Is a ferret ok for me to get?

Question
I have a 2 year old son and I have wanted a ferret for a long time and I was wondering if it would be safe for me to get a ferret with my son being so young?

Answer
Hi Lauren,

Anyone can have pretty much any pet they want with children provided that the person(s) will do what it takes to always make sure the child and pet are safe and happy. Part of that is doing the necessary research on the pet before purchase/adoption to see what all is entailed with that pet. Almost everyone can think of a friend, relative, coworker, etc. that has gotten, say, a dog only to find out the hard way that the dog gets too big, too hyper, too aggressive, etc. for their household. It's the same with ANY pet whether it is a cat, dog, bird, ferret, etc.

You obviously know this first step! There are a few reasons that I, personally, would not have ferrets with children (if I had kids).
#1 small children tend to pinch, pull and/or manhandle animals because they are young, curious and don't know yet how to handle another living creature (that's where you come in :) )

#2 Kids and their friends are always running in and out of the house not always remembering to close the door all the way or watching to see what's running out too! Ferrets are notoriously curious and love to go places they are not allowed such as the great outdoors. Ferrets are also notorious for not being able to find their way back to the house after escaping! They tend to go and go and go and before they know it they are too far from home to find their way back.

#3 Ferrets have a way of becoming very expensive little critters because vets tend to charge more for exotics and because ferrets can (and do) get a whole host of illnesses. Dogs and cats get the same number of illnesses but their life spans are much longer and therefore their vet bills are over more time. I only mention the financial aspect because I know how much kids cost to maintain (big laugh) so allot of people with children don't have allot of disposable cash to spend on big vet bills!

#4 Although you did not say that you were wanting a ferret for your child, I thought I'd throw this one in! The number 1 reason I got for people turning their ferrets over to my shelter was that they got the ferret for their child and the child lost interest and they (the parents) did not want to care for the ferret. DUH! Kids lose interest in everything! They are kids, it's their job! With that example, the children will learn that pets are disposable and can be gotten rid of whenever they tire of them!

If you are willing to do everything it takes to make sure that a ferret is for you and your family then go for it! In the process of doing research I would highly recommend the book "Ferrets for Dummies" by Kim Schilling. You can find it in Petsmart/Petco and online -- it will be the best $20 you will spend, even if you decide a ferret is not right for you.

Good luck and thank you so much for learning what you can instead of impulse buying!

Sincerely,
Adrienne Mortimer