Ferrets!

[KoriTamashii]

My little weasels. Anyone else have ferrets?

Charlie is the white one, and Mabel is the dark one.

My mom's holding Mabel in this pic.

 

[Toirtis]

I had ferrets from 1984-2007 (about 12 in total).

Mine were all fed raw whole-prey diets, and whenever possible were permitted to mature fully before being altered. All my ferrets, with one exception, lived 7-11 years of age, and had virtually no health issues, with excellent muscle-tone, coats, teeth, and activity levels right up to the ends of their lives.

As you may have guessed, I am a big supporter of natural feeding, but it has paid off well for me.

Is Charlie deaf, as most white-faced ferrets are? I have had three deaf ferrets over the years.

 

[pouchedrat]

I've had three ferrets in my life.... Spam, a rescue who died on the night after his operation at 4 1/2 (had adrenal, died while still at the vet's office being observed), Ichi, a beautiful boy who was dumped at my doorstep at 3+ years of age with TONS of health problems and cost me a cool $1000 the first couple weeks I had him from medical bills (esophagitis, adrenal). We opted not to do surgery this time around and shots instead, and of course he eventually passed away. Then there was Ni, a nasty little girl I acquired at a young age (other two were adults when I got them) who despite everything we did, would still bite without warning. When she bit, she gouged skin out and it bled BAD! She had her own bedroom made compeltely into a ferret room for her and her alone, since no one could really play with her without gloves on and long-sleeves. Eventually she passed away as well.

I guess that's what you get for going with rescues, heh. Two were marshall farms ferrets (had the ear tattoos) and the third was from some other farm I later found out was KNOWN for having extremely aggressive ferrets.

I love ferrets dearly, but the pain from losing them so early and the costs of the medical bills just is too much for me... when you have to shell out almost $1000 for a surgery that they still die from the same night, it's just not worth the heartache anymore.

 

[TalonAWD]

I had an albino ferret for 9 yrs. She was my life. She lived a full life and by the time she was 9, she developed kidney problems. I lived in California at that time and no vets would see her because she is illegal to have in California. So I had to put her down. That was a very sad day. Her name was Sprites.

 

[KoriTamashii]

Is Charlie deaf, as most white-faced ferrets are? I have had three deaf ferrets over the years.

No, he can hear just fine.

Mabel, I adopted free of charge from a guy I know when his kid moved in with his ex.

I knew ferrets do better in pairs and groups, so I picked Charlie up at Petco.

Both appear to have the ear tattoos, so I guess they're Marshall Farms, too.

So far, they're in great health, although Mabel seems small for her supposed age. Other than that, everything seems wonderful.

I'm sorry to hear all your sad stories of losing your ferrets - it always sucks to lose a friend.

I hope to keep mine happy and healthy.

 

[wayne the pain]

I currently have six, here is Dylan giving me a kiss

 

[KoriTamashii]

Aww, Wayne, he's adorable! Mabel gives kisses, too. Charlie just flails and makes little monkey noises.

 

[Snuggles]

I have one ferret. Her name is "Sugar". When i adopted her, she had severe health problems with not one hair on her entire body. As you can see, she's feeling much better now. (I don't have a scanner and the pictures were done professionally, so I don't have jpeg images either. Sorry.)

 

[TalonAWD]

I have one ferret. Her name is "Sugar". When i adopted her, she had severe health problems with not one hair on her entire body. As you can see, she's feeling much better now. (I don't have a scanner and the pictures were done professionally, so I don't have jpeg images either. Sorry.)

Gorgeous pictures!!! ERASER NOSE!!!! Thats what I use to say to my Sprites when she was with me. I hope to one day enjoy the company of a ferret again. Thank you for sharing the pics.

 

[Snuggles]

Gorgeous pictures!!! ERASER NOSE!!!! Thats what I use to say to my Sprites when she was with me. I hope to one day enjoy the company of a ferret again. Thank you for sharing the pics.

Thank you! She has had a HARD life. She was relinquished to a Petco with eight other ferrets someone was keeping. Petco was nice enough to seek medical attention and to their credit, they took her to their vet around ten times trying to get her situations under control. However, the exotic veterinarian the store used admittedly didn't have the best knowledge in the ferret area. I was in the store a lot as a representative from a local shelter doing cat adoptions, and when I heard the employees say that the vet didn't know what else to do but euthanize her, I stepped in and went broke in the process. She is well worth it, though. But I would NEVER have her as close to my nose as wayne the pain's picture!!! Sugar would not give the nose back!!! (She only looks innocent!)

I'm sorry that you lost your ferret. Nine years is a great life. You'll know when you're ready for another one. Maybe one will need you like Sugar needed me - hopefully more for the companionship than the $$$. :8o

 

[TalonAWD]

I'm sorry that you lost your ferret. Nine years is a great life. You'll know when you're ready for another one. Maybe one will need you like Sugar needed me - hopefully more for the companionship than the $$$. :8o

I have some great memories with my girl. I got her when she was just 2 weeks old. When I first got her, she would not go to sleep unless I held her for a little while near my heart. She would do kisses like Wain the pain's pic. She wouls also like to sleep around my neck like a scarf. Very playful and obedient. She traveled with me across the US in Automobile 3 times! From NY to California.
She was a Marshall Farm ferret and a true Albino with the red eyes.

 

[Snuggles]

She was a Marshall Farm ferret and a true Albino with the red eyes.

I had an albino, also. His name was "Journey". Someone must have brought him into a pet store under their coat and just left him there, because he was found staggering around on the floor. He was walking that way because he was both blind and deaf.

One Saturday evening, he went into a grand mal seizure. None of my local vets were open at that hour and I had to drive twenty long miles for help, with Journey seizing the whole way. They fought all night to save him, but the brain damage was too severe. I had to let him go the next day...

After he passed, a good friend surprised me with a portrait that she painted.

 

[wayne the pain]

Here's a couple more of mine

This is Diane giving me kisses

Heidi sniffing my hand

Dylan sniffing at his favourite treat

 

[Snuggles]

Wayne, what do you use to prevent fleas when they are outside?

 

[wayne the pain]

Never ever had to use anything to prevent them having fleas and never had them on my ferrets.
But from what ive read a lot of cat flea treatments are safe for ferrets.
Do ferrets over your side of pond pick up fleas easily from being outside? Not much wildlife where i live to pass on fleas apart from cats.

 

[Snuggles]

Yeah, fleas are all over the place here. I use Frontline Plus on Sugar, but I hate putting such a strong medication on that little runt. She loves going outside, though.

 

[wayne the pain]

Mine live outside in a court, but they do come inside to wreck the house, and terrorise the cats and dogs
Ferrets have to be the best small pet, very responsive to owners, will play with you or toys, and have a great bond with you, not many other small animals will do that.

 

[wayne the pain]

Snuggles, was Sugar an albino or is she a dark eyed white?

 

[Snuggles]

Sugar is a dark eyed white. Journey was an albino.

 

[pouchedrat]

We always had to use flea treatment on our ferrets, even though they were inside. our first two were massively covered in fleas when we got them. The third one didn't have issues with fleas though, and I'm sure it's because she was treated before we got her (as opposed to being dumped at our door or found).

I miss the stink weasels, lol. With the prairie dogs though I know a ferret would probably tear them to shreds, even if they're BIG FAT love bug rodents. Maybe years down the road....... and probably from a breeder instead of an older rescue. Unless one's dumped off again at our doorstep ........