Ferrets

[Bryce Masuk]

Does anyone here have one? I really want to get one and have been researching for a while but I cant find any breeders in the lower mainland of b.c. I would prefer to buy from a breeder but it seems only petstore animals are around I am also thinking of adopting one if I can find one

[SerpentLust]

I don't know any breeders. But I used to work in a pet store and Ferrets can have a MAJOR temper problem. About 75% of them were in dire need of taming. Because their bites really hurt lol

But honestly, they're so cute and if you don't mind putting in the time it takes to tame down an animal. Go for it. And good luck.

Jenn

[marisa]

I had a female ferret named Twinkles for 12 years.
I have also had numerous other ferrets. I haven't encountered a 75% aggresion problem but I suppose its true for many that aren't cared for properly. Our ferret would kiss you lips, and bite your ankles! :) They play aggresively but not any more than a cat.

You should try a local ferret shelter. I am planning on adopting two from the Toronto Ferret shelter someday...here are a couple links from BC i think

http://www.ferrets.org/
http://www.vrbspca.bc.ca/index.asp

Ferrets can be great pets, but they return abuse with abuse and ill health in most cases.

Marisa
Marisa

[Ryan]

I've had ferrets for most of my life and they are great pets, but very demanding. They have to be tamed at an early age or it becomes much harder later on. They require a ton of play time(min. 2hrs outside of the cage per night), they can smell pretty bad unless their cage is cleaned daily but they make up for all the work with their personalities. I've never had a more entertaining pet in my life, and that's saying something considering how many I've had.

[Bryce Masuk]

I have no problem taming them from what I understand they learn very quickly too thatnks for the links I found the ferrets.org one I should call the spca And see if they have any I just dont want to get one with health problems I also wouldnt mind having it at a young age I love to fight with animals Me and the cat have a on going battle he often sneeks up and nipps me in the ear I dont have a problem with a little pain I also think most pet store animals have problems in the store because its always loud and they get little attention and time to run around

[marisa]

Some ferret shelters do have young ones in at times from unwanted litters and what not. Also, you can specify you want one on the healthier side, and a lot of times they have those too. They also have older ferrets who have been through tons of crap and just need a place to "retire" Normally something for everyone!

I hope you get lucky and find the one for you at a shelter! But then again I am sure there are local breeders as well.

Marisa

[RachelS.]

All I have to say is...

FERRETS ARE EVIL I TELL YOU... EVILLLLLL!!!!! This one at Petland tried to rip my arm off, and continuously gnawed at it trying to kill me and rip me to shreads. I swear it was out there to get me!

But on the other hand, they're pretty cool... just... ummm... I try to watch out for the bitey little ones. They have this look in their faces, ya know... like they're gonna kill you. And you know it too... at least I do. I see it... it's in their eyes. Staring at you... haunting you... waiting for the right moment. TO ATTACK!!! And you never know until it happends...

Okay I must be tired, I'm going to bed.

[Jungle Jen]

Ferrets can be nippy if not trained properly, but I have taken in adult ferrets with ill tempers, and tamed them down to nice friendly pets. I have rescued adult ferrets myself, and they are fabulous! I would definately recommend them as pets, to the right people.

[Mardy]

I have had ferrets for many years, and ALL baby and young ferrits bite. Training and getting bitten is required.(just the honest truth)
They are a Kitten for life(good and the bad stuff)
We just love them.

see my picture gallery and you'll see one on the couch with the dogs.

Mardy

The ferrit rescue in the lower mainland is
First ferrit information rescue shelter and trust.
email- info@ferrets.org
www.ferrets.org
604-263-7481

[Bryce Masuk]

I will call up first and see whats going on. First I will need to build a cage right now I am thinking 3 ft long 2 ft wide 6 ft tall with 3 storys and a door on every story
I am not worried about a bad tempered ferret I red through every faq I could find before i posted this up

[Lasher]

We have 3, 2 boys and a girl. If you get one, you have to get 2. They play a lot. They are a hassle to clean up after. I finally said to heck with the cage and made a room just for them. My guys are out and about 14-7.

[drewlowe]

I LOVE FERRETS!!!!!!!!!!! I used to have 3 of them. One i got from a friend she was 7 or 8 years old her name was lil' bi#%@ you get the picture she was the devil to her previous owner. But within 2 weeks of me having her she calmed down and would love on me and give me kisses, but she hated everyone else. She was the BEST!!!!! then the other 2 i had i bought as babies and they were loving to everybody. I guess most ferrets could have a bad temper you just have to know how to tame them. All the ones i have had were perfect little angels. And they can stink if you don't keep the cage clean.

[Linds]

Originally posted by SerpentLust
But I used to work in a pet store and Ferrets can have a MAJOR temper problem. About 75% of them were in dire need of taming. Because their bites really hurt

Couldn't agree more! Those little buggers have a good bite on them... even though I worked at a reptile store, we used to get in the odd exotic warm and fuzzy critter for sale... we had a pair of baby ferrets once and never again! To clean them all I would do was dangle a workglove in and one would bite and I would transfer it to the holding box and repeat for the other :p

[Zoe]

My mom used to breed them, and ours were always tame. Then again we played with them from birth :)

Zoe

[damzookeeper]

I have a ferret too. She is a sweet heart through and through. She comes from a mom and pop pet store and was tame when I got her. And trained not to bite. I have seen a few in pet stores. I'd say about half of them weren't tame, and the other half were little angels. If you get just one you will have to spend lots of time with him/her. They are very active. And if you cage them you will need a fairly big cage. Here is bella's cage. She also comes out to play, has a play pen box, and a ferret ball to run around in. They get into the darndest places. lol.
And the smell is true. Bella is fixed and decented but it's her poop that kills us. lol, got to clean the cage at least every second day for one ferret, every day for more than one. And she has a large littler pan. Most ferrets wont use the corner pans.

Here is Bella and her cage.
http://www.reptilerascals.com/2003-05-31bellacage.jpg

http://www.reptilerascals.com/2003-02-08bellaplayfunny.jpg

Oh, and it is so fun to take her for walks. She loves the outdoor. ;)

[Lisa]

You might consider getting a rescue. You can find a list of canadian rescues @ http://www.ferretrescue.ca/links.php

[Syst3m]

Wow. I've never had a problem with ferrets, owned several of them and assisted in the purchase/care of dozens. Just like baby snakes they can be nippy. But all of the ones I kept never drew blood. They might nibble on me or play a little rough but I never had a problem with a ferret that bit. Dunno maybe the breeders didn't raise them right.

[Tim and Julie B]

We had two ferrets. My male Impalia was from a breeder and went almost blind by age three but could do everything a normal ferret could. Caddy was a rescue and a lot of work. She loved to bite toes, HARD! But we were her fourth home by age two. So she had some problems. I totally miss the little guys always getting into trouble and causing havoc. Be warned they are a lot of work but honestly there is no other pet like them. They are much happier in at least pairs though. Dam it now I am sad. I miss those little heathens.

[Solid Snake]

wiered i always thought people let farrets run around the house, sleep where ever, just like a dog and cat... didnt know they had to be in cages, they seem very smart and play ful

[Tim and Julie B]

You can let them run around after you ferret proof your house but it is best they are contained over night!

[Wilma]

Most of the ferrets you see in petstores are produced by Marshalls ferrets, a ferret mill that supplies most of North america. most of the animals produce are sold to medical research and teh remainder to petstores.

Documented Marshalls practices include;
- Systematic killing of breeding females: "Breeding females are kept...
for their entire reproductive lives. They produce litter upon litter
until their exhausted bodies wear out and then they are killed."

- Inadequate veterinary care: "USDA inspection reports include failure
to provide dogs with proper veterinary treatment. Clinical cleanliness
and invasive surgical procedures have also been cited as inadequate.
During one inspection, it was noted that technicians (not veterinarians)
were performing surgeries without using masks or head covers. The
inspector stated that a technician actually had long hair hanging into
the operating field... Outdated veterinary drugs have been found at
Butler Farms [owned by Marshall Farms] during inspections."

- Transport violations: "Marshall Farms has been repeatedly cited for
violating transport regulations. In 1991, Marshall Farms' shipping
conditions were so deplorable that SwissAir refused shipment of its
beagles."

Deaths in shipping: "Transport conditions from Marshall Farms to the
pet stores are often so deplorable that many ferrets die or become ill
en route. In such cases, the pet stores merely ask Marshall Farms for
replacements."

- Improper sanitation: "Urine, food, and dirt have been found caked in
the dogs' cages. Excessive hair and debris have been found in the
ventilating systems, cages, and ceilings."

- Inadequate space: "Marshall Farms animals are kept in spaces only big
enough for them to sit, stand, and turn around... Inspectors have found
many cages with numerous puppies illegally stuffed into them... The
[wire] ferret flooring was described as inadequate (ferrets were
described as 'swimming' across the floor to avoid discomfort), and such
flooring was still found at the facility three years after this
citation."

- Inadequate staff: "According to a recent USDA inspection report, the
[New York] facility houses approximately 53,000 animals. This translates
into more than 750 animals per employee. Even more shocking is that
Marshall Farms only employs one on-site veterinarian. When a facility is
so short-staffed, animal health and husbandry are the first to be
compromised."

- Nonveterinarian-performed surgeries: "Two complaints have been filed
with the New York State Education Department's Office of Professional
Discipline... They were filed because Marshall Farms uses
nonveterinarians to perform surgeries on thousands of ferrets each year
despite the American Veterinary Medical Association's condemnation of
such practices."

- Premature surgeries: "Marshall Farms spays, neuters, and descents its
ferrets at an extremely early age so that they can be shipped to pet
stores while they are still young and 'cute.' Veterinarians have
criticized this early surgery because ferrets often develop medical
problems as a result and die prematurely."
--- Deadly Fire ----

- Fire tragedy: "A terrible fire took place on Marshall Farms' North
Rose property on January 16, 1998, burning 151 pregnant beagles and 449
beagle puppies alive. A report by Peter Vallas and Associates, Inc.
described the origin of the fire as a result of the failure of a heating
pad where the power cord was connected. Further investigation revealed
that problems had been noted on such heating pads up to three years
prior to the fire, but Marshall Farms had neglected to adequately repair
or replace its pads... According to a Marshall Farms employee
interviewed by the Wayne County Sheriff's Department, a faulty heating
pad had caused a small fire only two days prior to the January 16
blaze... Evidently the deadly fire was not detected until it was too
late because the fire detectors had been carelessly blocked from the
main barn area by newly installed fiberglass panels."

- Environmental concerns: "According to neighbors of Marshall Farms, the
facility generates foul odors and loud barking that can travel for
miles, depending on weather conditions. Waste and feces wash into the
surrounding bodies of water during rains, intensifying the stench and
threatening wildlife habitats... One neighbor informed PETA that she was
once horrified at the sight of a pile of dog and puppy carcasses in a
rotting heap on Marshall Farms' property."

Although Marshall Farms Pet Products claims the company "cares as deeply
about your ferret's health and well-being as you do," PETA notes that
"the ads the Marshall family doesn't want the caring public to see are
run in LAB ANIMAL magazine. These ads prove that the ferrets and beagles
they breed are nothing more than commodities to them." PETA reports that
Marshall asserts, in the ads it places in LAB ANIMAL, that "All Marshall
animals are raised in elevated, indoor pens that simulate the laboratory
environment," while breeder continues "tracking all important
characteristics and genetic information and then weeding out undesirable
stock."

According to PETA, many of the dogs and ferrets bred by Marshall are
sold to be used in painful experiments which "typically involve the
introduction of a chemical substance in dogs, ferrets, or other animals
by forcing a tube into the animals' stomachs or through holes cut into
their throats. Chemicals may also be injected under the skin, into a
vein, or into the lining of the abdomen; mixed into food; inhaled
through a gas mask; or introduced into the eyes, rectum, or vagina.
Toxicologists then observe the animals' reactions, which can include
convulsions, labored breathing, diarrhea, constipation, emaciation, skin
eruptions, abnormal posture, and bleeding from the eyes, nose, or mouth.
Anesthesia is not administered and dogs' vocal cords are often cut so
that barking and wails of pain do not disturb those conducting the
tests."

---- Practicing Surgery on Ferrets ----

In his letter to Philippe Gregoire, Prefect of l'Allier in Moulins,
France, Dr. Neal Barnard, M.D., president of Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine, complained both about the use of dogs and ferrets
in medical research and training - including giving medical students
live ferrets to use for "practice surgeries"!! - where humane
alternatives are available. He also aired specific complaints against
Marshall Farms in his June 7, 1999 letter, which states in part:

"Further, there are serious ethical considerations related to the
proposed Marshall Farms operation. Marshall Farms has time and again
failed to comply with even the very minimum housing and welfare
requirements of the Animal Welfare Act. This poor record does not bode
well for its proposed new facility in your prefecture. Animals sold for
experimentation are subjected to the stresses of shipping, continued
confinement, and lack of social interaction even before they are
actually used in the classroom or laboratory. When the minimum level
requirements for animal protection are not met, the stress and suffering
of the animals is even more extreme."


Please research this carefully and find a GOOD breeder or better yet, rescue a ferret! Often ferrets are abandoned, surrendered, or abused and the lukcy ones end up in a ferret shelter. They can be any age, colour and temperment and really need loving homes.
Ferrets were first breed 2000 years ago as ratters from european pole cats and cannot survive without humanes. More than once a ferret rescuer will come to the aid of an abandoned ferret to find it has died of starvation and the elements.

These are intelligent, playful, loving animals who deserve our respect and proper care. If anyone has any questions or concerns some links to check out would be;

Additional information, with pictures, is available from PETA on-line at
http://www.peta-online.org/marsh/index.html.

IFNS investigative reports concerning Marshall Farms can be found at the
Ferret Information Bank website, http://www.acmeferret.com/info_toc.htm.






http://www.ohioferret.org/GoodBad/MFarms.asp

[Wilma]

sorry double posted by accident!

[Bryce Masuk]

Brutal.....
Some companys/people deserve viglante justice.....