# Ferrets?



## blueridge

I was wondering if anyone had any ferrets on here? I have a couple of questions...for now :twisted: I'm considering getting one, and I have been around them before, but I am curious about some things.

1. What food do you recommend? Pellets? Wet food? Both? What brand?

2. I heard Marshall brand is horrible, is this true?

3. Vet visits...What all does this actually all involve? Twice a year? 

4. Petco Ferrets vs. Breeder Ferrets? 

That is it for now! I would love to see your ferrets too! So post them away~


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## nympxzie

I don't own ferrets but I do work at a vet so I know answers to one of the questions.

3. Twice a year is recommended as animals age much quicker than we do so 6 months to us may be a few years to a ferret. A lot can change in a few years(months)! We do a simple "check up" (weight, ask you a few things, take a fecal, take blood) I'm pretty sure ferrets are one of those animals that need dentals as well so we ask about that. A dental requires general anesthesia, the teeth are cleaned and the animal is then put into treatment authorization where they wake up and chill for a while before they go home so we can watch and make sure they are okay.

4. As with all pet stores, you are taking your chance. Pet co has never done a terrific job at housing and caring for some of their animals (namely reptiles and rodents). When you buy a ferret from petco you have no idea of the parents genetics and what kind of condition they are in when they bred. The babies could easily be ill, and because there are always a few housed together they could very easily pass diseases to their pals. Ive had very positive experience with breeders. They will let you hold the animal which is a great way to get to know its disposition before you take it home (something petco can not let you do due to liability). I will always pick a breeder over petco.


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## Tealight03

I had ferrets about 15 years ago. I can't remember a whole lots of specifics about food. We gave them a dry mix from the store. It probably wasn't the best. We took them to the vet once a year. We never bought them from a store. One came from a family friend and the rest came from a rescue. Google ferret rescue in your area and see what comes up. Some rescues take all sorts of pets. The animal shelter might have some that were surrendered or rescued as well. 

Best of luck! They are fun little creatures.


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## blueridge

Thanks for the info guys! I have a lot of reading up to do, plus months of planning and saving up money for start up costs, so I definitely want to take my time and learn as much as I can! If you can offer any more advice, I would definitely appreciate it!


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## Tealight03

The biggest thing is they are very active and get into everything. Expect them to take anything they can and hide it. They need close supervision or a ferret proof room. They can be litter box trained but some take to it better than others.


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## blueridge

Oh I definitely know that they can get into anything! An old roommate of mine use to have one and she would let it out and she would run around and do all kinds of things xD One time she got into her backpack and she didn't realize it, and she took it to class by accident! Is there a way to help them learn litter box training, or is it just their personalities, about whether they learn or not?


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## rubbie5837

I have a ferret and she is a marshall's girl from petco (I was told) and she is very healthy. From my reasearch, Marshall ferrets are more prone to succumbing to usual ferret diseases due to poor breeding, poor nutrition and various other things that happen in a mill type start to life. My little girl is fed freeze dried raw food and I can't describe the difference it's been vs kibble fed. Also, as far as vets go, it's more expensive vs a cat or dog due to the fact that afferret is considered an exotic pet. So I would reasearch various vets to find the right one for your and your possible fuzzy. I can only describe wisp as a repetitive 2 yr old demon angel. I love her to death but she loves to drive me crazy. But I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world.


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## blueridge

rubbie5837 said:


> I have a ferret and she is a marshall's girl from petco (I was told) and she is very healthy. From my reasearch, Marshall ferrets are more prone to succumbing to usual ferret diseases due to poor breeding, poor nutrition and various other things that happen in a mill type start to life. My little girl is fed freeze dried raw food and I can't describe the difference it's been vs kibble fed. Also, as far as vets go, it's more expensive vs a cat or dog due to the fact that afferret is considered an exotic pet. So I would reasearch various vets to find the right one for your and your possible fuzzy. I can only describe wisp as a repetitive 2 yr old demon angel. I love her to death but she loves to drive me crazy. But I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world.



Thanks for the personal experience! Also you girl is so cute! Thank you for the tip about Petco. I was considering it but now I think I might get one from a local small pet shop. They normally only have one, maybe two ferrets at a time, so I will probably have more luck with that. I have a question for you, if you switch them from dry to the raw food do I need to do it as a progress, like you would switching food for a cat or dog? As far as vet costs go, what would you say is the average vet cost, for like a check up and shots? Also what type of cage would you recommend, too?


