Buy the
Ferrets for Dummies book. It has a ton of information you'll need. It's a wise investment, but you can also get it from most libraries if you can't buy it right away. Before adopting a ferret, get all of your supplies together. You'll need a large cage, (Martin's has a great selection to choose from), litter pans, litter, food, shampoo, nail clippers, Ferretone supplement, blankets to snuggle in, a brush, and a water bottle. These are some basics. Don't use cat litter. Don't feed them cat food. Don't feed them anything other than quality food and meat. Ferrets are carnivores, and they can get very sick if they're not fed properly. Start a vet fund as soon as possible before adopting any ferrets. Vet bills add up very fast. Ferrets need vaccinations once a year and may require additional veterinary care for things such as spleen issues and/or bowel obstructions. My ferrets eat Mazurri ferret food. A breeder recommended it. She also said that Totally Ferret food is good quality. You want something with as much good protein as possible. The food will cost more, but it can save a ton of money in vet bills. They can also eat plain cooked meat with no additional spices. I will never buy a ferret from a pet store, personally. They tend to be sickly and/or raised in unhealthy "ferret farm" conditions. Stay away from Marshall's ferrets if you can. (Ask reputable breeders or a vet for more information) There are TONS of ferrets in need of loving homes. Call your local SPCA, ferret shelter/rescue, or even look in the paper to see if there are any ferrets in need of homes. Find a local breeder/shelter owner and talk to them. Ferrets live for a while, so make sure a ferret or two or three (LOL
) is waht you are wanting. We adopted three, and we spent almost a thousand dollars within a month in vet fees. That's not including all of the supplies we needed as well. Ferrets are awesome, but they are expensive and MUST have a lot of free time. If your'e not home often enough to allow them to play for a few hours everyday, they may not be the best pet for you. They need a lot of playtime and interaction. They're hysterical! Ours are always into something. They truly are like having a few 2 year olds. Everything has to be child locked and small things up off the floor.
