Last week’s blog title referred to ferrets as “unusual pets,” and I got a lot of comments on that description from ferret lovers and ferret owners online. They pointed out that, in the United States, ferrets are the third most popular pet after cats and dogs (I think dogs are first).
Ferrets aren’t unusual at all—they are very popular!
For pets, popularity isn’t always a good thing. Think about all the dog breeds that have become extremely popular overnight because of Disney movies. Dalmatians, for instance. Too many ended up in homes that were simply unsuited to such an active, determined breed of dog. Beagles, too, have suffered—and all because of Snoopy!
Ferrets are available for sale in most national chain pet stores, even the ones like Petco that don’t sell puppies and kittens. Ferrets are sold in the small animal section, with hamsters and guinea pigs, rats and mice. Most of the ferrets sold in chain pet stores come from several companies that transport kits (baby ferrets) across the country. These companies are not “ferret mills,” per se—they are known to provide good care, socialization, and enrichment for the ferrets in their facilities.
Ferrets can also be bought directly from ferret breeders, but breeders usually hope for “show” homes—owners who will enter formal ferret shows and win the judges’ approval. Ferrets in “show” homes may also be used for breeding, so whether or not to neuter the animal may be a question.
Ferrets can be found in animal shelters, but if there’s a ferret rescue in the vicinity, ferrets are often transferred there, since most shelters are simply not set up to give the ferrets the care they need. Ferret rescues often operate as nonprofits and, as such, they will be likely to have numerous reviews and recommendations that you can check out to be sure they’re reputable.
Ferrets can also be found online, in local advertising, but please be careful—many of the ferrets available “second-hand” online are not good choices for your family. They may come from neglectful backgrounds, have had no health care, and be already suffering from the ill effects of bad food. I know the ads can be heartbreaking, but it is not your job to take on someone else’s neglected animal unless you have the experience, time, and funds to do so. Call a ferret rescue instead.
Ferrets should never be impulse buys! No pet should be, of course, although I guess you can still get away with purchasing a goldfish, a goldfish bowl, and some goldfish food and call it good to go. (Sadly, we all know how long most goldfish last, which is maybe why you can get away with no special equipment.)
Your first ferret will need tons of equipment, and it’s not likely to be stuff you have lying around! Your first ferret and your first ferret’s necessary equipment and accessories are likely to cost you in the area of three hundred to four hundred dollars—not including vet care! Then there are the ongoing expenses. No, ferrets are not cheap . . . and there is no such thing as a free one!
Do your research, talk with other ferret owners (you can do that online and in person), and visit or even volunteer at a local ferret rescue. Then make a list of everything you need to buy before you bring a ferret home. When all that “stuff” has been assembled, visit local veterinarians who treat ferrets and decide where you’ll take your new pet for his first “well ferret” visit.
Then—and only then—will you be ready to start looking for the ferret!
Adult or baby? I’m very strongly partial to the babies, myself. They’re much less likely to have bad habits, and you’ll know where they’ve been since the day they were born. Do pet stores sell ferrets that are too young to leave their mothers? Yes, probably, in most cases, that’s true. Pet stores sell ferret kits that are already neutered and descented before they are shipped. Was that done too soon? Yes, probably, in most cases, it was. Will that cause problems in the future? It certainly could.
Keep in mind, however, that most older ferrets available through rescues come from exactly the same background. They were shipped very young, already neutered and descented. Some of them may have gone to first homes that were neglectful or even abusive. More than likely, they are in rescue because whoever got them as baby ferrets couldn’t or didn’t give them the care they needed.
On the other hand, grown ferrets from rescues and breeders have been fully vetted. If there’s anything wrong with them, health-wise or behaviorally, that will be known, and you can decide whether or not you want to deal with it before you consider adoption.
Part of the huge responsibility of adopting a ferret is realizing that, although the ferret is young and healthy now, there may be big veterinary expenses and heartbreaking monetary decisions in the future, as your young, healthy ferret turns old and unhealthy. That can happen very fast.
Next week, I’ll talk about the never-ending adventure of ferret-proofing your home!