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## rubbie5837

Well, all total with 2 vet visits so far, one a check up and one an emergency, it's about 40 for checkup and shots (that was in tn) and the er visit was 700 (in va). But she had to have ultrasound and xrays and stuff. Paid all of that just to find out that she just had a fat neck. As far as a cage goes, everyone recommends ferret nation but those things aren't cheap. So I just bought a large rabbit cage from tractor supply and converted it. It's 36x24x24 so it's plenty big enough for one. And the pet shop ferrets could still be Marshall. Look for the 2 black tattoos. If they have them, then 99% sure they are marshall's. If not, make absolutely sure that they have paperwork stating that it's been fixed, because it's dangerous for a male and deadly for a female. And I can send you a link to a wonderful ferret forum that I am on to get loads more information.


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## blueridge

rubbie5837 said:


> Well, all total with 2 vet visits so far, one a check up and one an emergency, it's about 40 for checkup and shots (that was in tn) and the er visit was 700 (in va). But she had to have ultrasound and xrays and stuff. Paid all of that just to find out that she just had a fat neck. As far as a cage goes, everyone recommends ferret nation but those things aren't cheap. So I just bought a large rabbit cage from tractor supply and converted it. It's 36x24x24 so it's plenty big enough for one. And the pet shop ferrets could still be Marshall. Look for the 2 black tattoos. If they have them, then 99% sure they are marshall's. If not, make absolutely sure that they have paperwork stating that it's been fixed, because it's dangerous for a male and deadly for a female. And I can send you a link to a wonderful ferret forum that I am on to get loads more information.


Oh ok! 40 dollars is not bad at all! I was thinking that the vet visits might be around 200 and up, not that I wouldn't care, but I just wanted to have a general idea. She had a fat neck? Yeah I was looking at those, Ferret Nation ones, and I don't know if I want to buy something like that. I read, a lot, that they are hard to put together, and I don't really like that they do not have a deep pan to sit in, cause I am sure that ferrets can get messy some times. I might think about getting a rabbit cage too. My sister has one for her guinea pig and he loves it! Two black tattoos? I know one is on the ear, where is the other one? And what do they mean? Yeah I have heard about them needing to be fixed. Please send me the link too! Also sorry for all the questions


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## rubbie5837

I don't think a deep pan will make a difference in mess or not because ferrets absolutely love to destroy all your hard work in decorating thier cage. Thier bedding should be blankets and such so it's not like a bird or anything like that where they sling bedding and such around the floor. Also, you should commit to a daily cleaning schedule to keep the odor down, although to me they don't reak, they just smell woodsie. I wash all of her bedding every other day and dump her litter everyday and scrub everything once a week. And people never know that I have a ferret. To me, a dog smells worse. And if it's a marshall's, both dots will be in the ear: one means spayed, the other means desented. Attaching a pic to show them. And ferrets get cancers easily and when I felt her neck and she seemed to have swollen lymphnods, but it turned out to be fat deposits in her neck. So that was her emergency situation. With a ferret, they can go downhill extremely quickly so any little thing could be major with them. They always say to have a savings account of 1000 bucks just for an emergency.


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## rubbie5837

Sorry the pic is so blurry but it's nearly impossible to get her to stay still long enough to get a very clear picture.


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## blueridge

rubbie5837 said:


> I don't think a deep pan will make a difference in mess or not because ferrets absolutely love to destroy all your hard work in decorating thier cage. Thier bedding should be blankets and such so it's not like a bird or anything like that where they sling bedding and such around the floor. Also, you should commit to a daily cleaning schedule to keep the odor down, although to me they don't reak, they just smell woodsie. I wash all of her bedding every other day and dump her litter everyday and scrub everything once a week. And people never know that I have a ferret. To me, a dog smells worse. And if it's a marshall's, both dots will be in the ear: one means spayed, the other means desented. Attaching a pic to show them. And ferrets get cancers easily and when I felt her neck and she seemed to have swollen lymphnods, but it turned out to be fat deposits in her neck. So that was her emergency situation. With a ferret, they can go downhill extremely quickly so any little thing could be major with them. They always say to have a savings account of 1000 bucks just for an emergency.


So I don't need to worry about shavings or anything for bedding? Just a litter box and blankets and such to sleep in? Also daily cleaning schedules are no problem for me! I already take care of two horses, that have to have their stalls cleaned everyday, plus my dogs out door cage as well. Don't worry about the blurry pic :lol: I can see the dots just fine! I will definitely keep money on hold then, for an emergency situation, and I understand that since it is a small animal things can go down hill very quickly too. I have another question though! I've heard that you need to get their teeth cleaned once a year? Is there something more I can do to prevent plaque? Like brush their teeth once a month with a toothbrush and water.


