near you, please give me your zip code and I'll see what I can do =3  

I hope this answer is of use to you.  Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any other questions or wish to locate a shelter in your area.

-Cindy P.