not sure if i should get a ferret

Question
Hello Jacquie
  I'm almost 18 and considering a ferret. I'm not sure if I should get one though. I've only had cats, and dogs before. Does a ferret make a good companion pet? I do have a part-time job, would it be ok to leave it home alone? Are they easy to care for? I have an old Persian cat who does well with other cats and dogs, do you think they would be ok together? If I wanted to take him/her out with me, would the ferret like that, and are they allowed out in public? If I did buy one, I would get a large cage, and he/she could roam my bedroom when I'm home, but wouldn't be allowed around the rest of the house. Is that enough room/exercise  for a ferret? Oh, and I know Petco sell baby ferrets, is that a good store to buy from?
  Thank you so much for the help. I know it's a lot of questions ;p Anything you can tell me would be great!
                            Thank you again,
                                          Amber

Answer
Hi Amber:

Thanks for your question - I'm always happy when I see people asking BEFORE they bring a ferret home. You wouldn't believe how many people just buy a ferret because they are cute...THEN get it home and know absolutely nothing about them, and start to wonder if they have done the right thing by buying one!  So, KUDOS TO YOU for being very wise for your 18 years and asking FIRST........

Ferrets are an AWESOME pet, Amber. I think every animal lover *SHOULD* have one at one time or another in his/her life - the question really is whether *right now* is really a good time to have one or not.

Where do you live?  If you live in California or Hawaii, ferrets are illegal. Also in New York City and several other places here and there, so it's a good idea to give your local Humane Society or ASPCA a call and ASK: Are ferrets are legal in your city; AND if they are, do they need to be licensed? Are they any other regulations regarding owning ferrets?

Then you will need to look at your own personal life. Are you planning to go to college soon? If so, will your ferret be welcome on your college campus? (probably not)  If you're not going to college, will you continue to live with your parents, or will you be getting your own place?  If you get your own place, will it be WITH someone who might be opposed to you having pets?  If you live alone, will it be difficult to find an apartment that will allow a ferret? (remember, it may well be much harder to find someone willing to accept ferrets than dogs or cats)  Call a few places as if you already have a ferret and ASK if they will rent to you - this will give you an idea of what you will be up against.  My personal opinion is that most people who rent will find it difficult to find a place that will accept ferrets, but check your area to be sure. I remember when I was 18 and was looking for an apartment that would accept my dog - it was very difficult to find a place that would accept him and yet was a place I wanted to live in! And, when I did find a place, they wanted to charge me more, which I could not afford.  These are all things that need to be considered, of course.

Another consideration is your personal life.  Ferrets generally live 6 to 8 years. *Hopefully* you will plan to be a 'forever home' when you bring a ferret into your life. Ferrets don't re-home well and often when they have had a loving home, then are abandoned to someone else, it is not unusual for them not to live long afterwards. Can you say with much certainty what you will be doing for the next six or eight years?  My own experience is that when I was 18 years of age, it was a time of great change in my life. Even tho I had dreams of what I *thought* life had in store for me, it didn't turn out much like I thought it would and I'm glad a little life was not depending on my life providing any stability. But, that's ME.  Everyone is different. You know yourself and your circumstances better than anyone else.

The best recommendation I would have for you is to READ all about ferrets and then make your decision. There's a book called FERRETS FOR DUMMIES by Kim Schilling that every ferret owner should own and read from cover to cover. This way you have all the information about exactly how much of a commitment it really takes to have a ferret in the home. To make a long story short, it takes about three hours a day - EVERY DAY - to successfully own a happy, healthy ferret. These three hours are pretty much one-on-one playtime and bonding. Ferrets are really social little beings and, especially if he's not going to get beyond your bedroom door, he will NEED you to spend LOTS of time playing with him. HOPEFULLY you could take him out for walks in the park, maybe even get him a pet stroller or harness and leash so he could get out to the mall or walks around the block now and then?  Mine loves to go to the Swap Meet (an open air market on weekends) in a front pack (like a backpack except it's in front and made of mesh so he can see out). Being social, they really do need to have more interraction than they get *only* in a bedroom, although mine lives in my bedroom also and I love having him sleep with me!

Not sure I answered your question for you, but hopefully I've given your a bit more to think about and a little more research to do before you make your final decision. Here are some great websites with information galore:

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferret#See_also
 http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ferret_school/ferretschool_aboutfe...

* http://www.ferretcentral.org    (scroll down to topic necessary)
 http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ferret_school/ferretschool_aboutfe...

* http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ask_angela/index.html

You do have other options besides just purchasing a ferret. If you learn all about ferrets, one thing you can do is VOLUNTEER at your local pet store. Most pet stores are very busy and if you can show them that you know a lot about ferrets, they will sometimes welcome an extra hand or two. I used to go in daily and 'socialize' the baby ferrets, scoop the litterboxes, give them fresh water and food. I also purchased a bunch of baby receiving blankets from local thrift stores and I had several sets of them. I would launder them and take clean blankies in each day. So, the cage and blankies were clean, the food and water were fresh - the ferrets were handled, so they were emotionally and physically healthier, sold better - it was better for the store and better for the ferrets and gave me a ferret fix too! :-)  BUT...you do have to know about ferrets and convince the store owner or manager that you are energetic and dependable, responsible and want only the best for the ferrets. Anyone who is truly enamoured by ferrets and just is not in a position to have their own at this particular time - this is what I would advise them to do....I did it and it worked out well for all involved :-)..and the ferrets got the BEST part of the deal!

There are also some great online ferret groups where ferret owners like to talk about their ferrets and share stories, tips and all kinds of information. You can get an idea of what real ferret ownership is like just by reading their posts and they will welcome your questions too!  Who knows, maybe you can find someone who lives near you and you can ferret-sit to get some real 'hands-on' ferret experience if you do decide full-time ferret ownership might not be best for you at this time in your life...there are all kinds of possibilities once you just get in touch with the right folks!

FERRET GROUPS ONLINE:
* http://groups.msn.com/FERRET---AlternateMessageBoard/messages.msnw
* http://groups.msn.com/mynorwegianferretfamily/myferretgroup.msnw
* http://www.ferretuniverse.com/
* http://groups.msn.com/ferret/_homepage.msnw?pgmarket=en-us
* http://tinylink.com/?0lOuHXaduw
* http://www.lovingferrets.com/

Best of luck to you - please don't hesitate to write again if I can be of assistance in any way.

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers