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cumbriasteve
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I had some and have the scars to show for it, even off the one that was classed as friendly and tame.
They are super inquisitive and hard to control, will escape at any given chance and unless a rigid cleaning regime is completed they smell, much more than other small caged furry things.
Not really my idea of a pet and if you end up with one hanging off your finger refusing to let go you will think the same.
They are super inquisitive and hard to control, will escape at any given chance and unless a rigid cleaning regime is completed they smell, much more than other small caged furry things.
Not really my idea of a pet and if you end up with one hanging off your finger refusing to let go you will think the same.
Hood
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Had ferrets for years when I was younger, they were not pets as such as I worked them both on their own and used for flushing rabbits for the buzzards.
Only ever had one polecat ferret and he was a big docile lump, the rest were albinos and again friendly coothy beasts. Handling from a young age is a must and I think then they are no problem although I suppose, like everything else, you will always get a mad one that will be aggressive.
They are very clean animals always using the same corner to defecate in but they do have scent glands and can have quite a musky smell so probably not the best for keeping indoors if that was your intention.
I have only ever been bitten once by a ferret and that was accidental as I had gutted a rabbit and was offering it as a reward, she grabbed my blood covered finger thinking it was the kidney, as soon as I yelled she let go
Only ever had one polecat ferret and he was a big docile lump, the rest were albinos and again friendly coothy beasts. Handling from a young age is a must and I think then they are no problem although I suppose, like everything else, you will always get a mad one that will be aggressive.
They are very clean animals always using the same corner to defecate in but they do have scent glands and can have quite a musky smell so probably not the best for keeping indoors if that was your intention.
I have only ever been bitten once by a ferret and that was accidental as I had gutted a rabbit and was offering it as a reward, she grabbed my blood covered finger thinking it was the kidney, as soon as I yelled she let go
Ferrets IN the house?
They are great. Great fun, But a bit stinky for indoors. Also, anything they can reach, they will steal or bite, so no cables on the floor. I used to go ferreting and you never knew if they would fight each other, attack the dogs, go underground, kill a rabbit and stay underground with it for days or sleep. All good fun. Best way to avoid blood loss is present them with a knuckle to bite rather than a finger, or the soft bit between finger and thumb.
They are great. Great fun, But a bit stinky for indoors. Also, anything they can reach, they will steal or bite, so no cables on the floor. I used to go ferreting and you never knew if they would fight each other, attack the dogs, go underground, kill a rabbit and stay underground with it for days or sleep. All good fun. Best way to avoid blood loss is present them with a knuckle to bite rather than a finger, or the soft bit between finger and thumb.
brightspark
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a bit whiffey for in the house
get a couple of Guiney pigs. friendly and clean
cumbriasteve
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That may be the key, mine were bought as adults and thought nothing of biting, one of them would have given a pit bull a run for its money yet allowed my girlfriend to handle it...probably some mental history from the previous owner.
Lufbramatt
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Used to lift share with a girl that kept ferrets. The ferret smell was always on her clothes, rank. I ended up getting the train to work for a while so I had an excuse to not lift share any more without having to explain she smelt weird.
Hood
I am obsessed.
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I used to carry my ferrets in the inside pocket of my cammo jacket, they would climb up and sit round my neck every so often to see where they were
gaz1
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had a polecat ferret it bit 2 people a baby and ex though ex got warned there more a one person animal
my brother had one bit his ex on ear found out she had an ear infection never bit before until then was all over the place did what it wanted to do in house and yeah they have there own smell as well
been fereting with some before that sent it down the holes often while it chased the rats out they was getting a thick skull on way out instead feret nearly got it
now chipmunks are interesting there fast as hell and run all over the cage
my brother had one bit his ex on ear found out she had an ear infection never bit before until then was all over the place did what it wanted to do in house and yeah they have there own smell as well
been fereting with some before that sent it down the holes often while it chased the rats out they was getting a thick skull on way out instead feret nearly got it
now chipmunks are interesting there fast as hell and run all over the cage
pedrobedro
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a bit whiffey for in the house
Guinea pigs are a lovely pet, much more child friendly. We had them for years just make sure to get females or males or keep them separate. The young are born fully formed and mobile and will mate again at 4 weeks old.
Tinbasherdan
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Lovey pets if handled properly, they do properly hum though. Had a big hob called woody who would walk to the shop with me , no lead or owt , just shout his name and he'd come legging it.
