Goosemoose Pet Portal

Last night I had my first Ferret Experience! It was so awesome they are such love bugs. Let's say I fell in love with little Bandit and Tiny. It didn't look right that he fed them Cat Food, so is there something like Harlan Tecklad for them? I know NOTHING about Ferrets, but I have two Ferret Nations! I know they have to be descented and cost about the same as far as vet bills for rats. (spay and neuter comparison) I also don't know how long they live for and any common illnesses for them. I'll do a lot of research, like I always do before I get them. This will be in years guys. My mom is also allergic to my rats so under her roof, I can't have more rats. So By them time I move out guarantee I'll be petless. So, I'm going to internet research. Someone point me in the right direction lol.

Ferrets are really fun pets, but they are expensive and need a lot of exercise.  To answer some of your initial questions, cat food is bad.  Kitten food is ok- it's really similar to and can be better than some kinds of ferret food out there.  Cat food doesn't have near enough protein or fat for a ferret, and way too much grain.  Ferrets need a high meat content food that's at least 30% protein and 20% fat.  Cat food is the "seed mix" of ferret chow.  It's not only bad nutrition, it's downright unhealthy for them.  Tell your friend he needs to at least switch to a kitten chow.  Too much grains and your ferrets are likely to develop insulinoma, like my ferret.  Someone didn't feed her the right diet and now her pancreas has insulin producing tumors that give her really low blood sugar.  Her blood sugar went so low over the summer that she had a seizure and is now blind.  This is also, incidentally, why I only have one.  She's still not used to being blind and gets freaked out by stuff coming out of nowhere and jumping on her trying to play with her.  She needs to be medicated twice a day for the rest of her life to keep her from having more seizures.  Please tell your friend that that's pretty much guaranteed in their future and if/when they hear their ferret start screaming nonstop or if they start drooling or stiffen up, apply sugar (Nutrical, honey, karo syrup, maple syrup) to their gums and take them to the vet immediately if they hope to save it.  Early signs include hind end weakness or wobbliness, staring off into space, and lethargy.  The Harlan of ferret meals would have to be pre-killed whole prey. Ferrets are designed to eat meat and cannot process grain.  They aren't capable of getting nutrition out of it, and just end up soaking up some of the simple sugars, and you know where that leads.  Whole prey gives them the closest to what they are designed to eat in the healthiest way possible.  Kibble works too.  Go for the highest quality kibble you can afford.  Highest fat, highest protein, and lowest grain works best.

Ferrets are typically more expensive for vet bills than rats.  When I took my ratties to the vet, we got antibiotics for the URI and an exam for $60.  My ferret went to the vet and got a checkup, her yearly rabies and distemper shots, a melatonin implant for her adrenal disease symptoms, and it was $120.  You generally don't have to worry about spay/neuter since most ferrets are fixed as babies.  Ferrets are more expensive because they are accident prone as well as plagued with health problems through their life.  They climb stuff and fall to break limbs and teeth, they eat things that get stuck in their intestine, they can get fleas, lice, mites as well as any small pet, they think that washing machines and dishwashers are awesome places to take a nap....   Then you bring in insulinoma and adrenal disease, as well as lymphoma, enlarged spleens, heart and kidney problems.....  Ferrets are also like rats in that they don't let on that there is a problem until it's really bad.  You get a lot of emergency vet visits for these guys.  My ferret died suddenly last fall of pyometra and it cost $800 to store her overnight and have the vet determine in the morning that we couldn't save her.  Go ahead and scope out the vet situation in your area.  How often does your rat vet see ferrets?  Has he done pancreatic or adrenal gland surgeries before?  Do they offer Lupron and melatonin treatment?  Find a 24-7 emergency clinic that would be willing to take ferrets.  Trust me, you'll need it.

Ferrets are awesome pets and I totally love them.  They dance like lunatics and have ticklish bellies and are a riot to watch wrestling around on the floor.  If you have too many socks or love to find pets sleeping in your clean laundry basket, weasels may be for you.  If you enjoy finding huge piles of your clothes and weasel toys under your bed, like taking walks in the woods without going anywhere and watch a fluffed out tail migrate back and forth inside a pile of dry leaves, if you have ever considered a career giving rides across floors on blankets, find yourself wearing thick socks even in the summer......you might be a ferret person.

http://www.rockysferrets.com/ferret_tips/index.html
www.ferretvillage.org
http://www.ferret-universe.com/health/index.asp
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/

forum.ferret.com is a great website that you can check out if you want. Lots of good people and info!