Hello, everyone. I am new to the forums and also currently do not own a pet [aside from three colorful fishies]. I currently go to college (on summer break) and my husband works night shift. The lady who owns our apartment is very picky about animals and will not allow us to have a dog or a cat. I feel like something is missing from my life, since I always had a pet dog from the time I was five years old. So, I get very lonely during the night and would enjoy having a pet to care for and be a companion.

I have been reading several articles of pet care information online in an attempt to find a pet that fits my lifestyle. I am quite the animal person, however, my husband is not. After reading about a pet ferret, I absolutely fell in love with the little guys. Now, I need to know if my lifestyle would be alright for the little guy... and whether or not my husband could live with my choice...

He says he does not like the way a caged animal smells and is afraid a ferret would be a smelly animal. I have read articles about the distinct odor, but most people seem to say it isn't much to be concerned about. That is one of my worries... My main concern is what will happen when I return to school after summer vacation. Will the ferret be lonely during the day whenever I am at school and my husband is asleep? Or will he/she be alright until I get home?

Thank you very much! Any advice is appreaciated!

ps: Any other notable issues about having a ferret as a pet? What is the best way to purchase/adopt a ferret? [I live around 3 hours away from Louisville]

I love ferrets. Love them, love them, love them.
That being said, if your husband doesn't like animals, and this is serious, don't get a pet. I'm just saying. Ferrets do smell. I don't think they smell bad, or smell strong, but they do have a sent. They smell like an animal. If he is turned off by it, I wouldn't do it. Not ferret smell isn't something you couldn't take care of. Keeping the bedding in the cage clean, keeping the litter pan clean, and a little oust should do it. My Mom ran a shelter, and had up to forty for short times. You would never know she had ferrets in the house by any kind of smell or mess. Until you walked around the corner of the living room and saw big cages with lots of cute creatures in it.

Ferrets rock. They make the perfect pet in my world. I am often away at work for ten hours at a time. The ferrets are perfectly happy in their large cage. Sometimes I can be home for half an hour before they even bother to wake up. So leaving them alone, in an appropriate sized cage with plenty of food and water and play things is totally fine. I suggest more than one, because they cuddle together, eat together, and play together. They love company.

If you husband doesn't want an animal, now we're talking about two ferrets!
So just proceed cautiously. You don't wan't to go to any pet store and buy a couple ferrets just to sadly have to turn them over to a shelter because it's not working out.

Ferrets are fantastically wonderful creatures. I have four and they give me boundless joy. If you are really serious, the first step is to get a copy of the book "Ferrets for Dummies". It's a fantastic book you can buy for under $20.

Ferrets, like any pet are a big commitment. Ferrets live anywhere from 6-9 years. Check out the book, and feel free to come back and ask as many questions as you may. There are almost always ferrets available for adoption to the right home at the shelter.

The ferrets will wait for you! They will great you with love and joy as soon as you're ready!

Ferret Mom Jerri will probably respond soon, her computer is still in limbo.
Thanks for your post!
-Shiny

Thank you very much for your advice. I have talked with him about a pet for the past few weeks. He is a very understanding person, just was never allowed to have a pet in the house. It bothers him that I feel lonely, and he tried to get me a puppy for Valentine's Day only to have the landlady tell him we were not allowed to have one. I explained that all animals have an odor and that just comes with the deal, along with the cage cleaning, food & water, vet check ups, and the like. All of which I am willing to take care of. Clean cage = clean ! Also, a less smelly ferret It is now left for him to ponder, I suppose. Patience is a virtue. It's probably best not to rush him... I just can't help but believe he would enjoy having a pet ferret more than he realizes... animals are such wonderful creatures to me.

I will most definately purchase "Ferrets for Dummies" the next time I visit my local bookstore.

Here is a link for you...

After thinking it over for a few days, my husband decided it would be alright if we got a pet ferret. Now, our only concern is the chance of allergies involved in owning a pet. My husband and I both are allergic to cats... What are the chances of being allergic to a ferret? I have read various articles online. Some say that a ferret is the perfect pet for someone with allegies, other sites say it is possible to be allergic. I plan on visiting a pet store soon to handle and be around a few to see if I have a reaction...

I think it is great that you are going to get a ferret! I have 7 and think they are the greatest critters ever! However you might want to check with your landlord to see if it will be ok to have them unless there is absolutely no way she/he could find out you have them. We actaually had to move after getting our first ferret because the landlord wouldn't let us have her after he found out about it (yes we loved her so much we actually moved instead of giving her up, they have this effect on you!). In looking for a new apartment it was hard to find someone who would let us have them. We finally found a great place so everything worked out well. Also, be aware that ferrets like to dig at corners and closed doors unraveling the carpet which could result in you not getting your deposit back. It would have cost us ours in our last apartment but the carpet there was so old the landlord said not to worry he was going to replace it anyway but most landlords would not have been so forgiving!

Just something to think about! But all of that being said, ferrets make wonderful pets is you are prepared for them and have done your research about their care. Also, instead of buying a baby from a pet shop you might want to think about adopting an older (around 1-2 years) from the shelter. Baby ferrets bite and need to be trained not to do so and also need to be litter trained and require twice as much play time as adults which can be overwhelming for someone with a busy schedule.

Good luck with your new pet adventures!

My guys love to dig under doors...they'd dig to China if they could, and they have gotten pretty close. However, as much as they love to dig my carpets, my carpets don't love the dig! I have found that running masking tape under the door on the carpet has stopped the distruction. They get bored with it after a while, and go off to find new trouble somewhere else. I think there is also pet sprays that you could spray in areas the ferrets are overly interested in to deture them from that particular area.

----------------


Owned by the fantastic fuzzies : Piper, Jax, Angel, 'Topher, Sassy, Harley, Riven. Jetta and Raider!

Always in my heart: Whisp

Thank all you guys for your advice!

Hi,

A lot of the information you need can be found on a lot of ferret websites. One place you can find informative articles is:

http://www.ferretcarehelp.com/category/additional-articles/

I hope this helps.

Lawrence