Daft as a brush he was, only bit me once and I think he was just reminding me it was good time as I'd gone to pets at home to get some grub for him and got talking to someone about ferrets while he ran around. He shinned up my leg, side and up onto my shoulder and then nipped my chin. Was blood all over, incidentally had just been telling the lass how gentle he was! Normally he would happily lie in the crook of your arm and snooze, occasionally waking up, having a stretch, licking your arm and then back to sleep. If too many people bothered him he'd shuffle into one of my jacket pockets and kip there instead . Still miss him. Also had a bloody big hob called fluffy. The least apt name ever, he was anything but. Had a real issue with humans, why I dont know as I had him from a kit in a litter my Jill had, and handled him up until he was big enough to start doing real damage. Angriest little fella ever, all he wanted to do was jump at you and try to bite. Used to hiss/growl if you got too close to his cage. Fairly sure he had some sort of mental deficiency
Daft as a brush he was, only bit me once and I think he was just reminding me it was good time as I'd gone to pets at home to get some grub for him and got talking to someone about ferrets while he ran around. He shinned up my leg, side and up onto my shoulder and then nipped my chin. Was blood all over, incidentally had just been telling the lass how gentle he was! Normally he would happily lie in the crook of your arm and snooze, occasionally waking up, having a stretch, licking your arm and then back to sleep. If too many people bothered him he'd shuffle into one of my jacket pockets and kip there instead . Still miss him. Also had a bloody big hob called fluffy. The least apt name ever, he was anything but. Had a real issue with humans, why I dont know as I had him from a kit in a litter my Jill had, and handled him up until he was big enough to start doing real damage. Angriest little fella ever, all he wanted to do was jump at you and try to bite. Used to hiss/growl if you got too close to his cage. Fairly sure he had some sort of mental deficiency
ronan
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I had a couple for hunting years ago. They do pong as they have musk glands, even though they kept themselves spotlessly clean.
The trick with ferrets is get them young and handle them a lot, no biting then. When they do bite, its no joke, if they really mean it they can be ferocious.
I have seen some fantastic hutches and runs made up for not much money, one was made up from a big packing crate with a run of drain pipes for them to play in.
The trick with ferrets is get them young and handle them a lot, no biting then. When they do bite, its no joke, if they really mean it they can be ferocious.
I have seen some fantastic hutches and runs made up for not much money, one was made up from a big packing crate with a run of drain pipes for them to play in.
Migmac
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Got to get them young and handle them a lot. They are fantastic wee animals, very nosey and very playful. If they bite when young stick your finger down there throat, they won’t bite again. If an adult bites and holds on, squeeze just behind the bottom jaw on both side and blow up its nose, it’ll let go. Then get rid of it. My big hob would go in my cartridge pocket and lie in there till I needed him. You can make them less smelly by getting the glands removed. You can train them to associate a sound to food which you can use to call them. Never had them in a house as a pet but would imagine you’ll never have a more inquisitive and playful pet that will keep you on your toes and give hours of pleasure.
I Used to have ferrets when I was younger. You need two as they are pack animals.
To keep them as pets you get them young and handle them constantly as migmag says to get them accustomed to people if you don't they will bite. whilst the can smell a bit especially the male ferrets they make excellent pets. They will do their business in the same place, a cat litter tray is excellent. They will look at you as the leader of the pack just like dogs. However they only live a couple of years.
To keep them as pets you get them young and handle them constantly as migmag says to get them accustomed to people if you don't they will bite. whilst the can smell a bit especially the male ferrets they make excellent pets. They will do their business in the same place, a cat litter tray is excellent. They will look at you as the leader of the pack just like dogs. However they only live a couple of years.
rtbcomp
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I used to work on a mink farm and one of my colleagues went home on the bus every evening after work still in his working clothes, how he didn't get thrown off I'll never know. We used to have ferrets and polecats handed in because people thought they were escaped mink.
Tinbasherdan
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Ours was a garden shed meshed out and filled with tubes etc
Migmac
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When I had a lot of ferrets, I wanted a shed for them. Apparently we didn’t have the room for one but we could fit five large hutches in to accomadate my twenty wee pals.
bigegg
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Used to have ferrets years ago: sort of a cross between cats and dogs.
I have to +1 the following:
Get a baby(a "kit") and handle it A LOT. adults not used to handling can be nippy. And when I say "nippy", I mean "strip finger to bone"
They STINK.
they're really good pets: affectionate. Cute. Gentle.trainable (like a thick dog)
In addition: females (jills (spelt Gill) )smell much less than males (hobs) but must be neutered or bred regularly or they die of ovarian cancer.
My best mate had a hob which he fed on his mother's "crash weight gain" health supplement from birth. It was like a fluffy crocodile - he was about 3ft long and about a stone in weight.
He also had a lurcher that would kill anything - i personally saw it take down a 5 point stag.
This "ferret" scragged the dogto the point it needed surgery. I've NEVER heard a dog scream like that.
I say this to reiterate the point - a bad ferret is not a thing to be on the receiving end of.
Look up "honey badger" and think UK equivalent.
I have to +1 the following:
Get a baby(a "kit") and handle it A LOT. adults not used to handling can be nippy. And when I say "nippy", I mean "strip finger to bone"
They STINK.
they're really good pets: affectionate. Cute. Gentle.trainable (like a thick dog)
In addition: females (jills (spelt Gill) )smell much less than males (hobs) but must be neutered or bred regularly or they die of ovarian cancer.
My best mate had a hob which he fed on his mother's "crash weight gain" health supplement from birth. It was like a fluffy crocodile - he was about 3ft long and about a stone in weight.
He also had a lurcher that would kill anything - i personally saw it take down a 5 point stag.
This "ferret" scragged the dogto the point it needed surgery. I've NEVER heard a dog scream like that.
I say this to reiterate the point - a bad ferret is not a thing to be on the receiving end of.
Look up "honey badger" and think UK equivalent.
