DD wants a ferret

[meditrina]

I'm not sure I'm up for any livestock at all at the moment.

But this suggestion has rather intrigued me.

Any ferrety households here (should I be posting/searching in super furry critters?)

She wants to race them, and get a little shoulder harness so she can take one for a walk? Is that even remotely likey? Or are they strange smelly long rats which bite all the time?

The latter.

Please note I have no ferrets but I did try to train my hamster to walk on a lead.

Have a browse in SuperFurryAnimals - I can't recall any ferret threads but there may be some.

I know someone who rescued a ferret (it was dumped in a box) .Apparently they need neutered/mated otherwise their season goes on indefinately (I'm guessing that's the females)

If they are anything like other rodenty types I'll bet the males stink

CorusKate - DD would read that as a list of desirable qualities!

We looked into getting ferrets ,but got a dog instead ,there are generally quite a few that need re homing in Ferret rescues ,many of which have already been neutered and are well handled .They make lovely pets but are quite a lot of work to keep them entertained.

Do not contemplate if you wear wide leg trousers.

And they smell! ;)

Get two Guinea pigs. They are fab, minimum odour and are adorable.

Pilaumice please tell me you were a child at the time that is so funny

I had guinea pigs and hamsters (which I used to show jump) as a child and would be confident about getting those again.

DD is however currently set on a ferret. Or a chihuahua.

I thought people here would tell me the worst!

Yes corus, the females can die from oestrogen induced anaemia if they are not mated or medically taken out of oestrus.
They're quite high maintenance in that they have a penchant for eating inanimate objects/wires etc so their environment has to be very safe.If they're handled regularly from a young age they're perfectly tame though.

House bunnies ! Not a smelly bitey ferret.

Some friends of ours had a ferret and she was an absolute delight. She pootled about freely in the house, was curious about visitors and would sometimes (although not always) allow herself to be picked up and petted. She lived to a ripe old age for a ferret but I can't remember how old she was

The vet did say she was exceptional though

My BIL kept ferrets - they stink to high heaven.

And they bite like buggery

So christening it, in the Viking style, something like Smelly Sharpfang is going to suit?

We live near a man who has two ferrets. He walks them on a lead but only one at a time because they fight. He advises children not to come too close. There's no way is want one in my house....

I'm a rat owner, but DP has started talking about ferrets (one day apparently, as one day as my desire to get another pair of rats after Christmas!). I'm marking my place!

I have met/played with ferrets before, they seem sociable but the ones I've met stunk. I own rats who can get very smelly, but the ferrets really were smelly.

Rats are better than hamsters if you go down that route, though probably much better than on par with GPs ;)

Are ferrets like rats and GPs in that you should keep them in pairs?

I once had a flatmate with a singleton rat. He was rather nice (the rat).

Which is more likely to remain well socialised - rat or ferret? Bear in mind that "main" owner is girl who wants to race it and teach it to navigate obstacle/agility courses.

We had 5 ferrets growing up, 3 albino ones and 2 brown ones. My Dad used to hunt with a couple of them. They were wonderful pets, affectionate, funny, clever, very happy to be handled. My DB used to pull his toy tank around the garden with a ferret inside, looking out of the top hatch - happy as larry he was ;) They used to follow us about and lie on the grass in the sunshine with us.

I loved them dearly. They could be stinky and they were very much outside pets. You need to know what you are doing with them though, as my DDad does. I'd have ferrets again like a shot.

A lot of people who kept rats as singles say they were quite happy but - serious face here - please NEVER keep a lone rat. They absolutely need company, and keeping rats as single animals is mental cruelty - even if you are with your rat 24/7 (and even the best owners can't do that) you're still a different species. I re homed a beloved beloved rat of mine once when his buddy died unexpectedly and I wasn't in the position to get any more. Broke mine and my dh's heart, but he lived a happy life in his new home with about 8 new friends..

But rats are absolutely brilliant pets - like small dogs.

I had a ferret, it bit me to the bone of my finger more than once, I still have the scars. I was literally screaming and shaking my hand whilst it's pointy little teeth scraped my 11yo index finger bone. (It was a white ferret too so the blood was horrifying)

Then it escaped and murdered next doors tag doll kitten by chewing it's throat out.

Eventually it escaped again and waged a 3 month war of terror on every Guinea Pig or Rabbit owner in the area.

I assume someone eventually killed it as after 3 months the killing stopped and it was never sighted again.

I was very unpopular for some years afterwards....