Let's talk ferrets

[Vinyadan]

I am thinking of getting a pet, but I live in a rather small single room apartment. I don't really like hamsters and I'd rather not get a bird. I have been thinking about ferrets (I would rather have a couple at a time, I live alone and I would rather have them keep each other company while I am not at home). My idea is that of keeping them free while I am at home and only putting them in the cage when I have to leave or go to sleep.
Now, a few questions. How much room do ferrets need? Would they suffer the lack of a garden? Is a balcony dangerous for them? Do they really stink that much (taking the odoriferous glands away isn't an option)? Are they compatible with wall to wall carpeting? How much does the upkeep more or less cost? Are there special things I should think about?
I have had a number of dogs and cats earlier, but I also had a garden and other people to share the responsibility.

[Razade]

Do you want your single room apartment to smell? Because that's how you do it. Ferrets have a really powerful musk, not even playing around here, and they need constant bathes if you want to cut down on it which is a lot of upkeep time. Does your apartment not allow cats? Are you allergic to cats? Why not get a cat? They'll require way less time than a ferret.

[Vinyadan]

Simply put, I don't feel like keeping a cat without a garden. Wow, they stink that bad?

[Razade]

They're very smelly.

[Vinyadan]

Those stinky little weasels...

[Bobbybobby99]

They're not that pungent if you get their glands removed (which I hear is rather standard practice).

I don't have much experience with ferrets, but my bunny experience says that you might want to wait a month or two getting to know them with heavily limited boundaries before you let them out to play. Otherwise, they might not 'bond' to you as well.

[Vinyadan]

Unfortunately, I have been told that cutting away the glands is illegal where I live. I'll check out better what the laws actually are, anyway. Also, thanks for the tip.

[The Succubus]

Ferrets are highly active and social animals. It's very, very much like owning a small, hyperactive dog. As a result, they need space to run around and generally make mischief. If they spend all their time in a cage, they will be very unhappy and aggressive. I highly recommend the Ferret-World Youtube channel for some solid advice on looking after ferrets. For a slightly less serious view of all things ferret, EpicFerret has some really fun videos set to music and silliness.

[Murk]

I know that rats smell less bad than ferrets, and fulfill pretty much the same role in a household - they're about as cuddly, curious and playful as ferrets. They just look different, and smell a little less, so you could look into rats (they're very friendly pets).

I have heard some horror stories about ferret pets eating each other from someone who had quite a few ferrets, but I'm not sure if that's a common occurrence (can ferret owners confirm?)

[Vinyadan]

Cannibalism as a food disorder can also occur in hamsters, although territorialism may be another reason. I heard that uncastrated male ferrets can be aggressive towards each other, maybe that was the problem. Looking at the videos right now!

[Aedilred]

I've done some research into ferrets as pets in the past, because I think they're adorable. From what I learned, they're a pretty high-maintenance pet. If you imagine the amount of attention a dog requires and combine it with the independent-mindedness of a cat, that seems to be the rough ballpark, with an extra dose of lack of self-preservation when it comes to household hazards. The young dog comparison is entirely apt, but they never grow out of it. This is one of the things which makes them so attractive, in my opinion, but it does mean they require a lot of attention. If it's a good idea to keep them locked up much of the time, that's as much for their sake as yours: I've heard all sorts of horror stories. But in any case it's advised to "ferret-proof" your home, in particular removing or shielding any wires and cables that they might chew on.

If I remember rightly they require at least an hour of attention every day, where you let them out and play with them or otherwise interact with them, and also just to stretch their legs. Otherwise they get depressed and unhealthy. For a similar reason it's a good idea if you can to get more than one ferret as they can entertain each other to an extent. Domestic ferrets pretty much mate for life so a bonded pair is a good idea, though if/when one of them dies or falls ill the other is likely to pine away too. Your plan there seems like a good one there. They likely won't suffer from the lack of a garden: letting ferrets outdoors unsupervised is fraught with peril, both for surrounding wildlife and for the ferrets themselves, as they're apparently not as good at finding their way home as cats and can easily get lost. I can't speak as to a balcony, but I'd hope that the ferrets would be able to recognise a long drop and not hurl themselves off it: it's an easily recognisable hazard and they're not suicidal, just dangerously curious. If you're worried you could put the ferrets in a harness when you let them onto the balcony so that they can't fall.

I don't know about the smell.

[Malacronious]

Yep, to further the stinky point, a good friend of mine had a ferret years ago and I remember the first time I stepped into his bedroom where it stayed and the smell was horrifying. Now this friend of mine also happened to have long stinky dreads and wasn't the cleanest guy around BUT (all other smells aside) the room smelled like the ferret had literally just urinated in every corner of the room (perhaps it had actually done just that). It was a very potent stank.

