Buying Your First Ferret

If you would like to purchase a ferret for the first time, it is probably best to buy it from a breeder. This is because, if you create a friend of the breeder you can ring up for advice at any time, whereas if you buy from a pet shop, the vendor or the shop assistant might not know much about them.

Ferrets take a lot of taking care of. They require more attention than a cat or even a dog and while most individuals can muddle through taking care of a cat or a dog, you have to learn how to take care of a ferret.

Search on line or in Yellow Pages for a ferret breeder in your region and go along on the spur of the moment, unexpected. In that way, you will see what the ferret farm is really like, not something ponced up for your visit. If it is dirty or smelly, look for another one.

You can buy a ferret at any age, as you can with dogs, but most individuals like to buy a baby and train it themselves. Young ferrets have limited distance sight, so you have to keep their environment tidy and safe to avoid harm to their eyes or other parts.

In order to help keep their cage tidy, you should toilet-train your ferret and in order to keep your house tidy you ought to make it ferret-proof to stop ferrets entering your home and literally destroying it.

A ferret costs around $100, but you will also require a cage, litter box, toys and vaccinations. You might require a license to own a ferret where you live, but the breeder will be able to advise you on that. A vaccination against distemper may or may not be needed by law, but it is a very good idea if you cherish your pet.

If you know nothing about ferrets, the first thing to look for is the eyes. The eyes ought to be bright and the animal ought to be alert. Look out for distemper which can manifest itself in dull eyes, lethargy, runny nose and dull coat. you need a hyperactive ferret because that is what ferrets are like - very hyperactive.

Ferrets sleep a great deal. Perhaps 18 hours a day, but when they wake up, they are full of beans and require plenty of exercise. They have to run about, forage and hunt. Ferrets feed on live birds by preference, but they will take other food as well. Make sure that this food is sugar-free and is high in protein

There are toys that you can provide your ferret with to amuse itself, but these are no surrogate for real exercise. However, herein lies the problem, because ferrets are fast and climb trees, so if you have not trained it to come when called, you may never see it again once you open the cage.

Teach your ferret to respond to a name or whistle by rewarding it when it does come as you would a puppy and bathe the animal every now and again as you would a dog.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on several subjects, but is now involved with the canine distemper vaccination. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Distemper Vaccines