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## rubbie5837

Depends on the food. Like with Wisp, since her food is soft, I brush her teeth once a week. Also, once I swap her over to completely raw, the meaty bones will take care of her teeth. All she would need is the yearly teeth cleaning like a dog. The only other thing I would say is to keep laxative (or cat hairball stuff) toggive once a week during shedding time and every other week during non shedding time to keep things moving along because they can easily get a blockage that will kill if not treated immediately. It's much easier to change foods while they are less than a year, because they will in print on their food. Also would suggest mixing multiple foods just in case one perticular type isn't in stock. Wisp eats feline natural freeze dried food but has 4 different flavors just for that reason. I learned that the hard way. Just reasearch the food that you want to use and make sure it's high in animal protein and high in fats. Also absolutely NO fruits, veggies, dairy, or fiber (less than 3%) I believe. They are obligated carnivores and cannot digest anything other than meat. If you choose to feed kibble, I would suggest wysong ferret food because it's the most nutritionally balanced diet for ferrets, and it must be available at all times. If yo choose raw, they can be fed 2x daily, and wisp doesn't drink water due to the fact that she gets her water from her food, although water is available at all times for her.


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## blueridge

rubbie5837 said:


> Depends on the food. Like with Wisp, since her food is soft, I brush her teeth once a week. Also, once I swap her over to completely raw, the meaty bones will take care of her teeth. All she would need is the yearly teeth cleaning like a dog. The only other thing I would say is to keep laxative (or cat hairball stuff) toggive once a week during shedding time and every other week during non shedding time to keep things moving along because they can easily get a blockage that will kill if not treated immediately. It's much easier to change foods while they are less than a year, because they will in print on their food. Also would suggest mixing multiple foods just in case one perticular type isn't in stock. Wisp eats feline natural freeze dried food but has 4 different flavors just for that reason. I learned that the hard way. Just reasearch the food that you want to use and make sure it's high in animal protein and high in fats. Also absolutely NO fruits, veggies, dairy, or fiber (less than 3%) I believe. They are obligated carnivores and cannot digest anything other than meat. If you choose to feed kibble, I would suggest wysong ferret food because it's the most nutritionally balanced diet for ferrets, and it must be available at all times. If yo choose raw, they can be fed 2x daily, and wisp doesn't drink water due to the fact that she gets her water from her food, although water is available at all times for her.


So does cat laxative work? Or do they sell a ferret one? Also shedding seasons? Like spring time into the summer when they shed their winter coats? Is there another season that they do it? You use feline raw food? What brand and how much do you give her? I was thinking maybe raw food and a kibble variety or do you think that is too much? I'm not sure if I could get wysong ferret food around here. I would rather get something from the store instead of ordering, because it takes awhile to get things in the mail, where I live. I was thinking of using Sheppard & Greene super premium ferret food as the kibble. All I see on websites are 5/5 reviews for it. And it has 35% protein content and 20% fat content. It also says that it helps reduce fur balls, but I'm sure giving a laxative will be needed too.


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## rubbie5837

I feed her feline natural freeze dried raw food and she gets the chicken, Vinson,rrabbit and turkey formulas all mixed. The biggest thing is to look at the ingredients; are they all meat or are they byproducts? Fillers? Organs and bone? (Required for ferrets) What is their source of protein? What is the fiber? Are there any fruits, grains, dairy, veggies? (Non digestible to ferrets and could cause blockage) That's the main things. Also, I don't trust additives such as hairball formulas, because it usually means it is high in fiber. (Not good) So just make sure to reasearch very deeply because the health of your fuzzy depends on it. Bad food coupled with bad breeding leads to earlier diagnosis of cancer and illness such as insolinoma. That's why marshall's ferrets have a bad reputation, they are genetically weaker and more susceptible to getting sick sooner.


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## Axeria

A high protein diet is essential! Because of their short GI tract caused by the fact that they are pure carnivores they can not digest vegetable matter so keeping your ferret on a high protein pellet and giving raw meat is the best way to go. Never feed ANY vegetable matter as that will cause your ferrets GI tract to get clogged and that can potentially kill your ferret. As rubbie sais giving some lubricant is a good idea twice a week, I used sunflower oil and a egg yolk mixed together.

I kept ferrets for about 7 years before giving it up, I also sat on the Norwegian ferret association bosrd. And I must say they are wonderful pets! 
Be warned tho, you have to set yourself in respect with the ferret, I have never had a ferret that did not draw blood atleast once in the start  its an easy thing to train tho and once they are trained they usually stay that way, atleast with their owners. Dont show fear tho! Lol being a pure carnivor and predator they easily get the upper hand if you are scared of them biting you.