Have you thought about going for a domesticated skunk? :P

[Algeh]

This is one of those things that may or may not bother you, but ferrets also can get into the darnedest places when allowed to roam inside. My cousin's ferrets would do things like climb through the drawers/shelves in the kitchen. I'm not entirely clear on how they found their way inside the counters, but I remember that they had to wash all of their silverware after the ferrets got into the silverware drawer. I suspect it's very difficult to keep them out of specific parts of a space because they can get through such tiny openings and like to explore.

Depending on the construction of your apartment, it might even be possible that they'd escape into a neighboring unit through some small opening. I don't know how you could easily tell if that would be possible without actually letting ferrets loose and seeing if they find one, but I could see them getting into the walls somehow through some small opening at the back of a cabinet or something and leading you on a very stressful adventure.

And yeah, they really, really do smell if they have their glands. Many years ago, I used to work with gland-intact ferrets in the petting zoo/outreach portion of the local zoo as a teen volunteer, and they definitely had an odor to them. One of them also was a biter despite daily handling. I was not a fan at the time. (It was also a case of my not wanting to work in the petting zoo, but rather to work with the behavior team in creating/designing/building things for animal enrichment, so the whole thing was pretty much a fiasco of a summer, but I remember particularly not liking working with the ferrets.)

[Lethologica]

On a related note, has anyone made a Pareto optimality graph of pet effort vs. pet reward? Seems like a natural tool for would-be pet owners.

[cobaltstarfire]

It really can't be emphasized how good the furry little worms are at squeezing into/through things.

If you can, pull back all your appliances and check behind them. Check under you sinks and make sure there isn't even the tiniest of holes around the pipes. In my old apartment our neighbor has a rat problem, and it turned out that both the oven and the fridge had huge holes in the walls behind them.

I bet I can identify how ferrets get into the drawers, our cats do this sometimes: They'll pull open the cabinet underneath, climb in and then hop into the drawer from behind....and then usually they get stuck. Ferrets probably won't get stuck at least, but that means you won't know when they've had their dirty little ferret paws, bits, and butts all over your utensils. Usually cabinet tops aren't always flat either, they can have hallow spaces underneath, super fun places to check out if you happen to be a ferret.


Is there a reason why lack of a garden precludes you from getting a cat? I mean I know some cats absolutely need to be let outside or else they become anxious, but not all of them require a garden to be happy.

[Astrella]

Actually overwashing tends to cause ferrets to smell strongly cause you remove the oils from their hair so the glands overproduce, ferrets really don't need to be bathed often.

[nyjastul69]

I only have experience through a friend that had a ferret. It had it's glands removed. It still stunk. They are extremely high maintenance pets. They get into everything. If you want a high maintenance pet, get a dog. If you want a low maintenance pet, get a cat. That is my experience. YMMV.

[Dogmantra]

ferrets are the best, if they smell really bad it's because a) you're washing them too much or b) bad diet. they're gonna smell a bit no matter what because they're physical things that exist. you get used to the smell quickly. you only need to bathe a ferret once or twice a year, and then if they get into sticky gross stuff, they clean themselves like cats.

kibbles are generally not good for ferrets cos they have high grain + vegetable content, and ferrets are obligate carnivores, & kibble fed ferrets tend to develop insulinomia if their diet is not great. the best diet is a varied diet of raw meats but you can do kibble just make sure you find one that has meat as the first few ingredients, it should have as low a grain content as possible

if you only get one ferret, be prepared to spend a LOT of time with them, ferrets are highly social animals, and the estimate of one hour per day is very very low, think more like four or five hours. if you get a second ferret, and they get on well, they can play with each other for some of that time, but you still wanna spend a lot of time with them.

also, you're gonna want to set aside a fairly large sum of money, ferrets can get sick like any other animal, but it's generally harder & more expensive to find a vet to treat them because they're "exotic animals".

the-raw-ferret.tumblr.com is a great tumblr and the ferret parent there is great about advice

[golentan]

Honestly, ferrets are either the best or the worst, and it in large part depends on the ferret you get and the way you build your relationship. As mentioned, they're very high maintenance and require a good deal of pet-proofing. They need a lot of love and attention, but they want it on their own terms. If you're okay with all of this, sometimes ferrets are just mean, biting and gnawing nigh-rabid hate machines that can hide in your pant leg. But, sometimes, especially if you work with them, they are loving, adoring, playful biting and gnawing tube kittens that can hide in your pant leg.

Ferrets like hiding in pants, what can I say?

