Saturday, May 22, 2010

Are ferrets good pets?

I really want a ferret but I have a 2 year old niece and she comes around alot, I dont know if it will be safe to have one. Plus I heard that they smell really bad. Should I still get one?
Answers:
First of all, they are not rodents. They are more closely related to CATS than mice. And, yes, they are great pets. BUT, they have to be socialized from birth, and they need attention daily, as they are very interactive. They are not "cage" animals. My sister has three, and they have run of the house. They are litter box trained, and they do not bite unless they are provoked. They are usually descented and neutered before they get to a pet store, but they do still have a musky smell (not as bad as cat box, that's for sure.) They do tend to be expensive to care for, especially if they live past 6 or so years, which is the normal life span for them. They are considered to be "exotics" by the vets, so the exams and surgeries are more expensive. My sister has a 12-year old and a 7-year old and a 1-year old (ferrets) and they all get along great. But a child such as your niece may not understand that a ferret (or a cat or dog) is a living thing that must be handled as such. But they are so much fun, and loving, too.
No. Their Shitt stinks like crazy and they are cronic biters. Don't listen to anyone who says they are good pets. 1 out of 10 doesn't bite. Good luck getting that one.
I had one. I used to poop on the side of my walls(a lot), and I had a 4 year old then. The ferret used to love to run up my sons pant leg. I didn't feel comfortable with this, I thought the ferret would hurt my son, so I gave it away.
Yes, they are adorable. But they do tend to have an unpleasant Oder if you do not get the neutered/spayed.
yes
It all depends on the temperament of ur pets each pet is different they all have their own distinct personalities. You have to remember too, if you want a good pet u have to be a good pet owner.
no
They do taste like chicken tho
No, I had one and took it back to the pet store after two days.
They constantly poop in the cage like you wouldn't believe, and chew up everything. Their new bedding will be destroyed in one day. They stink and sometimes bite. I lost a lot lof money, but I couldn't bear with that thing another day!
I have two ferrets right now, and this is my second time to own them. Most ferrets are descented so that they can't spray, but they do have a smell to them anyway...just like any other animal does. I do admit that there cage stinks pretty bad if it's not cleaned often enough. They are a lot of work, so if you can't dedicate the time to play with them, you probably should reconsider. They need to be out of their cage as much as possible, and can get into everything. One of my ferrets would be okay around children, but the other wouldn't. It just depends on their personalities. Try looking around for a ferret rescue near you and talk to the foster parents. They would know the ferret better than if you just bought one from a pet store. Maybe your niece should help you pick it out? Also keep in mind that their mouths are the only thing they really have to play with, so although it may appear to you that they are trying to bite, they are really just trying to play, and don't realize they're doing anything wrong.
Ferrets are kind of good pets, to have in a cage. My brother has two and when they get out they like to climb everywhere and you can't let them run around with childern due to the fact that there claws are really long and sharp. I wouldn't get a ferrert due to the fact that your niece comes around a lot. But if you decide that you really want one, keep it in a cage and don't let your niece play with it or stick her fingers in the cage. You can always place the cage in a room where your niece wouldn't really go. Let me know how that works for you.
They are good pets for some and not for others. They are really sweet and playful, but yes they do have a musky smell that some people find gross. They also like to steal and hide stuff you'd need to make sure that you do some house-proofing. You need to make sure that you have enough time to devote to one. If you are home a lot and will be able to let them run around a lot, you could do fine with one. If you aren't going to able to let it out so often, you'll need to get 2 or more. They aren't a pet that you can expect to stay in a cage all day or else it will be reallt depressed. Read some of these sites:
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/ferrets/a...
http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/ferr...
http://www.ferrets.org/ferrets_as_pets.h...
My friend has two of them. They can be a handful. they need room to roam and things to get into to satisfy their curiousity. My friend's two ferrets have free run of the house and are only caged when company comes over.
If you go to a store like Petco your can purchase them already spayed/nuetered and descented. They can be fun though if you have the time to make sure they have great lives!
yes, they are wonderful pets and it is true they do smell but you can give them a bath and clean the cage once or twice a week and you should be fine ferrets are loving cute and hyper animals so if you are looking for that then talk to the person that your living with or just get one is your living by yourself so good luck! [if you get it] .. :)
This is a question only you can answer yourself. Do you have the time and commitment to own such animals? They do require a lot of attention to socialize them as do all animals. I owned three of them and loved each one. They had such unique personalities. I would take them outside and they became a family favorite as we would have ferret races with them. They loved the attention and they had so much fun exploring the outside. I also used to take mine to the park and roller blade with them, they were so much fun and really easy to train to walk on a leash. They do like to crawl up your pants legs, so I went to the store and bought some tubing and made a maze that they could crawl through.
Of course, just as any pet you do need to have proper vaccinations. As far as their scent, yes they do have an odor, but when you keep their living quarters clean, it does not pose such a problem. Make sure you do some research and know what you are getting into. They really are safe little critters to have around and brought a lot of happiness to our family, although we tend to be animal lovers by nature.
I have two ferrets, but I have had 4 total. They are great pets. Loving, entertaining, potty trained, etc... but, I would say they are not acceptable around small children. If stepped on or handled wrong, you can seriously injure them. And, some like to nip... not in a mean way, but playful and sometimes it is a hard nip. They are a lot of work too... just because they are mainly "caged" animals, you do need to let them run around daily. I would definitely research them as much as possible before you own one. Good luck!
Well this is my opinion if you forget about everything your little neice the smell bad stuff would you want a ferret. Plus if you are gonna get one you can put it in a glass aquarium cage so it won't smell bad. I hope you like your choice!
yeah there gr8
Yes, I love them, I have owned 6 and have never been bitten. They are very loveable and fun to be with. They can be potty trained so they do not go on your floor when they are out of the cage. If they are descented they are no more smelly than a dog. I suggest supervision around your niece, but I think it would be fine.

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