Avian Gamers Network

We're thinking about getting a pet ferret or two. They seem fun. Anybody own one, or know anything about them?

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"Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defence of custom. But the tumult soon subsides." - Thomas Paine, Common Sense

When I was younger our family had two ferrets. They are a lot of fun, you can play with em the same way you do with cats, teasing them with toys and such. You have to train them not to nip on your toes all the time and use a litter box, butt hats to be expected.

The only thing I can say negative about them is they do smell bad, and can stink up a house if it gets out of hand. we had to pretty much give them a bath (something ours didn't like) every other weekend and clean out their cage every other weekend also.

but... that being said they are a blast to play with and def get the "awww cute" reaction.

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Avian Football League 2007 Forum Thread

My friends neighbor had two when I was growing up.

I can verify the stink part. They were also loosing their hair, so maybe something was wrong with them. Nothing like half furry, half bald ferret to haunt your childhood dreams.

My mother-in-law just had her pet ferrets in my house for the couple weeks I was out of town. They also had the half bald look, she said it was some condition that could be helped with medication but it was more cosmetic than a 'disease'.

Oh yeah, they stunk the heck out of the bathroom they were in.

They are neat though, fun to watch. Also I think like cats they are curious and get into things (so you kinda need to ferret proof the areas they will be in, especially if you don't keep an eye on them.)

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The Cord
Occasional Caretaker of the Horde Maelstrom Guild
Ex-Section 3 Director

yep has many years ago. lots of fun but seriously - and you should listen to this - they really do smell...bad. Clean the cage everyday I don't care they smell.

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Moge

More of the same, I guess, but here is my personal experience...

My second year in college one of my roommates wanted to get one. She consulted with the 3 of us and because they were "so cute!" we all agreed to go in on one and big cage....

I remember the thing was expenisve.. like 150 bucks and the cage was huge, also a few hundred. It had it's stink sack (or whatever it's called) already removed.. (purchased from Petsmart, if I remember correctly).

We got books to learn how to train it since we knew they could bite. You do have to have a mini litter box for them to do their business in, in their cage. They also take a bit of potty training.. ours would leave little presents in the corners when he was let out to run around.

Anyways.. Honestly, the thing was a terror! He stunk so badly that we called the pet store three times and brought him in to verify the stink sack had been removed!

We bathed him as often as the book said we could and even got the dry powder stuff to sprinkle on him in between baths. We cleaned the cage everyday and it still smelled like someone had died in our house. We tried all different types of kitty litter, air fresheners ect. Finally friends stopped coming over because it was so bad and permeated every corner of our home. He would also fling his litter and poo out of the side of the cage digging around in his box so you had to dust bust around his cage every hour!

He was very difficult to hand tame and bit all of us many times. We had a harness and leash for him but, despite what the books say, ours never took to being "walked". He chewed on furniture/fabrics and anything else he could get his paws on.. except for the toys we had bought him. We got to the point where we couldn't let him run around, just had to hold him or have him on the leash.

Finally, the smell was what did us in and after about 8 months we gave him to a friend who had taken to him and didn't mind the smell. Our house smelled for a long time after.. not even shampooing the carpet got totally rid of it.

I would not advise getting one if you don't have a generous amount of time to train them. We had 4 girls and even between work and school there was always at least one of us there and we still couldn't get him tame enough to have him out when friends were over. We were too afraid he'd bite someone and they can break the skin. (Not sure if you have small kids but that would be an issue for me). I would also recommend a nice big space for his cage.. away from the "main" part of your home. Maybe a back (spare/unoccupied) bedroom.

Best of luck to if you decide to get one.. sorry for the horror story but.. that's how it was for us.

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Loi: 70 Druid (375 Enchanter & 375 Tribal LW, also cooking and fishing)

Famke: 70 Hunter (375 Miner & 375 Skinning, also cooking and fishing)

Nightngale: 41 Shadow Priest (300 Alchemy & 300 Herbalism)

Blush: 32 Mage (Miner & Skinner)

WEASLES!!!!

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My girlfriend and I contemplated ferrets in the future. But hearing about how much they stink really turns me off. Maybe we'll just stick to more common pets that don't smell.

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Armory: http://www.wowarmory.com/character-shee ... n=Thermoon

And what pet would that be?

try cats, they clean themselves, walk themselves, and my brother says they are very good pillows, and a cat is not smelly(at least after they are trained the poop goes in the backyard, not on the chairs)

and my cat likes to lick evrything, just yesterday, it was licking my computer screen

I'm allergic to cats.

I was thinking rabbits or hamsters. Maybe dogs, but you need to put more energy in if you get dogs I think... well, depend on the breed I guess.

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Armory: http://www.wowarmory.com/character-shee ... n=Thermoon

ugh, don't like cats and litter boxes stink too! lol

Bill and I had a hamster.. a teddy bear one.. black and fluffy, super cute! I named her Oprah. (Because I like Oprah!)

She was great! They are really clean little animals. You can get those cages and attach those plastic tunnels to them. They make a little room out of each dome! Each "room" is something different. They don't eat, sleep or go to the bathroom in the same dome. Oprah had her bathroom on the farside of the cage, far away from her food bowls. She would do her business then go play in another dome where she had gathered all her toys. Go to another dome to eat then to another one to take a nap!

You have to make sure you keep their cage clean and take good care of them since they are a bit susceptible to diseases/illnesses.

Other than that they are a blast. Easy to hand tame although they can be a bit timid at first. Oprah really liked Bill and used to climb up on his shoulder, have a seat and watch TV with him.

She did die but they tend to have a short lifespan. I think 2 years is the max.

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Loi: 70 Druid (375 Enchanter & 375 Tribal LW, also cooking and fishing)

Famke: 70 Hunter (375 Miner & 375 Skinning, also cooking and fishing)

Nightngale: 41 Shadow Priest (300 Alchemy & 300 Herbalism)

Blush: 32 Mage (Miner & Skinner)

i have family that used to have hamsters, just make sure to keep them away from electrical wires, or thier lifespan could be shorter then 2 years

it used to climb on pretty much evrything
hamsters definetly get a cuteness award