Is a ferret right for you?

Ferrets are a lot of fun and can make pets… for the right type of person. Ferrets are not for everyone; they require a lot of care and attention. Ferrets are like playful kittens that never grow up, or small children stuck in their terrible twos. Ferrets can and will get into everything and rearrange whatever they get in to. As Patricia Curtis, writer for Ferrets USA magazine once put it “if ferrets can move something, they will… If they can open it or close it, they will, often repeatedly. If they can knock it over they will…” In fact, living with ferrets has been likened to living with a poltergeist – with random crashing noises resonating throughout the house and objects constantly being moved to new locations
So, is a ferret right for you? Here are some things to consider:
1. Ferrets need daily human interaction. This includes both play and cuddle time. If you have little time to spend with a pet, a ferret is definitely not the right pet for you.
2. Ferrets need hours of out-of-cage supervised play time every day. In fact, some ferret owners do not even cage their pets. If you are looking for a pet that requires less attention than, say, an indoor dog, then a ferret should not be on your list of suitable pets.
3. Ferrets smell, well, like ferrets. Though descenting, monthly bathing, weekly bedding washes and frequent ear cleanings can reduce the ferret smell, it does not go away. If the smell really bothers you, don’t get a ferret; keeping your pet outdoors is not a solution.
4. Ferrets are inquisitive and persistent. In order to protect them from themselves, ferret owners must ferret-proof their homes. This means blocking off dangerous areas such as behind refrigerators, child proofing cupboards and covering couch and box spring bottoms to keep ferrets out. Because ferrets are problem solvers, the task of ferret proofing is never done. Ferrets will always show their owners new areas that need to blocked off and new objects that need to be moved out of their reach. If you’re not willing to alter your house in order to make it safe for your fuzzy friend, a different pet would be more suitable.
5. Ferrets like making messes. They love to move objects and hoard food and toys in random places. If you are house proud or if you are a neat freak, than a ferret would be a source of stress for you rather than a source amusement.
If, after reading this, you feel that you would be up to attempting ferret ownership, than read as much as possible and remember – there are plenty of ferret support blogs and facebook pages out their for your enjoyment.