I wore shoes inside for a while with one of mine cause she bit our toes alot  The trick is to have a toy or treat handy and shift their focus of your feet and onto the toy or treat  

Rememver tho that you wil smell  even nutered bucks smell abit so just get used to people telling you that  I think they smell like honey and a predatory musky smell  

Females will need a hormone implant or be spayed as they can get sick and die from going in heat for too long, they can not break the heat themself so they need help with that in form of hormones or just making sure she will not get heatt at all by spaying  

Good luck! Please PM me if you have any questions  

Here is a pic of my last three ferrets, from the left is Bonus, Yrja and my favorite of all times Dexter on the right


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## rubbie5837

And they make ferret laxative, but cat formula is a little bit cheaper and was available for me, otherwise, vasalline works just as well. A little dot a week does the trick. And shedding seasons are spring and fall. It's kinda like a dog or cat. They also tend to pack on weight for winter and lose it in the summer. Although wisp is just packing weight on anyways because she was extremely malnutrition when I first got her and didn't even weight a lb. Now she weighs 1.4lbs.


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## Axeria

Rubbie; wisp is absolutley ADORABLE!! What a pretty face!


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## rubbie5837

Thanks. I love my little pain in the rear. She is so much fun.


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## Axeria

Yeah, ferrets get into alot of trubble if one does not babysit them xD 

And them not being pets to have in a cage having a ferret proofed house or appartment is important  lol my Yrja where so little she got into everything!! She pulled alot of the insulation of our dishwasher before we figured where she got all that fluff from  no fear tho, she never ate it and it where not that itchy glass kind, just some grey cottony fluff pressed into a sheat wrapped around the dishwasher. In the end I actually had to use my carpenter skills to make something to keep her out of the kitchen


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## blueridge

Thank you for all the information you guys! I think I am going to try and find a freeze dried raw food that is less than 3% fiber to give to my new munchkin. Also Axeria your guys are adorable! I just want to hold all of y'alls ferrets! So I have one more question for you. I've read that you shouldn't give them more than one or two baths a month, plus nail trimming, and cleaning their ears,is there anything else I should do grooming wise? Do I need to make sure I brush them regularly? This probably seems like a dumb question, but I am curious.


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## rubbie5837

Really, you shouldn't bathe more than 2 times a year. You can let them play in the water however much you want, but using soap makes them stink worse. And I clean wisp's ears once a month or so and clip her nails every 2 weeks.


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## Axeria

Thank you! They gave my life so much joy  

I only bathed my ferrets once a month, but never with soap. mine instead got clean bedding twice a week to keep them clean and to keep the smell to a minimum. None of my ferrets liked to be bathed so they released some funky odor from their anal glands which stank out our whole house when I gave them a bath  
I did however have a shallow pool for them during the summer, they had a room all to themself which we tried to keep cool but they loved jumping around in the pool to cool off during hot days 

I gave them a brush over about every two days during shedding season, but they really dont need much grooming wise  
A trick to cutting nails is to put a bit of malt extract or furo-white on their stomack while you have them on their backs in your lap, it takes their consentration off what you are doing and they will be completely intransed by the yummy sticky stuff on their belly


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## Axeria

Yeah bathing is not really essential to keeping ferrets, I just did it cause my bucks where such messy eaters


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## blueridge

Thank you for answering all my questions! xD I know I had a lot of them. I'll probably end up reading a whole lot more, because I want to be satisfied that I understand everything; cannot wait for Ferrets for Dummies to come in! And I guess I will slowly start to collect things together for my new ferret!


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## Tealight03

Axeria said:


> Thank you! They gave my life so much joy
> 
> I only bathed my ferrets once a month, but never with soap. mine instead got clean bedding twice a week to keep them clean and to keep the smell to a minimum. None of my ferrets liked to be bathed so they released some funky odor from their anal glands which stank out our whole house when I gave them a bath
> I did however have a shallow pool for them during the summer, they had a room all to themself which we tried to keep cool but they loved jumping around in the pool to cool off during hot days
> 
> I gave them a brush over about every two days during shedding season, but they really dont need much grooming wise
> A trick to cutting nails is to put a bit of malt extract or furo-white on their stomack while you have them on their backs in your lap, it takes their consentration off what you are doing and they will be completely intransed by the yummy sticky stuff on their belly


Yes, this was a life saver when cutting nails!


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## Axeria

Yeah it makes it a much smoother process for the ferret and you aswell  plus, they get a treat thats good for them while doing something thats not as fun, anyone who ever owned a ferret know that making them sit still is a challenge 
My bunch came rushing and where dooking like crazy when I got the Furo-white tube out even tho it meant nailtrim


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## Tealight03

I wonder if they make something similar for cats. Sometimes my cat behaves himself but other times he flips out and starts biting.


