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Never had much to do with them but there is one in the house I am staying at, what an amazing little creature. Busier than 10 Jack Russell's and so friendly. Into everything steals socks and hides them all around the house. She does pong a bit but is just gorgeous.
You'll get used to the pong, I used to take one to school in the lining of my blazer, (Tch, Northerners).......passes the time I suppose 🙂
Ferrets rock! Lovely animals. Very intelligent and receptive.
Look! Smelly, sure and quite vicious, but cute and lovable nonetheless! 😀
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I've got 4 of them 🙂 Had a few more in the past. Best pets in the world, more fun than a kitten, more friendly and inquisitive and intelligent than a dog. Ace! Only smell if you don't keep them washed - you can buy ferret friendly shampoo and wash them once a week and it knocks it down to just a lightly damp dog smell.
Look! Smelly, sure and quite vicious, but cute and lovable nonetheless!
Well I think "cute and lovable" is pushing it a bit (although the tinted glasses do look kinda cool) Definitely smelly and vicious though.
Badoom-tish! One week only folks, special discount to pensioners on the Wednesday....
🙂
No, they are nice little things, ferrets. They can be trained quite easily, although they will pee everywhere. That one above peed in WCA's sleeve (the ferret, silly).
If I lived out in the countryside, I think I'd have some ferrets.
They can be trained quite easily, although they will pee everywhere. That one above peed in WCA's sleeve (the ferret, silly).
You've a ferret with a problem then. I've never had a ferret pee on me in 15 years of owning them, including one that used to sleep with me when it was icy outside (Where it's hutch is)! She'd get up and go to the loo in a tray in the corner, then come back. They will hold their pee until they can get to their "home" tray or an acceptable toilet location, so maybe it got caught short if it's been crossing its legs for ages and then got picked up.
They will hold their pee until they can get to their "home" tray or an acceptable toilet location
It was in WCA's sleeve! I think it saw it as a burrow, and wanted to establish it's 'territory'. It's a young ferret, I understand, only a few months old. Belongs to WCA's grandson. It is extremely well looked after and happy.
What are they like as house pets then? I've heard they are better off in an outside run.
A young one might get caught short I suppose, but still haven't ever had any pee on me/my stuff. I'm not sure you could keep them as full housepets without some ferret-proofing 🙂 We had to open all doors when it stayed in overnight or it would get annoyed at not being able to wander and scratch the carpets up at the doors. And Obviously they can make your carpets smell a bit if you don't keep them showered etc. We keep ours in an outside hutch and bring them in a couple of times a day for an hour at a time to play/explore etc. They seem happier as a group too, while if you get a single one it will become far more "humanised" and will sit with you/sleep on you/be "snuggly". If you keep them as groups they entertain themselves a lot and are more bouncy, sort out a pecking order between themselves and can be a bit more nippy when playing as they're used to chewing each other hard. But I think more than that their personalities affect their biteyness, and their place in the pecking order.
We've one that was a rescue, practically dead when a friend of mine brought it round - it had been clonked on the head by a car and was virtually unconscious but slowly came back to semi-normal. She'll sleep in your arms and likes to groom you, but she'll pounce on anything (frogs especially) and eat absolutely anything after having to fend for herself for a long time.
Genuinely lovely creatures but get a "pet" one, not one from hunting stock - they do seem to carry over the nippyness from their parents. And never pick up a hunting one without welding gloves or you'll see your bones fairly quick!
Some great info there CK. I can see you genuinely love the little things! 🙂
It's funny how you see a different side of someone when they're talking about animals they care about...
'Biteyness' is a great word!
I certainly wouldn't have any living where I do now. Maybe in the future sometime, if I ever live anywhere a bit more 'rural'.
I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get a chance to have some, the more people get to experience them the better! They live for about 9-10 years so plan for the long haul 🙂
I'm always like this, I just deal slightly more harshly with people than animals 🙂