Ferret?

[hammydude]

Hey all!

Does anyone here own a ferret? I'm asking because I'm interested in getting one as a new additon. Also any advice and tips will be well appreciated.

[Skwee]

If I say kind of can I count? My friend has 6 ferrets and I know how to look after them etc. and have many photos I also helped at a ferret rescue sanctuary and sheeeeeeeeeesh it smelt bad

[hammydude]

Yeah, I've heard that that they have a distinct odor whether they are descented or not. (Reminds me of my Campbells )

[Skwee]

distinct odour? oh dear... have you ever met a ferret or handled one?

It is not 'distinct odour', they downright reek. Ok so I don't mind it and can hardly smell it but the fact that after being washed 4 times... I can still smell ferret on my coat a month or two later!

ferrets are lovely though and they can't help smelling bad lol

[souffle]

I agree they smell awful and need quite a large enclosure too as they are quite active creatures. They also eat meat and I believe need some of the fur / bones etc to keep them healthy but I should google a ferret site to get lots of info

[babyboos]

My sister's boyfriend has 25 ferrets They eat ONLY meat NO vegetables. They smell BIG TIME but are so nice and gentle as handled from very young, and trained to lick duck soup from his fingers


Whatever you do please avoid advise to feed them milk soaked bread - that IS not good for them in the slightest.

[Skwee]

yes, ferrets weren't made to eat vegetables at all. That would be like finding a vegetarian lion

There are several brands of ferret biscuits/ferret mix etc. that should be fed in a bowl like hamster mix for hamsters. Also.. cat food! Ferrets adore sachets of cat food (my friend's prefer Felix )

Also, another good idea is egg, give them a boiled egg to eat. Or instead of getting a boiled egg, my friends ferrets sometimes get a raw egg, ferret mix, and cat food all mushed together in a bowl, and they love it!
Raw eggs are good for them... don't worry

[Skwee]

lol Morag, don't you just want to go grrrr and shake people who do that. Kat and I have a tiny, tiny, tiny, young, late born hedgehog called Hodge Podge.

The neighbours decided to tell us he was in the garden and had been for 2 weeks. They had been feeding him bread and milk

The fact that he was even around for those two weeks was bad enough without being fed rubbish. We tried local rescues but apparently they are so over run that they are struggling to take on more hedgehogs so we offered to care for him for now, and if he doesn't get big enough I think there is a license we can get to keep him



Unfortunately he isnt looking so good

[babyboos]

We give hedgehogs dog or ferret kibble during the winter, and some of the mealworms always go down well.

[furrynavel]

Ferrets are very social animals so make sure you get more than one. Yes, they do smell, my hubby loves it, strange, strange man.

They are like a puppy and a kitten rolled into one and they are the funniest things to watch running about in their strange way and onking.