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## rubbie5837

Yeah, wisp is pretty good about her nails but her ears are another story all together. I just have to scruff her and hurry up and get it done because if I take too long she will scream and a ferret scream will burst your eardrums. She wasn't much of a biter so nip training was a breeze. She still nips but she is very careful about being gentle. Most of the time she licks. And I have a couple of videos of her right after I got her on YouTube. One was right after her first "bath" (water only) and was a wired weasel and went nuts. The best word to describe ferrets is clowns. Everything is fun and games with them, even if it's a game of stealing your underwear.


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## blueridge

rubbie5837 said:


> Everything is fun and games with them, even if it's a game of stealing your underwear.


This right here made me laugh so hard :lol:


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## rubbie5837

It's so true. So undies beware!!! Wisp's favorite is my bras. I guess because she loves walking around in my shirt. She will steal them if given the chance. Now she doesn't get to get out alot since staying with my sister. And that makes me sad, but I have to do what I can with what I have right now. So I have been leash training her so she can go for walks outside. 
Also, another thing to keep in mind, ferrets cannot tolerate heat above 80 including heat index. They cannot sweat so heat stroke is very dangerous for the little fuzzy butts.


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## Axeria

Tealight03 said:


> I wonder if they make something similar for cats. Sometimes my cat behaves himself but other times he flips out and starts biting.


You get malt paste for kitties 

Edit: yup ferrets looove stealin'! And socks where a big hit to stash under the sofa


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## Olympia

My Edward-weasel is my best friend and I would not trade him for anything. I got him at 8 weeks and even though I loved him just as much back then, now that he's about 1.5 years he has become way more affectionate. Everyone at my clinic thinks he is the sweetest, most easygoing ferret they've ever met, aha. People at school love him. We do everything together, we even sleep together. I would love a second ferret but I worry that my current one is some perfect angel. He doesn't even steal things (except he stashes food).
He has managed to completely destroy our sofa and has built a castle inside where he hides his things, parts of our house are blocked off to him and it is hilarious when we leave a door open because he will charge in and just jump around dooking that he got into the forbidden area.

I recommend you join the holistic ferret forum (can be found on a google search).
If you are looking for a freeze-dried cat diet Stella&Chewy's is a great brand to use.


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## rubbie5837

OMG! I just melted at the doop pic. The little tongue is super obber cute. And wisp did the little evil "hahaha" dance too when she got into a room she knew was off limits. Edward is adorable!


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## rubbie5837

And I second the holistic ferret forum. I pmed the link to it. It's been an invaluable resource for me and wisp. I have learned so much and continue to learn from that forum.


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## blueridge

OMG Edward is so flipping adorable! I love that you have someone to read manga with you XD Is it hard to leash train? I would love to have my ferret ride around with me to vintage car shows when it is cool outside! I think it would be amazing~ Also I think I might get Stella & Chewy's food, there is a store literally 20 min from my house that sells it, plus it is a small pet shop that only sells food, so I would love to support a local business! How much do you feed a day?


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## rubbie5837

Well, wisp is pretty much trained to the point that she tolerates the leash being on her. I think that's about as good as she is going to get. But I absolutely love taking her places with me. And she seems to love it too. And I feed wisp about 6-8 oz of food 2x daily. But she is a pig due to not being fed properly by her previous owner. Trying to cut her back but she throws a major fit if I don't feed her enough or not on time. And I have heard that Stella and chewy's was really good but it's not available near me, or at least I haven't found it yet.


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## Axeria

Awww! Edward is a cutie


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## blueridge

Since I will be feeding freeze dried food, I don't need to leave any in the bowl do I for all day long?


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## Olympia

I think the big bag must last about 2 weeks though I am not sure... I also feed frozen raw but I am having trouble with flies in the house, so I've been just offering freeze dried without adding water back in... I have no idea how much I am feeding, I usually feed twice a day and have it worked out so that he pretty much always has food.

I wouldn't actually drive around without having the ferret in a carrier, they are way too keen on exploring everything. I don't think you will ever had a ferret following you around on a leash either. Mine will let me carry him around places without struggling but I think that's just because I carried him around so much from a young age (oops). 

