Are ferrets hard to take care of?

Honestly, yes. Ferrets need a lot of attention. They need to go to the vet once a year for a check up and they need a minimum of 4 hours a day out of their cage. They CAN use a litter box but their aren't 100% accurate. They are sweet and wonderful, I personally wouldn't trade my Link for the world, but he's a handful and he costs me quite a bit of money.

Ferrets have lots of good points as pets, but there are some negatives as well. Like kittens and puppies, they require a lot of care and training at first. They're "higher maintenance" than cats; they'll take more of your time and attention. Ferrets have their own distinct scent, which bothers some people, and many of them aren't quite as good about litter pans as cats are. Although most ferrets get along reasonably well with cats and dogs , it's not guaranteed, so if you have large, aggressive pets (particularly dogs of breeds commonly used for hunting), keep that in mind. Likewise, small children and ferrets are both very excitable, and the combination might be too much.

Finally, the importance of ferretproofing must be emphasized. Ferrets are less destructive than cats, but they love to get into EVERYTHING, so if you keep them loose you'll need to make sure they can't hurt themselves or your possessions. They love to steal small (and not so small!) objects and stash them under chairs and behind furniture. They like to chew on spongy, springy things, which must be kept out of reach or they'll swallow bits. Accessible boxes, bags, and trash cans will be crawled in, and houseplants within reach are liable to lose all their dirt to joyful digging. Finally, many ferrets tend to scratch and dig at the carpet. Naturally, these traits vary from one ferret to another, but they're all pretty common. If you're not willing to take the necessary time to protect your property and your pet, a ferret may not be for you.

Oh, and they're NOT rodents. In fact, they're weasels. :)

I've owned a few ferrets over the years... The stink is a gland in the ferret that can be surgically removed, But regular bathing works as well, usually once or twice a week... most enjoy playing in the water. One ferret that I had, I didn't remove the gland and normally that's not a problem... but, sometimes it swells and can block the urinary tract which will eventually kill it. The gland can still be removed and it will get better... things to watch for are a loss of fur and swelling of genitelia. you may want to hide anything shiny such as keys if you don't want to lose it.

You should also keep them away from rubber because they like to chew on it and pieces could block the digestive tract.

They like to chew on socks as well so you may want to give it an old one or it will find a way into your sock drawer and chew on them. One other thing to keep in mind... they have sensitive stomachs... you should keep from changing their diet often.

all that aside, if you like kittens, a ferret would be a good pet, except most don't like to be held for too long

Ferrets do have an odor.....and some do find it offensive some who love the little creatures do not mind and bathe them often...

They are very playful and need alot of interaction...either by you or by a cagemate...

If you let them out to play they should be watched as they like to find shinny pretty things as treasures that they will hide on you ....

you probibly want to read up on what they need for a diet....and no dog food and or cat food is not the best for them...they need ferret food....and you need to check the fat and protien content...

also you want to know where you are purchasing one....also if you really want a ferret there are places out there that rescue them from owners that did not fully research what they were getting into...

as with any pet it is wise not only for you...but for the pet you are thinking of getting... to reseach all about it...go to a pet store....go to the library....go online and type in ferret care...

then after you research you will better know if you are able to care for this pet....

good luck

Not really hard to take care of but they are initially expensive to get ready for. You'll need a large habitat with plenty of things to keep them busy. Some habitats have tubes for them to go through and stair-like platforms to climb. A hammock is great for them to have - they like to sleep in them....

Some people let them roam around their house, but they can get into small spaces and they love to burrow so I wouldn't recommend it. For more information about what ferrets need, see the link below.

We had a ferret for awhile until we figured out that my husband was allergic to it. They do have a musty smell also. We fell in love with it and were sorry to see it go!

Keep any shiny things out of the way. Ferrets are very attracted to them, espically KEYS. But all in all, they are a fun critter to have.

i had one for years. it was the best pet we ever had.it lived to be 10 years old.it was litter trained and ran loose in the house.she loved to get in my purse and steal things,and go hide them somewhere.they say its better to have a female but make sure its descented and spayed.i would give her a bath 1 or 2 times a week.she loved the water and would swim , she was very similiar to a cat. i fed her purina kitten food.

not to bad no change bedding once a day feed twice with the odd carrot peeling but the most important thing is you must spend time with them otherwise that when they tend to bite and not like human and are more inclined to run away

no, my bff has one

pretty easy to taker care of them, but you need a BIIIIG cage, which is expensive, depending on the store/quality

you can put them on leashesa and walk them and let them ru around in the house (NO OUTSIDE)

if you don't clean their cage about every 1-3 weeks, it can start to stink

but most of all, they rock ^ ^

They are great pets easy to maintain and fun to have around. the BIGGEST BIGGEST problem is their GOD AWFUL SMELL!!!! My girlfriend had one when we were growing up. They had to keep it in the garage cause it stank sooo much.

They are smelly rodents if you dont get them de stinked, other than that they are pretty fun animals.