thinking about geting a ferret

Question
Sheila


 I want to know about ferrets before buying one. Can you answer these questions? 1. how often do you take the ferret to the vet for checkups? 2. can ferrets get a disease if they can what do they get? 3. do ferrets need rabie and vaccnation shots if so how many times a week/month/year?4.can they bite? 5.are ferrets playful? 6. do ferrets leave a sent? and 7. can ferrets be spayed/nurtered? thank you and sorry for asking alot of questions.thanks agin


                  Jennifer

Answer
Hello Jennifer, thanks for your questions! Well, I'd much rather you ask a lot of questions and do your research BEFORE buying a ferret, which many people don't do! So very good. We here at AllExperts always strongly recommend "Ferrets for Dummies" if you are thinking about getting a fuzzie, it covers EVERYTHING. Also you can try Ferret Central, it is also very good
http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/index.html

But I will of course answer your questions so you can get a feel as to what these little guys require.

1) Ferrets are generally low maintenance, you should only have to take them to the vet if you have a health concern like changes in diet, poop, symptoms of a disease, and of course emergencies like bleeding, vomiting, seizures...these things usually only happen if the owner is neglectful, but, life does happen. I've been fortunate enough to not have to take my ferrets to the vet for an emergency. Mostly you just take them in for their vaccines and annual check ups to make sure everything's ok.

2) Ferrets can and do get a couple of specific disease, the most common being Insolinoma which it helps to think of it like ferret diabetes, and Adrenal Disease. The first one is very serious and results from a ferret being fed human (sugary) foods, so this can be avoided by feeding them strictly ferret (meat) food. The second is debatable as to what causes it, from heredity to stress/diet. It can't be avoided but is very treatable. Usually it besets much older ferrets, and you shouldn't be unreasonably worried about it either.

3) Ferrets do need rabies and distemper shots, which are given as booster shots annually. They are not expensive.

4) Ferrets can and do bite, but the majority of them bite as babies when they are either teething or don't know yet that it's not ok to bite. (You shouldn't be afraid of the term I am using either...think of it more as a nip or mouthing...very VERY rarely do ferrets ever draw blood) Babies generally grow out of "biting" with little effort and some training and discipline on your part (being consistent). Ferrets are very loving, tame creatures, and even when they "bite" it's not usually hard...mine I wrestle and play kind of rough with sometimes, they bite/mouth my hands but know the difference between bad bites and play bites. Never hurts! Ferrets are very intelligent and easily learn the difference! More people get bitten each year by cats and dogs (numbering in the 1,000's) as opposed to being bit by a ferret, so you shouldn't worry about this either. Again, there are a lot of sites you can Google and books you can read about taming a "biter", and of course you can ask us here how to solve that problem if you should encounter it.

5) In a word, ferrets are VERY PLAYFUL :) They are outrageous to watch and interact with. Once you have one you will know what I am talking about, words really don't do them justice :)

6) Ferrets, like any other animal, do have their own special aroma. Even though most have their scent glands removed, ferrets will always have a slight distinctive smell (kind of like a cat smells different from a dog). But just like cats or dogs, their scent can be strong or mild depending on how clean they and their cage are kept. The rule with ferrets is: Bathe the ferret LESS, change litter/bedding MORE. That's right. When you bathe a ferret, their skin oils are stripped so they work overtime to produce more, which in turn makes them smell more. I have not bathed my ferrets with shampoo for over a year, I only give them little water rinse off's in the shower occasionally, and they smell great and are soft and shiny! Of course, whether or not you even LIKE their faint smell depends on you; some people like it, some can't stand it (so of course if you can't stand it they will stink to you no matter what). Some people like the way a dog smells, some can't. Same with baby humans, now they stink to me! But again, if you keep their cage and litter clean, it shouldn't be bad.

7. Ferrets should be spayed/neutered. Females have to be, unless they are being bred. Luckily this is usually already done for you by the breeder/pet store.

Ok, I think I got all of them! Wow, 7 questions, I think that's a record for me :) j/k, Hope I've helped, good luck.
~sheila