Before Buying a Ferret....

Question
Hello. I am getting a new ferret on Monday as a birthday present. I have wanted one forever and finally convinced my parents to let me have one. I've spent the last month reading everything I can find on ferret care and saving up a lot of money for the shots, cage, etc. I've heard many stories of bringing home a new ferret and what to have ready. I was wondering what I should and shouldn't do with it the first couple  of days. Would it be alright to let it out of its cage the first day to play? And should I give it a bath the first day? or wait. I just thought with your experience you could tell me what you did to help the ferret adjust and what not to do. Thanks.

Answer
Hi Jamie:

Congratulations!  Adding ferrets to your life will really change your life in so many ways and MOSTLY good ways :-)

My first suggestion is that you READ READ READ as much as possible - learn what kind of cage is best for your ferret, what food is best, what toys are safe and which are actually dangerous, the things around your house that your ferret will LOVE to get into, but that could cause him an intestinal blockage (or even poison him!) if he gets ahold of it - called "ferretproofing" your home. There is just no way I can write everything here that you need to know - it would be a book!  In fact, however, someone did write a really good book called "FERRETS FOR DUMMIES" by Kim Schilling and I strongly suggest that you get and READ that book from cover to cover before you get that ferret and bring it home - it will even have suggestions on how to choose the right ferret for you.....so that's another reason you REALLY should read the book BEFORE bringing a ferret home.  Ferrets are VERY different than cats or dogs and require a LOT more care, more time, DAILY dedication to not only keeping their cage clean, but keeping an area in your home 'safe' for your ferret to play in with you - YOU will be your ferret's favorite toy, so you MUST make sure that you have at least two to three hours a day to devote to your ferret, playing with him/her and giving him/her your uninterrupted attention. If a ferret doesn't have enough human interraction, they can become very depressed and sick.

You can get a LOT of information from a great website here:

http://www.ferretcentral.org  and click on "FAQs" and just start reading EVERYTHING there about everything from cages, bedding materials, the right and wrong kinds of litter to use, safe and unsafe toys, safe and unsafe treats, SOOOO  much information!!  Most really prepared ferret owners read and learn about ferrets for weeks or even months before they actually bring a ferret home - and sometimes after reading all about them, people decide that they would rather have an older ferret from a shelter instead of a kit - older ferrets are by far a better choice for first time ferret owners.  Kits (baby ferrets) are really a handful (kind of like a two  year old child as far as getting into things).

There is just SO MUCH you need to know!!  I hope for your ferrets well-being that you will get really busy and read everything about ferrets that you can get your hands on before bringing a ferret home - what yoiu read may well help you determine what kind of ferret you want; what age, male or female, neutered or whole (I recommend neutered for a new owner), and so so many things that you need to know to keep your little one safe and healthy.

Best of luck to you - not the work starts, but you will be SO happy that you did it and your ferret will be happier and live longer the more you learn.

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers