i need to know about ferrets!!!!!!!

Question

Well to start off thank you for taking the time and answering my questions. Well I am an animal lover and I have always had my eye on a ferret ever since I was 11. I am getting very desperate now and I have a lot of time to play with the animal. I already have one picked out who is already neutered/spayed and has had his/her first round of shots already. I know they supposedly smell and that is the first issue that comes to mind. I am willing to clean the cage daily but will that really help bring the smell down and does it even smell that bad? I was also thinking since I am still young I don't work. So I don't want to buy it if I know it will suffer with me. I have the money for the cage toys and food but do I need to take it to the vet often? I am low on money only enough to buy food and to buy it treats and a couple vitamins. Also I wanted to know if a 4 month old ferret is good for someone who has just started? Even if i don't have that much money for it I know that I will care for it with all my heart. Also I have checked my room many times and while its not huge it is safe and I really don't want to let it out into the house or my mother will have a heart attack. O and if you could if after all I wrote you still think I would make a good owner a couple tips would highly be appreciated.(especially how to train it to sit on my shoulder). I know you may not care but I had a rabbit that died and it hurt a lot so if you think I wouldn't make a good owner please feel free to tell me. Also I can only buy one I will play with it nearly non stop but would it get lonely in the morning I know they sleep a lot but I still don't want to make it suffer alone.

Answer
Hello, Ok first let me say its not the ferrets poop and pee that people talk bout when they say ferrets "smel" go and see some ferrets and play with them and you'll know exactly what the smell is like...they have body odour since they are related to skunks neutered or spayed ones don't smell as bad as ones that aren't I like the ferret smell thou everyone in my fmaily says they reek...it depends I guess and over bathing causes them to smell worse since there body does overtimeto get those smelly oils back into the coat asap! THey need vaccines like a dog or a cat and if you have little money I cant reccomend one to you, ferrets are also very accident prone and can easily hurt themselfs they also are prone to many health problems as they get older which of course costs money to fix. Ferrets as some people say shouldnt be caged at all...you want to have this animal running in a ferret proofed room when your home and caged when your not..they are not like hamsters or rabbits and should be caged only when needed. They do love to play with other ferrets but if you can barely afford one you can never afford two, a young ferret needs 3 to 4 vaccines in its first year around 80 dollars per vet trip plus an added 20-25 for the rabies shot that is given only once during there first ear...also deworming and claw clipping can cost alot as well...most ferrets are hard to handle for claw clippingsand a vet normaly would do them for a small fee. With a quality food ferrets dnt need vitamins and treats should be given spareingly or the ferret will get fat. You can walk your ferret...or rather follow him around on harness and leash but first he needs all his vacicnes or he would get very sick and die.