Want to buy a ferret but need more info.

Question
Hi jacquie

I have been reading a lot of other questions which you have answered and found them very useful, thanks for the help there, but i have a question which im sure you have answered many time:
Im 17 years old and i live in a large home in the UK, i have had small animals like hamster and gerbils for as long as i can remember, i currently own two russian dwarf hamsters, but i would love to own a larger pet now im growing up and i believe a Ferret would be perfect.
Im at college weekdays, normally only for around 4 hours, i also work all day at weekends. I'm sure that i have enough time to give the ferrets the 3-4hours a day attention they need but im not sure if i could everyday, would this be a problem?? Also different books and internet sites say different things about the smell, my friend owns 2 ferrets and they smell rather bad but i beileve it to be because they dot look after them properly and dont clean them often enough. Could this be a reason for their bad smell??
Also my parents think that they are hard work to look after, i have read a lot and understand this but do you believe they are too hard to look after when i have college and work?
I love my animals and im devoted to making them happy so i dont want to own one if an expert believes that i might not be able to give them the attention they need

Answer
Hi Dex:

It sounds to me as if you're pretty set on getting a ferret or maybe two?  If you get two, they will keep each other company during those times they get shorter play times, etc. I would suggest two ferrets and a large cage with lots of toys.  If you missed a day here and there, or could only have them out maybe an hour while they are in the shower with you when you're getting ready to leave, that's fine. My ferrets LOVE to be in the bathroom with me more than anything in the world, so it's really easy to worok them into my schedule, even when it's really busy - I just grab them and take the with me while I'm getting ready.  On those rare occasions that they don't get their full 3 to 4 hours out a day, they have a large cage with lots of safe toys in it and they love to cuddle each other and sometimes even play with the toys.

You might even want to consider getting two older ferrets, who need less play time than kits (babies). If kits don't get enough attention, they can get very destructive and develop bad habits like biting.  There are several really good ferret contacts in UK that you might want to check with to get maybe even a "bonded pair" from a shelter.  That would be my best recommendation all around. Here are some websites where you can get more info about shelters in your area (hopefully):

http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-overseas.html (scroll down page to find the one you are looking for)

As far as housing for the ferrets, I love the cages that have full shelves, not the ones that have "perches" for them to sit on. They need room to run around. They also need all wire surfaces that they have to walk on covered with plexiglas (hard plastic cut to fit), or lots of blankies so the wire doesn't hurt their feet.  Here are some cages I recommend just to give you an idea:

http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/ferret/
                                           
* FERRET VILLA .........cost: $84      
                                           
*  NEW ENGLANDER.......cost: $173
                                           
*  TOWNHOUSE F-450.....cost:  $190


ALSO:  MORE CAGES w/full floors:   
                                     * http://www.nextag.com/ferret-cages/search-html

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And here is an example of a cage that is NOT GOOD for them to get exercise in:

http://tinylink.com/?BlkupY0K2J

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Hopefully that gives you an idea of what I'm talking about as far as good cages vs bad cages. You will also want something easy to access the interior to clean and something that is good and solid (Martin's cages are notoriously well built).

As far as the smell, perhaps your friend's ferrets have not been neutered  - that would cause strong odor.  Also, if their living area is not cleaned often - I wipe my kids whole cage floors down morning and evening with a pine smelling cleaner (diluted to a very weak solution) and water.  I scoop their litterboxes twice a day and change all their linens (hammocks, bedding, etc) twice a week and have several sets so I can wash a set while another set is in the cage.  Even toys get an odor after a while, so it;s a great idea to plop them all in the bathtub with some gentle cleaner a couple times a year and dry them well before giving them back to the ferrets.  If you do all those things, you will NOT have an odor. My ferrets are in my livingroom and people come and go all the time and most folks never even notice the ferrets and, if they do, all comment on the fact that they *thought* ferrets were supposed to be stinky and they sure don't smell anything :-).

One other suggestion I would have - your ferrets will NOT mix well with your smaller animals - you will need to keep them separated at all times, or the little ones will likely be killed :-*( and that would be horribly sad. So, just be really careful with that.

Here are a few great websites with general ferret information on them.

http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ferret_school/ferretschool_aboutfe...

http://www.ferretcentral.org  Click on FAQ's & scroll down to topic necessary
http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ferret_school/ferretschool_aboutfe...


There is also a GREAT book by Kim Schilling called FERRETS FOR DUMMIES (and you don't even have to be a dummy to appreciate what a great book this is!)  It is best found here:

http://www.half.com

Best of luck - I hope that answered all your questions. If not, please don't hesitate to write again.  I think you'll be a wonderful ferret parent!

Cheers!

Jacquie Rodgers