Thread: ferrets , who knew?

Today I got my four year old son two ferrets and boy was he excited .
Our Schnauzer on the other hand isn't to pleased.
I guess the spiders , beetles, crickets and turtles just aren't that fun to play with , again who knew ? I like the bugs and reps.

Now just have to sort out my dogs prey instinct.

any suggestions?

lets see some photos...

also..i once read something about picking up ferrets.. you have to grab them by the back or their neck and wait for them to yawn or something? or else they freak out?

maybe that was just nonsense..

sure put some on tomorrow.
as my wife is away right now she has no idea about them, oops.
hope I don't get couch duty.

In my experience home animals get used to and might even make good buddies with each other but you have to watch after them for some time, give them time to do it and not speed things. Also you shouldn't leave them with each other alone until you are sure that they are ok.
Our dogs do not even pay attention to pheasants that walk around our garden every now and then. Pheasants probably feel the same as little by little they got used to our dogs.

Now i have no much info about ferrets as it is very rare pet here, but we have a lot of wild polecats here (very close to ferrets) and they are pure killers. Not much mice, rabbits or little birds where polecats roam.
I've read the in many our cities officials hire ferret owners to use their ferrets to hunt for city rabbits.

And as with every pet, you have to find out what ferrets eat and what is not healthy for them. If theres any vaccines they should get. And now as you have these new buddies, you have to give them company, play with them and take good care of them for the rest of their lives. Once they get used to live indoors and trust humans, they cannot survive on their own in the nature any longer.

Gunsmoke, or Smokey as we called him for the almost 9 years that he lived, was one of the best pets we have ever been blessed with..

For a ferret he was more dog then anything else, our two Chows and later our Malamute got along with him fine... Took a few reminders that picking the ferret up in ones mouth was not allowed

There are two types of ferrets out there..
The ones that are kept in cages and teated like birds that will bite the little pink wiggly finger that is poked through the cage bars... Then there are others that are treated like a dog or cat that has a run of the (Safe) house and has litter boxes on every level...

Smokey would come to a whistle and beg for his treats as good as any of the big furry monsters sitting next to him.. He walked well on his leash also... Now he did happen to still have his hunting instincts so once or twice per year he was given a live mouse... Something to see if you are into that kind of thing is a ferret hunting...

Watch dark warm places, ferrets are naturally drawn to tunnels and holes, the Refrigerator motor can be very dangerous so make sure yours has a screened cover...
They sleep about 16-20 hours per day like most predators and then are hyperactive for the others...

Also wait until they talk, which they do quite often, they do not chirp like they portray in the movies, they Hiss, and do a Gunk, gunk gunk sound...
Smokey loved those fluffy cat toys on a elastic string and stick and would chase it until he was exhausted...

The picking them up by the scruff is true, they will relax and go docile if you do, but just be gentle and don't pinch their skin...

Great pets, best of luck with yours...

I hope they were de-scented.
Just wait till they crawl into bed with you at night and start nibbling on your toes. They love to nibble like that. Just for fun of course.

I've never had one, but this story freaked me out. Probably the "owners" had starved the thing or something. I don't know, but just be careful.

Pet ferret eats seven fingers of baby boy - CNN

Originally Posted by gssixgun

and do a Gunk, gunk gunk sound....

i cant think of a better way to describe that sound. my ferret was so awesome, just remember they are very curious animals and will pretty much walk up to any other animal. good advise on dark warm spots they do love them also make sure to check corners, mine would only go to the bathroom in corners (i hear that is common for ferrets). they are a predatory animal so make sure you keep an eye on them around really young children because when they do nibble on toes (even when playing) they can bite hard, since they do have tough skin and their play time can get rough at times.

mine would run around the house all day and get under all the doors, especially the bathroom doors which and try to climb up your leg when you're doing your business (their body will fit anywhere their head can), just some things i learned from mine, now i want to get another one

-dan-

.pics of the little girl (3 month) . the Old man ( 11 months )
is sleeping and not being photogenic.
Its interesting you mention feeding your guys live food as I am trying to learn more about natural diets not only for these guys but also for my dog.
From what I have read a lot of animal health issues could be avoided by feeding them a species appropriate diet.

Oh , and the missus is way less then pleased, she is convinced they will kill our son from disease.
the do have their vaccinations up to date but... i guess you never know.