I want a ferret!!

Question
Hello! As you know, christmas time is just around the corner, and i have been desperately wanting a pet. I started out wanting mice, because i had owned them before, but when i was on petsmart.com, i saw the ad for ferrets and i could not resist. Since then, every second i'm home i'm either eating sleeping or researching ferrets. My mom thinks their a bad idea because of the smell, and my dad thinks they will do a lot of damage to the house costing us tons of money if we decided to sell it. I told them both that i would read "ferrets for dummies" and pay for the ferret and cage and toys, etc. but they still won't let me. I told my mom about descenting and she still doesnt want one because she says they look like rats and i'll be sick of it w/in a week. I know thats not true but they wont believe me. I also told them i'd do all the cleaning and preparing for the ferret. here are my school hours: wake up at 6:00am, leave at 7:20am, return around 4:00pm and i know i will have to play with it each day. do you have ANY suggestions on what to do or tell my parents. they also don't know how playful they are and entertaining they can be.

thankyou!,
charlie!  

Answer
Thanks for your question.  
Hello, I am glad to hear you are thinking about a ferret as a pet.
Here is a very good web site for you:(copy & Paste)

http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/ferret/ferret.html
Ferrets are a very gratifying pet to own, but they do have their down points also. Everyone always picks the odor as the biggest down point. Ferrets have a distinctive musky odor, and males have a SLIGHTLY stronger odor than females. Most ferrets have been descented by the time they reach the pet store. This means their anal scent glands have been removed. But they have scent glands elsewhere as well, and though descenting takes care of a lot of their odor, it will never eliminate all of it. Quite honestly, the odor is no worse than any small animal, and diligence in cleaning, etc., will cut it out nearly all together.
  The most important tip is to litter train your ferret. Their stool is the main cause of the odor. And scooping the litter pan every day will decrease the odor. ALSO, very important: what are you feeding them? Commercial Ferret foods have a lot of  "Fish oil" in them and cause the odor in their coat to be stronger, and their stools to be much heavier, and "fishy" smelling.
I feed my ferrets a POULTRY based holistic cat food, and then gave them a couple of drops of Ferretone every week. You will notice a big difference in their coat, it will become softer, not so oily, and their odor will be less.
Also, frequent changing of bedding (Hammocks, etc.) once a week, put a fresh Hammock up, and wash the bedding. And litter box will cut the odor considerably. Also, not bathing too much, which can cause excess oil production in the fur.
Another myth is that ferrets bite, or are mean. As far as ferrets being "mean," most babies will nip, and if not trained, will bite as adults. It is fairly easy to train them. When you pick out your new ferret, pick a kit that does not nip of only nips slightly. If he draws blood, then pick out a different kit. I had three of my males  that never nipped at all. IMO, the males are a little easier to train and are easier keepers. But that's just from my own opinion.
But the most important thing to know is that a ferret is not like a hamster or guinea pig. They need playtime outside the cage, and they need to have a room that is ferret proofed. They will get into trouble if they are not watched and somewhat contained. They do not chew, but they will try to find little  holes to crawl into.
Your parents may let you have a ferret if you know all the facts, good and bad. They are not for everyone. However, the good news is that every year, they become more popular, and more products hit the shelves for odor control, litter training etc. My parents were dead set on me getting a ferret, and we are talking back in the early 1980s, when they were very new. I had to keep him in the basement! But I got my first ferret, and I was in heaven ever since. Good luck, I really hope this helps, and please let me know if you need any more help.And try the website above. If your parents want any more info, feel free to ask. I won't sugar coat it. I will tell them the good,and  the bad of ferret ownership. Thanks again for your question.
amy