I really want a ferret....help!!?

Ask him why he won't let you and find tell him that whatever he thinks is wrong with them really isn't. Give him details about it. Like if he thinks they're mean tell him that they're actually very friendly. Other than that I don't know what to tell you if he absolutely won't let you. Maybe try to get your mom to help convince him. Ferrets are really good pets.

Please let me explain to you about ferrets. I used to have 3 of them. Ferrets require as much attention and care as a dog, I kid you not. Yes, they dooo stink. Their feces stinks, and they have a very musky smell. De-scenting them is dangerous and can kill them. Even if the pet store claims they are already de-scented, you should know they are animals which still maintain a strong musky smell, and their feces stinks. You cannot possibly erase their natural smell, and what will happen is your Dad will wind up wanting you to get rid of them, and then you have an animal who becomes unwanted and now in a position where he or she must go through the stress of being re-homed or brought to a rescue organization or back to the pet store. The entire room the ferret is kept in will stink, and that is with the door closed. Your house will smell of ferret, and it is a strong smell. Some ferrets are litter trained. DON'T count on it. None of mine used their litter trays. It took a lot of work to keep their cages cleaned every day. You likely have no idea how much attention and care and responsibility they require and are. You cannot just leave a ferret in a small cage, bored, either. They are intelligent and curious animals and will grow depressed, bored and lonely if left alone with no exercise and mental stimulation in a cage. And you run the risk of having to keep more than one ferret separate, because they do fight when they get older and may harm one another. I had a large albino male ferret who would just tear into the other two until I finally had to separate them into separate cages, all of them. Another thing..they require vaccinations, spaying and neutering and veterinary care regularly like any dog or cat, so you must be able to carry this responsibility. Again, I highly recommend you rethink getting a ferret for the animal's sake. They may be kept in captivity, but as far as I'm concerned, they are exotics and do not belong in captivity. Do not support a pet store and exotic animal industry which is profit-oriented, not animal-welfare oriented. Truly good pet stores DO NOT SELL LIVE ANIMALS. I wish I had known all this before I bought 3 ferrets. The pet store never told me any of this, and the ferrets were cute little babies when I bought them. They deserved better, I really mean that.

Here is a factsheet you should read, anyway, on ferrets. http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=16

ferrets are tons of time. You do have to be EXTREMELY responsible. EXTREMELY.

So, your dad is worried about the smell. There is something called Bi-Odor that you put in the ferret's water. It helps cut down on the smell. Also, you can get them de-scented. One more thing, you must keep the ferrets clean and their cages clean as well. That includes cleaning out the litter box every day. EVERY DAY. Marshall's makes a spray that you can spray on your fuzzies between bath times. It helps.

See if there is a ferret owner in your area and see if you can "baby sit" them. Get some practical experience. If you get that maybe you will be able to convince your dad. It will also allow you to understand what you are getting into.

Don't get me wrong, I love my ferrets but they are a hand full!

Oh, PS: take what you read from PETA with a grain of salt. Their hearts are in the right place but their minds aren't always screwed on correctly.