# Ferrets!



## KoriTamashii (Jul 19, 2010)

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.


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## Toirtis (Jul 19, 2010)

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.


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## pouchedrat (Jul 19, 2010)

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.


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## TalonAWD (Jul 19, 2010)

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.


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## KoriTamashii (Jul 19, 2010)

Toirtis said:


> 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.


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## wayne the pain (Jul 20, 2010)

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


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## KoriTamashii (Jul 20, 2010)

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


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## Snuggles (Jul 21, 2010)

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.)


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## TalonAWD (Jul 21, 2010)

Snuggles said:


> 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.


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## Snuggles (Jul 21, 2010)

TalonAWD said:


> 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


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## TalonAWD (Jul 21, 2010)

Snuggles said:


> 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.


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## Snuggles (Jul 22, 2010)

TalonAWD said:


> 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.


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## wayne the pain (Jul 22, 2010)

Here's a couple more of mine 

This is Diane giving me kisses







Heidi sniffing my hand







Dylan sniffing at his favourite treat


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## Snuggles (Jul 22, 2010)

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


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## wayne the pain (Jul 22, 2010)

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.


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## Snuggles (Jul 22, 2010)

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.


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## wayne the pain (Jul 22, 2010)

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.


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## wayne the pain (Jul 22, 2010)

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


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## Snuggles (Jul 22, 2010)

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


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## pouchedrat (Jul 22, 2010)

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 ........


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## Snuggles (Jul 22, 2010)

What kind did you use, rat?  Did it work well for them?

Mine never had fleas, I just treat as a preventive.


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## pouchedrat (Jul 22, 2010)

Advantage was used with the first one, frontline with the second.  I don't recall frontline being around yet with the first ferret... but I could be wrong.  Advantage was the new 'in thing' at the time if that makes sense.  Lots of commercials, and such.  

i have a cat right now who's sensitive to frontline, and actually began drooling and acting extremely lethargic after she licked some off of herself, and i had to wash it off immediately and take her to the vet.  I'm sure it's just my super-sensitive cat being her usual super-sensitive self, though.


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## gromgrom (Jul 22, 2010)

we just picked up a rescue white ferret, black eyes, only a year or two old. dunno if shes neutered but she has her shots and came with everything. 

but i did have a question: 

what supplements/vitamins are actually worth it? are any? we just have her on ferret food and what little snacks she has left.


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## wayne the pain (Jul 23, 2010)

Ferretone is well worth getting, they love it and can do pretty much anything to them while its around, cutting nails cleaning etc


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## pwilson5 (Jul 23, 2010)

i have a question:
We fostered two ferrets for a while, Diesel and Apollo, and we could never really get them to constently use the batheroom in their litter box.. and they were pretty stinky..

any suggestions? i would possibly like to look into getting one


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## KoriTamashii (Jul 23, 2010)

pwilson5 said:


> i have a question:
> We fostered two ferrets for a while, Diesel and Apollo, and we could never really get them to constently use the batheroom in their litter box.. and they were pretty stinky..
> 
> any suggestions? i would possibly like to look into getting one


There's this AMAZING stuff called BiOdor. You put it in their water, and after it's been in their system for a week or two... they smell exponentially better. Love love love it. I swear by it now.

As for litter box, I'm starting to remedy the problem by having two boxes, since I have two ferrets. Less space for them to decide to just use a random corner, and less cleanup for me.


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## Toirtis (Jul 23, 2010)

Ferrets are _very_ easy to box-train when started young.

As far as odour is concerned, the better the food you feed, the less odour....raw, whole-prey diet is best for health and low odour, but if you must feed kibble, stick with Innova Evo or Totally Ferret (Marshalls food is the worst for nutrition and odour). As well, use a safe, good litter, such as pine pellets, and change it daily. Wash bedding weekly or more frequently.

I fed my ferrets raw, whole-prey, used pine pellet litter (changing it daily), and washed bedding every 5 days and my family and friends all agreed that there was no odour at all.


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## wayne the pain (Jul 23, 2010)

Mine do use there litter trays, but they are outside so if they miss its not a big problem, they usually favour certain places just put litter tray there, also to put them off, put there blankets or food to put them off using less desirable places ae they dont like there food or bedding where they go toilet.


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## LeilaNami (Jul 23, 2010)

A former friend of mine had a beautiful ferret.  Her name was Merlot (her eye color).  She was very vocal and always talking to us.  We live in Texas so we often have nice evenings and nights so my friend would bring her cage out to the fenced-in patio when it was perfect outside during the night.  She woke up one morning and someone had opened and closed the cage and had taken Merlot. 

As for me, after working at Petco and cleaning up after 12 rowdy ferrets in a bordering on inhumane octagon cage, I don't think I can stand to smell something like that again. My boyfriend says he liked the smell after awhile.


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## pouchedrat (Jul 23, 2010)

I liked their natural musk, but no one else did, lol.  My father in particular wouldn't be on the same floor of our house with a ferret.  Luckily for me, he visits maybe once a year or every other year, so it was only an issue a couple times and not anymore. 

We used yesterdays news in the litter pans, and would scoop multiple times a day, and clean completely out in the evening.  Even with one ferret at a time, they would poo a LOT!  Supposedly the better the ferret food, the less mess you have.  It's still a lot of poo for an animal of that size to make, imo.. 

Also remember to wash all the cage linings/hammocks/toys regularly, like once a week.  it will cut back on odor tremendously.


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## GK. (Jul 24, 2010)

This thread makes me want a ferret.


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## gromgrom (Jul 24, 2010)

GK. said:


> This thread makes me want a ferret.


we just got our first one and she is a bundle of joy


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## TalonAWD (Jul 24, 2010)

I love the fact that they always remain playful. No matter how old they get, they remain like a little young ferret.


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## KoriTamashii (Jul 25, 2010)

I love the bouncing and the little monkey noises. SO CUTE.


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## Dangergirl (Aug 3, 2010)

Awww, you guys are so lucky !! We don't have ferrets in South Africa, and they are illegal to import


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## wayne the pain (Aug 3, 2010)

How about Meercats or dwarf Mongoose, they are really cute.


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## GK. (Aug 3, 2010)

Well, after wanting a ferret for years, I'm finally going to be able to get one soon.


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## KoriTamashii (Aug 8, 2010)

GK. said:


> Well, after wanting a ferret for years, I'm finally going to be able to get one soon.


Woohoo!

Try and get a pair - they're very social and do much better with a companion. :}


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## GK. (Aug 8, 2010)

KoriTamashii said:


> Woohoo!
> 
> Try and get a pair - they're very social and do much better with a companion. :}


I will once can buy a bigger cage. 

I'm going to pick one up from a lady on craigslist tomorrow. I can't wait. 

The only real problem I see right now is that I have carpet in my room and I don't really want it poopin' on there.


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## pouchedrat (Aug 8, 2010)

Heh.. what's more fun is when they DIG the carpet up.  At least poop can be cleaned!!!


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## KoriTamashii (Aug 9, 2010)

GK. said:


> I will once can buy a bigger cage.
> 
> I'm going to pick one up from a lady on craigslist tomorrow. I can't wait.
> 
> The only real problem I see right now is that I have carpet in my room and I don't really want it poopin' on there.


We have our cage on a carpet, and they don't poop on it. Make sure the cage you get has a flat bottom, and not the wire. Ferrets don't do well toddling around on wire.

You can pretty easily litterbox train them, if you're patient and willing to overlook a few accidents.


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## Laceface (Aug 9, 2010)

Ferrets! I miss them..a little. My dad has nearly 20 all the time. He started with one that he bought, and every single other one is a rescue. From those abandoned in a garage in mid winter, and ones bald from disease. They have full run of his house, and he even build a deck on the house that is ferret proof (mind you he is in an upstairs apartment, so building the deck was not fun!)
They are his babies, and they really are a lot of fun. My favorite was named Mulligan (Chubba is his nickname) He was awesome.

Ever tried holding 15 at once? I once did at the vet...veeery hard, lmao...even with harnesses!

Edit to add: I found some pictures from my fathers facebook of his ferrets





Chubba is the one at the top of the group with the white knees. This is how he rounds them up several times a day for head counts. It's the only place they can't escape from, lol


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## Sunset (Aug 10, 2010)

i would love to have one but we cant have them in California even through some people do. and i really dont feel like going to az or las vegas to get one. kinda a far drive just to get one. and then taking it back.


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## KoriTamashii (Aug 11, 2010)

Laceface said:


> image


Ahhhhh so much cute, I'd die.


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## pouchedrat (Aug 16, 2010)

whoA stink weasels!!  lol.  I miss mine now...... even the nasty bitey girl no one could handle.  At least she had personality


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