Ferrets
 

Hello

I've been into ferrets for a LONG time. Since the first time I've seen Kindergarden Cop.

I've never actually seen one up close or anything, but for some reason I'm very fond of them.

Sadly being in California they're illeagal :mad: Stupid DFG!

So let's hear stories about your ferrets.

Why on earth are they illegal in california??

From Wikipedia;

Doesn't answer your question directly, but I recall it being something like confusing it with the wild black footed ferret, which hasn't been domesticated.

People still get them illeagally though. If I never move out of California I might just do that.

A website for the legalization of ferrets:

http://www.ferretsanon.com/

I love animals. I think everyone should be entitled to enjoy the pet of their choice as long as the pet is not a danger. But every encounter I have had with ferrets has been bad or unpleasant. I just don't get the ferret as a pet bonding experience. What is the attraction?

I had a ferret in NJ where they were considered exotic animals.

In NYC they are illegal for whatever reason.

Nevertheless, I liked having the ferret, but I do like having a cat much better.

They were illegal in Utah until pretty recently. I think it was because they were considered an exotic animal, like Cyn mentioned.

They are awful cute, but they really smell. Like having a cage full of mice, but it's only one animal. I don't think I'd ever want to have one as a pet.

Isnt that what rabies shots are for???

Dogs can carry rabies too....who knows what goes through lawmakers minds when they make laws that don't make sense...

They actually have books on pointless laws on the books.

I say let the poor thing have a ferret!

Ferrets are a close sister to the feline family. I have 2 ferrets, and they get annual rabies vaccinations just like cats do. As far as the smell? you bathe them just like any other animal, keep their bedding clean, and you will never notice. You should DEFINATELY buy one from a reputable breeder, so that the scent sac can be properly removed. A little secret, if you look behind either their right, or left ear, you will see either one or two blue tattoo dots. One dot means they have been descented, two means descented AND spayed/neutered.

As far as the attraction to them? I just love their playfullness and curiosity. they are ALWAYS wanting to play. We play ball by rolling it back and forth, they like to crawl underneath the couch and then play with our feet, or crawl up behind our necks and take a nap. and they are SMART! I have one that can climb up onto the kitchen cabinets and open the pantry if I don't watch him! They are just tons of fun. Alas they require a LOT of attention, and since the wife has started working, we are planning on finding them a new home where they can get all the love they deserve.

Do they form bonds with their owners like a dog or cat will, Deltona?

Actually they do form strong bonds, but more like dogs than cats in that they can become easily adapted to a new home reasonably fast.

Sounds like they have the loyalty of a dog yet the independance of a cat. Best of both worlds :)

I didn't know about the scent sac either...we know a guy who used to have a ferret and it was pretty stinky...I guess he wasn't a properly taken care of animal!

Are they aggressive to other animals?

I have a ferret. Pepe is his name. I got him for the kids back in January. But he quickly became mine. He is my buddy. What a great fellow he is. I adore that little guy. I work at home. I have a detached office behind my house, and Pepe is my office ferret. It is true-- ferrets demand lots of attention and care, but they give so much back. I will never be without a ferret for the rest of my life.

The one problem I've had is getting him to consistently poop and pee in his litter box. Does anyone have any tips for me?

Deltona Couple, thanks for the info about the behind the ear dots. I thought those were birthmarks. It's good to know they mean something.

How long do ferrets live on average?

This thread made me interested enough to learn more about them here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrets

Great link, thanks for posting it Toaster.

I used to have a ferret, his name was Stinky. Stinky was a fun pet. He required a lot of attention, but he would let you know when he was bored.he used to love to go for rides on my motorcycle, he'd climb in my jacket and poke his head out of the top of the zipper. He was a carnivore (you should never give your ferret veggies, they can't digest them) and when we fed him you would have to watch him, he would inevitably take a piece of his mouse or rat, or meat, and go hide it. The problem with this is that Stinky lived w/ 4 potheads, and had a memory akin to a pothead. I miss that creature, he was mischievous, playful, and one of the most gentle and affectionate creatures I had ever seen. He was curious by nature extremely intelligent, except for the fact that NOTHING scared him. When I say nothing, I mean absolutely nothing, not the neighbors cat that was 3 times his size, not gunfire, not heights (he once jumped out of a second story window to catch a sparrow, which he caught and made a tasty unplanned meal for him) not even fire. I'll have another one when I move into a place that will allow me to have pets.

I've been fighting to get the laws changed in California for over 5 years now; these animals have become flesh and blood to me.
I am a ferret lover (check out my Journal, please) I've owned about 12 in the last six years - 9 at the most at one time.
I will be posting more pictures on the Pet Pic thread (I hope it's still up on here) so check those out when you have a chance, Thanks!

Hey everyone, if you're interested in Ferrets, you can check out Amnesia's ferret thread - I'll be posting stories, and the like, as well as pics!

Actually, this is incorrect - they are NOT sisters to any feline based family. They are closely related to otters and pole cats, which are not cats at all.

My friend had a ferret and I thought it was awesome until she let him out of his cage. He'd go absolutely nuts and run and jump around erratically. For some reason, it creeped me out! He'd run under my chair and I'd feel him bumping me through the chair. They're really cool though, but like any caged animal can start to stink unless kept up properly.

My girlfriend and I just got one today. We named him Scooter.


He is the sweetest little thing in the world. Although just a little bit ago he started sneezing and coughing... kind of freaked me out. He's okay now. I hope. I don't wanna go to the vet hospital at midnight.

Awesome to hear that you've adopted one, King. I hope he brings you both a lot of happiness. Let me know if you have any concerns. I'm happy to help.

One of my brothers used to have 2 ferrets. They've since died, but I got to take care of them for a month while he was traveling around the country with a friend of his after getting his undergrad degree. One of them was pretty lean - your typical ferret - but the other was a bit fat and lazy. They were both fun in their own way, but the fat one was nice because he wasn't quite so fast and was more laid back and let you pet him easily :) I think they make pretty good pets and certainly don't see why they should be illegal anywhere.

That's a lot like how my Jester was. He was a big boy and soooo cute. I loved the fact that he wasn't all skinny and hyper all the time.

I got myself a pretty fucking hyper one.


And any idea why he seems to always find his way to my ear and bite... ? He's done it to my girlfriend as well. He drew blood on her before we go him off.

It takes a little training. You have to use a normal, but deep, voice when saying "No!". Also, scruff him. They hear men's voices better than womens, because they are deeper.

He's a kit (baby ferret) they are always hyper at that age. Be patient with him, but be firm (however, gentle) when he does something wrong. Also, handling them a lot helps.

Also, your ear lobes (and toes, too) are soft and he's probably teething.

I wasn't aware that it's common for ferrets to be either deaf or blind.

Ours isn't. But it does worry me.



We've been having more issues with him coughing and sneezing. We just got back from the animal hospital that my girlfriend works at... they don't deal with ferrets but a women that also works there has a few took at look at him. He seems to be fine for now but it's highly possible that he has a problem.

We're making him an appointment in the morning.


I'm really really worried.

It's actually not common for Ferrets to be deaf and/or blind. However, they don't have the best eye sight but they hear pretty well.

With your ferret coughing and sneezing, it sounds as though he could have various problems...1) a cold (which, is worst case scenario, because it could turn into the flu which can kill him) 2) problems with the litter hes using.

Also, don't use Cat Litter (any kind of sand litter) or sawdust because the dust and particles that get stirred up is very very bad for them. Use newspaper or Yesterday's News (recycled newspaper litter).

We have an appointment with an actual ferret doctor tomorrow morning.

He's been better today.


I'm just an overly protective parent.

I apologize, King, if I seem pushy, rude or snotty. I won't bother you with details of my training, experience, or knowledge on them any further.

I wish you the best.

I had a total of 4 ferrets. We had 3 then one died so we got another one. We bought them in Vegas and brought them back to Cali. They're awesome pets but can get smelly from time to time, but nothing a bath can't resolve. We had 2 girls and 2 boys. The boys were Bear and Cowboy and the girls were Jubilee and Maggie. Maggie was an albino ferret. The others were any combo of brown and white with a little bit of black.

Brown, white and black - a variation of "Sable" coloring.
Albino - "cream" or "snow"
:D

Sorry...just for those who don't know. Not meaning to sound like a Know It All.

I think they're illegal in California because they're somewhat aquatic animals and can really fuck up ecosystems. Introducing exotic animals into environments that they don't normally exist can mess things up pretty badly.