That said they can make good travel companions and I have seen adorable photos of cosplaying ferrets at anime cons. O_O


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## blueridge

Olympia said:


> I think the big bag must last about 2 weeks though I am not sure... I also feed frozen raw but I am having trouble with flies in the house, so I've been just offering freeze dried without adding water back in... I have no idea how much I am feeding, I usually feed twice a day and have it worked out so that he pretty much always has food.
> 
> I wouldn't actually drive around without having the ferret in a carrier, they are way too keen on exploring everything. I don't think you will ever had a ferret following you around on a leash either. Mine will let me carry him around places without struggling but I think that's just because I carried him around so much from a young age (oops).
> 
> That said they can make good travel companions and I have seen adorable photos of cosplaying ferrets at anime cons. O_O


Ahh ok. I'll keep that in mind then. Also I won't be driving around all over the place and will definitely start it off slow, but going to a car show for an hour or two shouldn't be too bad, right? I've never seen cosplaying ferrets before. I think they would be adorable!


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## rubbie5837

No. They receive and digest all they need from raw vs kibble mostly gets wasted and they must eat all the time to get the nutrition they need. So raw fed means alot less poop and it doesn't smell nowhere near as badly. Wisp poops 2-3 times a day vs 6-7 times a day on kibble.


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## rubbie5837

And just a word of caution, I wouldn't let too many people around your wee oneat the same time. It mmight overwhelm it. Wisp bit someone right after I got her because a group of people saw her and of course dolled over a tiny baby ferret and she got scared and bit someone. I am lucky that nothing happend and she didn't break skin because that could have been trouble. She does great now and loves meeting new people, but I don't let people pet her and definitely not hold her for that reason.


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## InStitches

+1 for feeding raw 
I don't have ferrets, but if I did I would feed raw. I prefer to feed my cats raw. It's really easy to grind up the meats yourself, and mix with necessary pre-mix and oil to make a complete meal. I make it in bulk and freeze it. Do they have something similar for ferrets?


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## rubbie5837

I assume so. I'm not exactly at the point of raw meats. But I know that you can buy meat and mix it all up. And I have heard of people feeding whole prey just like with snakes, although I don't think I could do that (which is the only reason I don't have a snake).


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## blueridge

So I can use frozen mice? I was kind of curious about that and still reading up on it. You don't have to skin it do you? Just unthaw and give it to them? I think it would be a nice addition to feeding once or twice a week.


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## rubbie5837

I am not sure, but I believe that they give it to them whole.


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## blueridge

Hmm...I'll have to check up on that.

Checked up on it. Definitely just unthaw and give it to them!

After all this reading and doing, I am so excited about getting a ferret! I cannot wait! I think I might go ahead and start to collect some of the small things and wait to get the cage and all, later. I am so excited! I cannot wait to have a little fuzz butt running around!


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## Olympia

You can feed whole prey... a mix of mice/rats/day old chicks/quails/etc... I was going to go that route but after several attempts, which went so far as blending a pinky mouse with eggs and force feeding it, I decided that my guy just was not going to take that route... he DOES really want to kill them while they're still alive though, when he saw my quail brooder he was trying to rip it open to get at them...


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## rubbie5837

Wow, well in most cases, I know in the US, that's illegal. Not saying that you were openly feeding him live prey. It's considered animal cruelty. I just couldn't feed a whole animal to anything. And I barely stomach the freeze dried food because it does have bits of bone and flesh visible in it. I'm vegan, so meat is a touchy subject for me. But I love my pets and look at them no differently than my son and since they must have a certain diet, I must oblige.


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## blueridge

I think watching them catch and eat live prey would be kind of interesting to watch. I wish I could find live prey, but stores around me don't really sell it, plus I would probably freak out if a mouse was running around my room. I definitely won't mind frozen, as long as my ferret loves to eat it. That sort of thing doesn't bother me since I live on a small farm, though, and I have seen all kinds of things, especially with my one cat. Could I also feed like raw chicken thighs, or drumsticks with the bone still in?


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## rubbie5837

Yes. If you could feed everything (bones, skin, organs, exc.) That's great. They have plenty of videos on YouTube where people were ferreting, but like I said, it's illegal.


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## blueridge

Well darn, but I can understand why it is illegal, with animal rights and all.


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## rubbie5837

It's cruelty due to the fact that you put a prey animal in with a predator with no escape. Also, you put your pet in harm's way if the prey decided to fight back.


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## Olympia

Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow is a popular company for people feeding whole prey in the US. You can buy frozen rodents, chicks, guinea pigs, rabbits, quails...
Live feeding is illegal in places like Australia or the UK, but I don't think it is in the US or Canada as I know many people feed reptiles live prey.


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## blueridge

rubbie5837 said:


> It's cruelty due to the fact that you put a prey animal in with a predator with no escape. Also, you put your pet in harm's way if the prey decided to fight back.


