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Anyone have a pet ferret?


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I am thinking of getting a pet ferret for our family. I had them before I had kids, and loved them. I have 3 children, 2 cats and a dog. My kids want a playful companion...the cats don't like to hang out with the kids, and the dog is not allowed to be inside so much.

Am I nuts?

They stink, I know. They are destructive, I know. They will make more work for me, I know.

WHat do you all think? Anyone have one? Do you regret getting it? Did your kids get bored with it and now it just sits unloved? Or are you happy to always have a playful, zany furry pal?

Or should we get another kitten.

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We had one for a while.

 

He was cute. The girls liked playing with him. He liked to get inside our couch, and you couldn't get him out until he was ready.

 

But don't underestimate the smell! lol. It permeated our entire house. A year later, I still get a whiff when I turn on the dust buster I used around his cage. We ended up giving him to a family that had ferrets before and knew what they were getting into.

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We love our ferret. She is zany and fun. You cannot watch her play without laughing. We haven't had a destruction problem because she is only allowed in our master bathroom, which is her playground. My dd also loves to take her on walks. However, we don't let her run around the house.

 

They do smell, but somehow our friends keep visiting us so I guess it is not too bad. We have a large house too so maybe that helps since she stays in my dd's room on the second floor.

 

They are a high maintenance pet though. My dd changes the litter box twice a week and cleans the cage once a week. They also need daily play time. Their food is expensive since they are carnivorous.

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Not currently, but I used to do ferret rescue and have had as many as 9 in my home at a time. They definitely have an odor, but if you keep the cage very clean, feed them a high quality food, and give them opportunities for regular baths/swimming (which they usually enjoy) the odor isn't unpleasant or overwhelming, just sort of musky-sweet. A LOT of the odor relating to ferrets is about cage cleanliness and food type/quality. The higher the ash content of the food, the worse the ferret will smell.

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I used to, years ago. They ARE adorable and fun, no doubt- but the stink was awful. Those things go to the bathroom what seems like every five minutes. Even if you clean the cage EVERY.SINGLE.DAY (and truthfully, who wants to/has time to do THAT? Not me!), it will still stink by the end of the day.

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