Ferrets moving in

Question
Hi I need some basic information on ferrets...some of these questions I couldn't find answer's for online


Does a kit bond better to its owner then a teenage or adult ferret would?  

Will a single pet get lonely when left for 8 hours a day?(gotta work!)

Will a ferret that is bonded to you and is loving turn you away if you buy another ferret?.... perfer the other ferret to you?

Do the little weasles make loud noises? I've heard them "dook" ut do they make any louded sounds then that?

If I vaccinate my ferret(s) they will be able to play outside on leash/harrness right? Do indoor only ferrets really need to be vaccinated?

And lastly can I put a collar/ID tag/bell on my ferret or no?  

Thank you for any helpful information.

Answer
Hi Tara,

Congratulations on taking the first steps to owning a ferret! Are these the only questions you have? I can give you some really great resources if you need them. For now, I'll just answer your questions, and if you have more of them in the future, I'll try to answer those too!

The answer to your first question is it doesn't really matter how old the ferret is. Obviously, with an older ferret you get more "baggage" just because the ferret has lived longer, but age doesn't really affect how well the ferret bonds to you. The thing you most have to think about when you think of bonding is how the ferret was raised. If you get a ferret from a shelter (which I highly recommend and I'll go into that in a moment) then you might run the risk of getting a ferret with a rougher background as far as bouncing around different homes, substandard care, etc. A ferret that is poorly socialized and afraid of humans will take longer to bond with you, but (s)he should bond just fine. So no, age doesn't have a whole lot to do with it. Back to adoption, though, it is a win-situation because you get a ferret and you give that ferret a new forever home! Also, oftentimes ferrets at shelters come a little bit cheaper than you would find a kit at a pet store for.

Ferrets sleep a lot. Probably about 16-20 hours a day. They tend to get on our schedules, so chances are your ferret could be sleeping all day while you're at work. Ferrets do do better when they have a little ferret friend to play with. It does cut down on loneliness when you're not around. Also, a single ferret requires more out of cage time when you're home than a pair or a trio of ferrets would just to be able to get out and do something! A single ferret should probably have lots of toys and fun things to do in their cage as well. It is a judgement call for you. If you don't think you have at least four hours a day to let a single ferret out and play, but 2 and a half to three hours sounds a bit more manageable, then a pair may be for you. Also, just a little tidbit, taking care of two ferrets isn't all that different from taking care of one ferret. Obviously, it will take a bit more cleaning, a bit more food, a bit more water, etc. but other than that there isn't much difference at all!

You will definitely see your original ferret playing more with the new ferret for a little while. That is the fun of it, though. When they are playing and making you laugh, you can get on the floor with them and play with them both. That strengthens the bond between you and the original ferret and helps develop and strengthen the bond between you and the new ferret. The answer, though, is yes you'll probably see some of that but they will always be delighted to have you join in their ferret games.

Ferrets aren't as loud as other exotic animals I've seen. I once saw a sugar glider that screamed to high heaven if anybody went to touch her! Ha ha. Dooking is the only sound you'll hear often, hopefully. Sometimes if ferrets aren't getting along they will hiss at each other and if they fight one might scream of whimper or what have you. (As a side note, if you hear screaming or whimpering from ferrets that have just been introduced and there is blood or poop, those ferrets should be separated and introductions should be held a little later.)

I say vaccinate just to be safe. You never know what you're bringing in on your clothes from the outside world. If you come into contact with a dog infected with distemper, for example, then you cuddle up with your fuzzy, the fuzzy could contract distemper which is an extremely dangerous disease. Also, in the case of rabies, you really should vaccinate just to be safe. The truth is that ferrets get dumb rabies, so they would rather curl up somewhere than bite you. Also, there hasn't been a documented case of ferrets passing rabies onto humans (to my knowledge) EVER. That being said, the law used to be that if a ferret bit or scratched someone, if that person so chose, they could call animal control, have the ferret confiscated, where the ferret would be humanely euthanized and dissected to check for rabies. Now the laws say that the ferret just gets taken away for a ten day quarantine but not everybody knows about that law change. You could get someone that makes a mistake and puts your little one down. That is why it is always better to be safe than sorry and have the rabies vaccine and the vaccination records to prove it. This also comes in handy when traveling if you are flying or driving across country. The short answer is, yes, please do get your fuzzies vaccinated.

The problems with collars and bells and things like that are that ferrets can wiggle out of them no problem and if the ferret is running around and exploring, the collar could get caught on something and choke the poor little thing. Generally, ferret owners stay away from things like that. When you take your kids outside, be sure that you have one of those H-shaped harnesses. If you just take them for a walk with a collar on, they will slip out and be gone in a flash. The only time they should wear a harness in the house is when you are getting them used to the harness and the lead and even then, they should be in a place where you can see them at all times and there isn't anything they can get into and get stuck on.

I hope I answered your questions. Let me know if you need anything further! I'm here to help!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews