[Millie & Daisy]

I find ferrets really interesting. I don't have one, but eventually I may get one. I think it will be a long while down the line, though : ) Any ferret owners out there that can gush about their babies? What is it like to have one, and does yours live in harmony with your rats and other pets? (Not harmony as in actually playing together...but as in, never having any incidents between them)? Are they biters, like everyone says? I've heard from a lot that they do and a lot that they don't at all, which I think is probably an exaggeration since any animal can get mouthy. Are they more like cats in terms of biting?

 

[Millie & Daisy]

Seriously, no ferret owners?

 

[artgecko]

Guess not lol.
I don't own them, but know someone that has had them for like 10 years... she has 3 now I think. IMO they are fun animals but take a LOT of work (training and upkeep), they also have some pretty serious health concerns, so you're looking at planning on medical expenses beyond normal for small pets (that's what killed me wanting one). And, although everyone says this: they smell... let's just say there's a noticable funk in her ferret room and it isn't due to dirty cages.

If you do want to keep them, do a lot of research on their medical issues... There's a lot of debate on having them altered or not due to some issues it causes, there's also real risk factors if you decide on a female. If I were to get one, I'd seek out a breeder working with lines free from some of the health issues and I'd setup a dedicated "ferret room" away from other areas of the house (so you can contain the funk).

Good luck in your quest to own them, they definitely seem to be fun and intelligent.

 

[Blueroses99]

I have 2 ferret boys! The most wonderful pets. They will entertain you for hours and you'll love them to bits. I also have two rats. We don't let them out together too much. The older ferret will bite and chase the rats. Ferrets can be expensive and need a lot of work. Hours of out of cage time and socializing. They can be litter trained but are still going to have accidents. They can have high cost vet bills if they get sick. The high quality food can be expensive as well and most ferret food is actually pretty poor nutritional value. I have one boy that is very loving and wants to sleep next to me all day and my older boy wants nothing to do with us aside from an occasional kiss. He mostly wants to play and be naughty. You have to ferret proof your house if you don't have a dedicated room. They will dig up your carpet, scratch doors, tear up the bottom of your couch, try to steal your other animal's food. They can be so exhausting but so sweet and cute. They can also live a long time-up to 10 years. So they are a bigger commitment than most other small animals.

I personally do not notice any particular bad scent. i mean they have an odor but i don't find it super strong. Clean cages, decent diet, ect can limit odor. I bathe my ferrets only once every few months with a gentle baby shampoo. Too often is bad for them and can make them smell worse.