Yeah I can definitely see why. Plus I would be very upset if my animal was harmed in any way do to prey fighting back, especially in a cage. My cat gets attacked from time to time whenever he hunts outside so I always have to keep an eye on things to make sure he doesn't get infected.

Also I'm pretty sure it is illegal in the US? With that said however, I know several people that get live mice to feed their snakes from some of the local Petsmarts and Petcos.


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## rubbie5837

I understand both sides of the argument, but I wouldn't feed live prey just because I want nothing to do with it. Like I said, that's why I would not own a pet that requires live prey. That's just my opinion. I like snakes and all, and I understand that some of them refuse to eat unless it's live, so I would never bring a pet into my home that I am not able to care for properly.


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## Axeria

I agree with you Rubbie! Feeding live prey have so many fall pits that I personaly would not do it. Its not just risky if the prey fights back but, What if your pet just plays with its food, hurting and scaring the prey but not killing until its done playing? I know this is the case for many predators so for me constructing that situation in my own home would just not be something I would do based on my ethics and moral views.


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## blueridge

I can see where you guys are coming from and I would definitely not give my ferret live prey, however I think that if your snake or reptile needs live prey, then you should be committed and ready to do that as an owner. Also I have barn cats, and while they do play with whatever they catch and hurt the mice, rats, birds, and rabbits that they do catch, I believe that is only natural and they are doing what does come naturally to them. Plus they are helping control whatever mice/rat population that does get into my barn at a minimum/none at all, which is definitely beneficial since mice/rats carry diseases that can be passed on to horses. Mice/rats can also destroy my feed and hay and end up costing me more.


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## Axeria

Yeah you can not dictate the hunting habits of your cat, but with a pet indoors you can. I feel that is an important diference  

I personally dont keep snakes as they are ilegal here in Norway, but if they where legal I would still not keep any animal that needs live prey. I just could not sit and watch pinkies, mice or rats get killed before my eyes... This might be because I have owned small mamals for about 15 years now and been breeding rats too... I am way to personal invested in those animals to use them as food 

This might sound hypocritical, but I have no quams about feeding live brineshrimp, worms or even smaller fish to bigger fish. And i dont mind feeding tarantulas, or leos etc. with live insects


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## blueridge

That is definitely an important difference! 

Plus it is like you said, you've been committed to small animals for 15 years and you view them differently so you couldn't do such and act. I feel the same way, plus I think live mice, rats, etc. that are in stores have been breed as pets, where as say a wild mice/rat is not. 

Maybe because most of them are bugs? Except for the fish. I don't necessarily feel bad either, especially with mosquito larvae. They can go! :evil:


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## Axeria

No petrats and wildrats are two completely diferent strands of the same species, they have been separated for hundreds of years so they have diferent traits for sure  the same with fancy mice vs wildmice 

Lol! I deffo dont put bugs in the "animal" category, and I dont feel anything for them as with mammals


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## blueridge

Oh they are definitely different! Especially around here with the wolf rats that we get. Those things are huge! And mean.

I don't do bugs either. I don't care if they are outside but if they come in, it is bye-bye bug!


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## Axeria

Yeah same here! They can be outside and I dont mind, but as soon as they come inside its carnage time xD


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## blueridge

Exactly! And I don't even want to talk about wasps. I swear they are got to get everyone.


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## Axeria

Wasps are evil!! You dont have to bother them even before they sting! Me and a girlfriend of mine sat in the park with her 18month old son and out of nowhere a wasp stung the baby on the arm, and he was just sitting there eating a biscuit! Thats evil!


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## blueridge

Oh my gosh that is evil :shock: I knew they were bad but not that bad. I hope the baby was ok! They always stare at you around here. I mean stare at you. And if you are in their path of flight they will just fly right at you. One time my Dad went to spray a nest on the side of the house because they were getting bad, and right after he sprayed them they flipped out and started to fly at him. Luckily I had the door open for him so he could run in before they got him. One ended up on his shirt but luckily we killed it before it stung him.


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## Axeria

He was luckily not allergic so he got a bump where it had stung him but nothing really bad, naturally it was painfull and he cried alot after. But I doubt he remembers it today 

Ugh! Glad you got the nest sprayed! And that your dad came away unscathed


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## blueridge

That is good to hear! I think it would be horrible to have a baby get stung and then it is allergic too. I could only imagine that nightmare. 

Yeah my Dad was pretty lucky. 

Oh I have a random question and I can't remember if it got answered or not. Ferrets need to be switched over to a different food right? So it would be a good idea to ask what they feed and then switch over after I've had the ferret for a week or two to the raw diet.


