Tell me about your ferrets!
By oceangirl
@oceangirl (170)
United States
8 responses
@troopy (168)
• Australia
30 Dec 06
Hey, we have a male and a female and about 4 weeks ago, our female had 7 baby's, so now we have 9 of them. And I dont see my other halve getting rid of em, so I guess we will have 9 ferret's for good now. lol
We have a cage for them but it's alway's open and they pretty much haved the whole house, to live in.
Out the back we have a rope from one end of the yard to the other, and put the harness on my little bloke when im out in the garden and he get's to explore and run around every day..
We live on the beach and walk them there as well, although we never get far cause people stop you all the time to have a look and ask about them.
1 person likes this
@quatelmon (955)
• United States
2 Jan 07
Here in the states, all ferrets come altered already. Well, I should say, most do. Most ferrets found at petstores come from Marshall Ferrets, and they will have two little black dot tattoos on their ears. One dot is for descenting, the other dot is for altering. Just thought I'd put in my two cents!!!
1 person likes this
@oceangirl (170)
• United States
2 Jan 07
Yes, most all the ferrets from pet stores do come already altered. The de-scenting is also done, but they're so tiny when all this is done! I've had ferrets whose de-scenting was incomplete and this resulted in serious problems for them.
Marshall Farms is one of the main "factory" breeders here. As I understand it, half of their ferrets go to research labs (!) and the other half go to pet stores. The other main source for pet stores is Path Valley.
We've adopted virtually all the ferrets we've ever had, and we've been overwhelmed by the shorter lifespan and health problems of inbred pure-American line ferrets from places like Marshall Farms. Finally we got "grief-fatigue" and I bought a ferret with a good, solid genetic mix -- New Zealand, European, and a bit of American -- from a private breeder. This one is healthy as a horse. She's also clearly different. Her body type is different, and she's very muscular. She can do things the others can't.
@troopy (168)
• Australia
6 Jan 07
thats sad to hear about the breeding of ferrets for labs by this marshall lot, people should boycote there ferrets,but then thats a catch 22 as well, cause you would like them to go to a good home..
Our ferrets were bought off private owners and are both still scented and not desexed, although we will be doing our jill in the near future.
If we do sell any of the kits it will be for $100 each as we believe if people are prepared to pay that much they wil look after them.
Thanx for the info on the jill's and disease, we did already know, but advice is alway's welcome.
@mygreyparrot (1461)
• United States
23 Dec 06
I have 8 ferrets. 6 boys, 2 girls. My oldest is 9 yrs, my youngest are about 1 year. Most of them were rescues. They have their own room full of toys and cat furniture. They are just a little bit spoiled LOL. Some of them have had a rough life and deserve to be spoiled rotten.
1 person likes this
@oceangirl (170)
• United States
24 Dec 06
Wow, 9 is great for a fuzzy!! Congrats -- in all the ferrets we've had, only one made it to 9. Most all of ours have been rescues too. Of course they deserve to be spoiled rotten! I make sure ours are are rotten as possible. LOL!
You must have your hands full with 8. I would love to be able to give ours their own room, too. The most we've ever had at one time is 7, and that was crazy!
But they're like potato chips -- can't have just one! *grin*
@cesstrelle (105)
• United States
11 Jan 07
I have two ferrets. A brown one and a white one. The white one is blind in one eye and deaf but you'd never know it. He has just as much fun running around and getting into trouble as his sister. :)
@ginny36 (266)
• United States
28 Jan 07
Although I've had as many as six ferrets at one time, my current headcount is my Terrible Twosome.
Ginny (named for Ginny Weasely, of course) is a 3-year old girl. She's the wiry one of the two, and also the ankle biter in our household.
Vinny (as in Vin Weasel, with apologies to the Diesel guy), will be a year old in May. He's the chubbiest ferret I've ever had, and one of the most active. He's super-cuddly and likes to wrap himself around my neck like a scarf.
I got Vinnie because after my ferret Bilbo (he's the guy in the picture) passed away I didn't want Ginny to be alone. Ferrets are social critters and after watching the way they curl up together to sleep and bounce about playing with one another I don't think I could ever have just one.
I'm really glad to have found a ferrets discussion area here!
@quatelmon (955)
• United States
2 Jan 07
I have 3 ferrets...2 males and one female. The two males a sable, while the female is champagne. One male and one female are rescues. I do not have the ferrets in my care, however. I moved into Brooklyn where ferrets are ILLEGAL to have (I know, it's so silly!) and my parents fell in love with them when they would visit, so they live out in the country now with them. They are great, and still remember me. They play with my parents dogs and cats, with is the funniest thing to watch!!!
@mari61960 (4893)
• United States
2 Jan 07
I currently have two ferrets of German, New Zealand, and American mix. Both are sable males and are half brothers.
Goyle has been neutered but not descented. He is 3 yrs old.
Griffin is 2 and he has not been neutered yet...but he will be soon.
I just love to watch a good ferret "war dance" lol. I got both my boys from a private breeder in another state as in my state all you can get is a Marshall Farms or Path Valley ferret. I just don't like there practices and none of my ferrets that were from Marshall Farms lived past 5yrs old. They don't breed the healthies of ferrets do they.
