Am I a good ferret owner?

Question

Hi people, I'm going into 6th grade and I am getting 2 ferrets. I will inform you that I have over $500 to spend on them, not including help from my parents and sisters. I will care for them very well. I am a gymnast, I go 2 days a week but I will be going to level 5 in a few months. I will spend at least 1 hour a day with them. But take into mind I am in a gifted and talented class, so I will also be having tons of homework.

In your opinion, do you think I will grow out of ferrets?

Answer 1

not to be mean but yes

ferrets to me are like cats and dogs they need lots of attention.

with you being a gymnast youll probabaly need to practice

and with alot of homework youll probably be worn out.

and with what you wrote it sounds like youll be tired of cleaning all bedding at least once a week, giving lots of attention, cleaning p**p, i think too ferrets would be to much to handle for you.

i sugest getting a family pet so everyone can share the responsibilty.

(an hour isnt enough for two ferrets)

Answer 2

It's hard to say whether or not you will grow out of them, however, if you are thinking that you MIGHT, then perhaps you should put more thought into them before making your purchase.

You also need to be sure to read up on these animals. Ferretts are very fragile and need the very best care possible. One hour each day is not enough time to spend with them if you want them to bond to you. However, where you are getting two of them, they won't be "lonely" or anything... They'll have each other.

So I guess it's just ultimately up to you! Ask yourself if you are really up for the responsibility of such a high-maintenance animal. And if you really want a pet, but are indecisive about ferretts, maybe take some more time to re-evaluate your pet choice! There is a perfect pet for everyone, so good luck finding your's!

Answer 3

You may, but it depends on how you feel about them. First off though, buy a cage thats pretty big and full of ferret toys so they can run around and play freely while you're at school/gymnastics/homework. Also, buy a ball for them to run around in. Prefferably two balls.

Just remember to think hardly and write a list of pros and cons for if you really do want them. and if you ever feel that you don't want them or can't care for them, then talk to your sisters to see if they can either keep them or just play with them for you.

♥peace♥

Answer 4

I got mine when I was 12, and I was much more ready for them than you are.

1 hour is not enough, my ferrets are outside of their cage 4 hours a day! It takes MONTHS to learn everything about them. How long have you wanted them? I wanted mine for 9 mos. before I finally got them. I wrote reports, made slide shows, joined forums, read books. I ate and breathed ferrets 24/7.

They will cost more than $500. I adopted 2 from a shelter, it was still $100, their cage was $250 (FN142), food is about $18 a mo (EVO ferret) vet bill is almost $1000 a year, (and I DONT mean 100), toys $50, food dishes, litter box, water, scoop $50, cage ramp floor and shelf covers $160.

I am one of the rare scenarios where a 13 year old (now) child can take care of them. You are not.

Answer 5

I think you should hold off on getting any ferrets. For one, an hour a day with them is not enough. They need A LOT of attention from their owners and I really don't think you have the time to give that to them right now. Also, you might have $500 to spend on them now, but what happens if an emergency pops up and you have to shell out $1000 or more? Are you going to have that money or will your parents be willing to spend that kind of money on them? It's not a matter of growing out of them, it's just a matter of not having the time for them now. Although, with everything else you have going on, I think you would grow out of them and get tired of having to do everything needed to care for them. Just hold off on getting a ferret, for their sake.

Answer 6

First off, if you're in 6th grade that means you're about 11 which means you shouldn't even be on this site - you have to be at least 13.

Secondly, ferrets are NOT good pets for kids.  

They require a LOT of time and a lot of attention - more than an "hour a day".  Ferrets need at LEAST three or four hours out of their cage play time EVERY SINGLE DAY.  They also need their water changed and their litter boxes cleaned EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Ferrets are prone to lots of diseases - cardiomyopathy, adrenal disease, lymphoma, insulinoma. And with ferret vets few and far between treating these diseases can be incredibly expensive.

I can't even begin to tell you how many times the shelter I volunteer with has been brought starving to death or dying ferrets that have come from homes where it was the "child's" pet. The parents never bothered to check on the ferret and meanwhile the child had grown bored with it and had completely ignored it. And the ferret had one of the diseases I mentioned or the child simply hadn't bothered to feed it for an extended period of time. Often these ferrets have DIED despite our efforts to save them.

Educate yourself about ferrets and perhaps when you're older and working at a job that gives you the means to provide for one properly you can go adopt one from a shelter.

Edit: contrary to what someone else said another ferret is NOT a substitute for out of cage time.  And even in the largest of cages there's not enough room for ferrets to "run around and play".  They HAVE to be let out of the cage - they're not hamsters, gerbils or rats.