Anyway, if you're willing to put in the work, and if you can find a ferret who gets along with you (play with them a bit before you adopt them to be sure) ferrets are magnificent. But if you're looking for a pet of convenience that can lounge around the room with you... go with a cat. Really. An indoor cat (again, interview pets before you adopt) like mine can be a loving low maintenance addition to any apartment.

Or maybe a rabbit. My sister got a rabbit and again, require a bit of knowledge going in, bit of preparation and pet proofing, but her bunny is litter box trained and happy to give her snuggles any hour of the day. During nights he apparently gets cranky...

[Driderman]

Ferrets are messy, smelly and high-maintenance. Some more than others obviously but in general, they require a fair amount of attention and training. They're wonderful pets if you have the time and patience for them, but if you're away a fair amount and/or looking for a more low-maintenance pet, I'd recommend getting a couple of rats instead as they're just as great pets and a lot more easy to manage.

[Draconium]

On a related note, has anyone made a Pareto optimality graph of pet effort vs. pet reward? Seems like a natural tool for would-be pet owners.

Probably not what you're actually looking for, but I still think it's a funny little picture.

[Anderlith]

I own two ferrets. Before I got them I learned every possible thing I could about them to prepare. I read a book written by a ferret rescuer who keeps twelve ferrets, one by a renowned english breeder who invented some words the ferret community still uses today, and two guide books.


How much room do ferrets need?

They require time during the day to roam in a place like your living room. They are explorers and burrowers so they care more about toys, boxes, and things to climb in and on top of more than space. They need mental stimulation more than open space to frolic. These aren't greyhounds that will sprint off and require running room.

Would they suffer the lack of a garden?

Most keep them indoors. There is too much of a risk of them escaping and getting killed or eaten. Most ferrets are bred in cages and would see grass as weird anyway.
I made a ferret harness for mine and let them out once in a while. They focus more on trying to hide and being freaked out so I rarely do it anymore to avoid stressing them.


Is a balcony dangerous for them?

Have literally NOTHING against the edge of the balcony and watch at all times. They have extremely bad eye sight and will not see it as a huge drop. I really wouldn't recommend them ever being on a balcony.

Do they really stink that much (taking the odoriferous glands away isn't an option)?

If you live in the US literally every pet store ferret sold has their glands removed and are fixed. Unless they are from a breeder and no breeder would sell a unfixed ferret to someone that isn't a fellow breeder.

Feed a diet high in protein to reduce odor and replace and wash blankets once a week.
Do not bathe them more than once a month. Over bathing causes the skin to freak out and over produce skin oils, which leads to smelliness, which leads to more bathing.

Most ferret food is packed with corn and is 65% meat when they are purely carnivores and require 98% meat. I highly recommend Wellness Core kitten food. I have mine on it and it is the best nutrition wise that is available in stores for ferrets. Rated on sites that rate food specifically for them.

Lots of owners feed them food that doesnt have enough protien in it & the poor little ferrets can't process the plants well, causing them to smell. Then the owners blame the poor little ferret for smelling. Also, whatever they eat as a kit is what they will eat as an adult later in life they will sometimes refuse to eat new feed.

Are they compatible with wall to wall carpeting?

Yes, but litter train, litter train, litter train. They will find a corner and poop so think like a ferret and put pee pads or corner shaped litter trays in every corner of the room they are in. Kits poop every 2 hours, adults every 4 hours. I don't know why that one guy blamed the poor ferret for their owner letting them poop everywhere. Cats do the same thing and I've heard plenty of worse stories of cat hoarders with homes that reak to high heaven.

How much does the upkeep more or less cost?

Food: 5.5lb bag of wellness core kitten food $40 a month.
Litter:$20 every 2-3 months.
Toys: I buy $1 cat toys and $3-$6 dog toys. You want plastic and jingle balls. They have powerful teeth and can tear apart and eat soft toys.

Cage:$99+

Are there special things I should think about?

They would fit perfectly with your life style of leaving them alone all day. Ferrets sleep 12 hours a day. They are most active morning and evening. In fact, they are not wild but true domesticated animals that desire human attention amd want to be with you. (Unlike cats) so they will change their sleep habits to fit your schedule to be awake when you are home to spend more time with you.

They are not like hyper dogs. I work closely with dogs in the pet industry and I am used to shaking my head in sadness when I see dogs wound up because their owners don't walk them enough. They get enough exercise from play time and that is usually bursts of play with breaks in between. I highly recommend two. They are social animals and a second ferret will give them someone wrestle with and burn that energy.

Also unlike dogs they do not develop seperation anxiety, or go crazy from being alone all day because they are lazy bones that just want to sleep.

Be mindful of reclining chairs & other places a sneaky ferret might hide to nap & be sure not to crush them.


If you have any questions PM me.