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## Axeria

Yeah, make the switch gradually and early, then you wont get a picky eater IME


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## rubbie5837

Agreed. I feel that you should be committed to whatever pet's needs over moral but if there is any type of agreement that can be reached while everyone gets what they need (point and case with freeze dried raw food). Wisp gets her meat and I don't have to go against my morals. It's a win-win situation for everyone.


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## rubbie5837

When they are under a year old, it's generally easier because they haven't imprinted on the perticular food. But once they do, it's a very long exhausting process to switch them. That's why I suggested getting different flavors and different brands just in case one perticular type isn't available. Learned that the hard way.


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## blueridge

Thanks guys! I'll definitely do that!


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## Olympia

If you get an 8 week old from a pet shop I'd switch right to raw. My ferret was fed hard kibble at the pet shop and his rectum had started to prolapse. I fixed this by wetting his kibbles but it probably would have been better to go raw instead of mucking about. I think it is fairly common as babies can't have dehydrated food but shops often don't know or care.


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## blueridge

I'll definitely keep that in mind Olympia! I hate to waste food, but I thought after a day or two of it coming home, I would go ahead a start the process.


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## blueridge

Well you guys, I got a ferret, and she is adorable! I think she is amazing and full of energy and sweet, however now that I have her home, I think I might have jumped the gun  I feel horrible about myself, but I think I might end up returning her :-? I just don't think having her is right for me, and I feel horrible about it :sad: I don't know what the heck I did?!


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## rubbie5837

Oh, I'm sorry. Is there anything in particular that makes you feel that way?


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## blueridge

I think just the fact that they are energetic and at the moment I can't keep her in a separate room from my bedroom, is the only reason why I am feeling so let down about it. She just made too much noise for me, especially when I need to sleep. So maybe one day when I can keep one in a separate room, I'll look into buying one.


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## rubbie5837

Well, do you have an area where she can get out and play for at least 4 hrs a day? I leash trained wisp due to the fact that I am not able to let her loose in the house. I also let her play in the bathtub. Wisp has her moments where she acts like a complete menace and digs and rattles her cage. And I have to put her cage in the bathtub to get some sleep. But her problem is that she doesn't get to get out as much as she used to and her cage is too small. But as soon as the post office gets it's butt into gear, she will have a much larger cage and hopefully the gripping behavior will stop. Maybe give it a couple of days because she is in a totally new inviroment with all of these strangers. It's scary for the babies at first and they protest. Otherwise, if that's not possible, I would suggest trying to rehome her with a more experienced owner. It's good to admit that it's more than you can handle right now vs letting her suffer like wisp did with her original owner. They just shoved her aside and stopped caring for her.


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## blueridge

Poor Wisp  I've decided to pass her onto someone who was more experienced, and who already has two ferrets. They came and got her today. I feel like I could have done what you suggested, but now that she is gone I think I made the right choice in giving her up. I know that she is going to a good home and I'll be able to see her from time to time. Now that I have experienced this I now know that I definitely need to wait till I move out so that I can have one, so I'm not giving up but putting my dream on hold.


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## rubbie5837

blueridge said:


> Poor Wisp  I've decided to pass her onto someone who was more experienced, and who already has two ferrets. They came and got her today. I feel like I could have done what you suggested, but now that she is gone I think I made the right choice in giving her up. I know that she is going to a good home and I'll be able to see her from time to time. Now that I have experienced this I now know that I definitely need to wait till I move out so that I can have one, so I'm not giving up but putting my dream on hold.


I'm so glad that she didn't go back to the store, and went to a wonderful home to join a business. I would never feel bad about wanting the best for your pet. I think you made a great choice.


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## blueridge

I think so too! I just wish I would have thought this out more before I bought her. That is my only down side to this :/


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## rubbie5837

Well, it's easy to learn everything there is to know about something, but being personally involved with it is another. At least you can learn from this experience and understand a little more.


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## blueridge

That is true!


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## Tree

Ferrets are a big responsibility, that is for sure. I had 7 at a time. two from petco and the others from a breeder. All naughty little things but I loved them so much. <3 

I think you made the right choice, don't feel bad. She will get another home. ^u^


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## Olympia

Aww, I'm sorry.  It's likely for the best though.

I was supposed to get a ferret after getting my appendix removed when I was in the 4th grade. I'm really glad we never did knowing Edward the way I do now. Even so Edward is the first ferret I have ever met up close, but I am very flexible and was able to offer him everything he needed. I didn't even research too much heeh 
( I ended up getting a rabbit after my surgery though which was horrible for the rabbit as well since I was so young aha.. )


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