Ferrets As Pets

They are chaotic demons in fursuits, and if you're not prepared for a level of chaos in your life, and a particular degree of fragrance wherever you go, they are not for you. Not for you. Hey, what's up creatures, it's Em, and welcome back to my channel. If you're brand new here, welcome, my name is Em, I'm a former zookeeper and I'm an animal educator. Today we're going to be discussing the pros and cons of ferret ownership. Hello Dobby. I currently have two ferrets, but I really want more. They're kind of addictive. If you haven't already, remember to hit that subscribe button down below, become part of the Creature Crew, and also hit that notification bell down in the corner there so you don't miss a single video. Ferrets, man, ferrets, annoying, and disruptive, and in everything all the time as I'm trying to film. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, don't touch that, don't touch that. I will be right back as a voiceover, because apparently my ferrets are determined to kill themselves at every single opportunity. Dobby, no! Pro, ferrets are widely available. Due to their popularity as pets, ferrets are widely available in many pet stores. Some stores, like Petco, often have a variety of ferrets in stock, and smaller pet stores sometimes even have the ability to order in specific ferret coat colors, such as polkat, albino, and blaze. Con, ferrets are widely available. Huh? Ferrets are so widely available because Marshall's has something of a monopoly on the production and sale of ferrets in the United States. Marshall's ferrets are mass-produced ferrets in order to be available all year round to consumers, which ethically doesn't sit very well with many. Very little is known about Marshall's because they're a very secretive company, but they do have two types of ferrets that they breed. One type to supply as pets, and the other to supply for medical research. If you're considering adding ferrets to your household, try searching ferret rescues near you. Ferrets are often dumped because of their smell or because their owners had a change of circumstance. It's very rarely to do with the ferret's temperament. Rescuing helps to save a life, and it gives you a chance to meet different ferrets and have a say in the color you'd like to bring home. You may even be able to home trial first. Pro, ferrets sleep for much of the day, between 14 and 18 hours on average. This is great news for anyone who works away from home because ferrets won't be pining at the door all day long waiting for you to come home. Con, despite sleeping up to 18 hours a day, ferrets need a lot of playtime outside of their enclosure. Be prepared to give them at the very least four hours of supervised play outside of their enclosure each day. If you are very busy, consider building a safe fort around your ferret's enclosure so that they can have a bit of extra space to play safely. Pro, ferrets live on average six to 10 years depending on their health and diet. This makes them a medium long-term commitment, as opposed to cats or dogs, which can easily live double the lifespan of a ferret, depending on the breed. Con, due to inbreeding, ferrets are especially susceptible to illness and disease, such as adrenal disease and various lymphomas. Because of this, many ferrets will end up costing you quite a bit in medical bills, so be sure to seek out specialized pet insurance if it's available in your area, or start an emergency fund for your ferrets. Pro, ferrets are extremely quiet. Although ferrets can vocalize in a variety of adorable ways, ferrets are typically very, very quiet, making them ideal to keep in an apartment or in a living situation where noise could cause you issues with your neighbors or housemates. Con, ferrets smell. I mean, they really smell. It's a very distinct musty odor, and it's a mixture of their natural body smell as well as their waste. Ferrets produce a ton of waste because they eat a lot and they have a very fast metabolism. You can help to minimize the smell of your ferrets by feeding a diet of the appropriate raw meats, keeping the room that they're housed in well-ventilated, and spot-cleaning their enclosure every few hours. Washing their beds every few weeks will also help somewhat, but nothing will ever truly alleviate the smell of ferrets. Ferrets should not be bathed often. I only bathe mine twice a year because it can irritate their skin, but it does not help at all to control the smell of a ferret. It actually causes them to produce more oils, which make them smell even worse. So if you are sensitive to smells or you're planning to live with people who would not appreciate musty odors, ferrets are not for you. Pro. Ferrets are intelligent and they will bond closely with their humans. Ferrets are quick to learn and they can easily learn tricks and behaviors which makes them really, really fun to keep. Con. Because they are so intelligent, they need a lot of stimuli. The very best stimuli for ferrets are other ferrets because they can keep up with one another. They're generally very social and they like to live, play and snuggle with other ferrets. Ferrets really should be kept in pairs at the very least, which means double the vet bills, double the food bills, double the smell and double trouble. Pro. Ferret necessities are widely available. Food, toys and enclosures are all very widely available for ferrets due to their popularity. If you run out of food or bedding, a quick trip to almost any pet store will help you find what you need. Con. Many commercially available products which are marketed for ferrets are actually unsuitable for ferrets. Ferret kibble in particular is not optimal for ferrets as their optimal diet is a raw diet. However, if you are going to be feeding kibble, often a very high quality cat food is more appropriate than the most commonly marketed ferret foods. So take caution with everything you buy for your ferrets. Pro. Ferrets make a very unique pet. They're intelligent and affectionate like dogs but also playful and independent like kittens. Their slinky spines are always entertaining and there is nothing like watching a group, also known as a busyness, of ferrets playing. Con. Because of their fun antics, kids are often drawn to ferrets. Ferrets would not make a suitable pet for young children because they can be reactive and nippy, which needs to be gently trained out of them using positive reinforcement and a lot of patience. Ferrets can be reactive to children and other pets, so unless you're extremely confident in your ability to read ferrets and can provide intense supervision at all times, I personally would not suggest allowing your ferrets to mingle with children or other pets. Speaking of other pets, ferrets can play well with other ferrets, some well-behaved dogs and even sometimes cats, though watch out for the bacteria in cats' claws. However, you should never mingle your ferrets with rodents or other small pets. Ferrets are not rodents, they're actually mustelids, but they naturally hunt and eat rodents so keep them far away from other small pets. Pro. Ferrets are always ready to play when you are. When you fish your ferrets out of their enclosure, it's go time every time. They can go from being fast asleep one moment to jumping around in the blink of an eye, which makes them such fun. Con. Ferrets are mischievous and they get into everything. They especially seem to like to chew anything with a rubbery texture, so you have to ferretproof your house and be extra vigilant if you have a wire chomper. Because ferrets are expert tunnellers and they are so quiet, it's easy to lose track of your ferrets. Don't leave them loose and unattended for even a minute. If your ferret gets stuck somewhere, you may not hear them. And if they climb out of a window or walk out of an open door, you might lose them for good because they don't have a homing instinct. Pro. The ferret community is awesome. If you would like to check out some of my ferret friends, please check out Siberian Lizard. She makes awesome ferret comics, and The Modern Ferret, a ferret-centric YouTube channel and Instagram. I tend to find ferret people much like ferrets. They're creative, they're playful, they're energetic, they sometimes have a bit of a musty odour as well, and they're mad as a box of frogs. Ooh, do I wear this madness well? Do you agree with these pros and cons? Do you disagree? Leave a comment down below and share your own pros and cons to do with ferret ownership. Thank you guys all so much for watching, I will see you in another video soon. Don't wiggle! Bye! You did so well!