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Massachusetts Ferret Friends
with a simple combination of Q-Tips dampened with warm water.
Special ear cleaning solutions are available, but are not really
necessary for healthy animals. One such solution, call Oticlens, costs
between $3 and $6 a bottle and can last a single ferret from 6 to 12
months with twice-weekly cleanings.
Vitamins/Coat and Skin Supplements
There are a few ferret vitamin and nutritional supplements available in
well-stocked pet stores. Consider Ferretone (a vitamin/coat
supplement that comes in a squeeze bottle for about $11 for a 6 oz.
bottle), FerretCoat (about $7 for an 8 oz. bottle, FerretVite (a vitamin
and calorie supplement paste that comes in a tube for about $5 or $6
for a 4.25 oz. tube), and /or VitaSol (about $4 for a 4 oz. bottle). These
make great treats, but should be carefully dosed. Some ferret owners
cut the vitamin oils to a 2:1 ratio – 2 parts plain peanut or olive oil to 1
part vitamin oil, to prevent overdosing and to reduce cost per dose.
Bathing Your Ferret
Some people bathe their ferrets regularly. Others bathe them only
rarely or if the need should arise. Bathing is a matter of personal
preference. Over bathing your ferret can actually exacerbate skin and
odor problems. Occasional bathing (no more than once a month)
should be fine. Special ferret shampoos and conditioners are available
with costs ranging from just a few dollars to $10 and more per bottle.
Check your pet store and mail order source for prices.
Cleaning Teeth
You can get little tooth brushes that fit on the end of your finger and
pet toothpaste at a well-stocked pet store, but the corner of a soft
dampened cloth works fine. Pet toothpaste costs about $4 to $7 per
tube and should last for some time. Only if you are well-practiced or
trained by a experienced person should you consider scaling your
ferret’s teeth. Your veterinarian can perform this procedure for you and
you can expect to pay between $50 and $100. Frequency of this
procedure normally varies from annually to one every 3 years and
depends on the condition of each individual animal’s dental health.
Your veterinarian will advise you.
Treats
There are many new ferret treats coming onto the market now. Just
because a treat is marked “for ferrets”, it does not mean your ferret will
like it! Ferrets are very individual in their tastes and some will refuse
nearly every treat you bring home. Be patient and try different things.
And, be sparing in the giving of treats. We find that many of them
contain lots of sugar or wheat flour, etc. and are not very nutritionally
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sound. Read your ferret care books about treats and, again, be sparing
with them!
Toys
Scan the shelves in a well-stocked pet store with a section devoted to
ferrets and you will see an ever-growing assortment of toys. More and
more ferret toys are now becoming available through mail order or via
the Internet. You can spend a lot on toys and accessories or you can
spend a little. MaFF cautions all ferret owners to examine ferret toys,
bedding and accessories very carefully. We find that some items,
despite being specifically marked as for ferrets on the packaging are
completely unsuitable for them. Cost bears no relationship to the
suitability (or fun factor) of a ferret toy. This is one case where reading
your ferret care books is very important. The more you know about
ferret behavior and personality the better you will be able to make
your own evaluation of toys. In addition, we have seen variations in
ferret behaviors and response to toys. Some toys are harmless to some
ferrets, but can become a hazard for others. When it comes to toys,
you may be able to come up with most of them on your own at very
little cost. An empty shoe box, a paper bag, the legs cut from an old
pair of trousers, even a simple dish towel, can make excellent ferret
toys! It’s a well-worn ferret joke that goes “I bought my ferret the
greatest (read: most expensive) toy and all he wanted to do was play
with the box it came in!” Know your ferret. Watch your ferret. And
monitor all toys for replacement at the slightest sign of damage or
hazard.
Miscellaneous
There are any number of other items which you may need during your
ferret’s lifetime. One of these is Duck Soup, which is a blend of foods,
supplements & usually Nutrical or Sustecal, which are liquid food
supplements for humans) and Pedialyte (a water and electrolyte
solution for infants recovering from diarrhea), fed to convalescing
ferrets. You mix this yourself and the recipe is available now in some
of the ferret care books, as well as from Ferret Central on the Internet.
Other needs may include specially formulated medications and
prescriptions from the veterinarian for various conditions ranging from
skin problems to cancers or heart problems. Antibiotics are also
prescribed for infections or diarrhea, etc. All of these costs will have to
be dealt with as they arise and cannot be predicted. They can come
up quite suddenly and unexpectedly or be carried on or long periods
of time. This is one important reason for our recommendation that you
maintain an emergency fund for your ferret’s care.
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Massachusetts Ferret Friends
Essential items you will need to purchase for your ferret
A good cage. See your ferret care book or consult a veterinarian or
other ferret owners for details and advice. Suitable ferret cages range
in price from about $85 to $200 and up for custom cages.
Litter boxes and litter (non-clumping). Litter boxes and litter can
be purchased from a grocery or pet store for just a few dollars. You
will probably need more than one litter box, placing them in both your
pet’s cage and a few strategic corners in your home. We can
recommend the following litters for ferrets: Bioflush (about $8 for a 10
lb. bag), Yesterday’s News (pellets made from recycled newspapers,
about $20 for a 26 lb. bag), Stove Chow Pellets (about $4 for a 40 lb.
bag), Jonny Cat ($2 to $4 for a 10 lb. bag), Ferret Litter (made from
newspapers by PetCo, about $10 for an 8 lb. bag), Planet PETCO Paper
Kitty Litter (recycled newspaper pellets) or Care Fresh (also made from
newspapers, about $15 for a 50 lb. bag).
Water Bottles that hang on the side of the cage work far better than
a dish for ferrets. Pet water bottles cost between $4 and $15. We
recommend attaching two water bottles to your pet’s permanent cage,
so there is always a backup bottle, since occasionally the bottles can
have flow problems.
A heavy food dish, preferably one that attaches to the side of the
cage, can be purchased at your grocery or pet store for just a few
dollars. Some of the attaching ones can run up to about $10 each, but
are a good investment. Some ferret owners use two or three food
dishes with a variety of foods in them.
Bedding materials. Old shirts of flannel or cotton, sweats, T-shirts
and towels work well, although terry cloth must be monitored and
removed at any sign of unraveling. Or get custom ferret bedding from
a company such as Little Feet Ferret Retreat. Retired items from your
home are probably your best bet and will be your pet’s most
inexpensive need, short of water!
A pet carrier for transporting your ferret to the veterinarian or other
places out of your home. A small-animal size carrier usually costs
between $10 and $30. This item is essential for the safe transport of
your ferret. Never carry a ferret loose in your car unless it is absolutely
necessary (such as an accident or dire emergency) and the one holding
the ferret is not the driver!
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surgeries. Except for a few basic procedures, some of the surgeries
listed below are for conditions that appear to be relatively common in
ferrets and which breeders are working on breeding out of American
pet ferrets. In the meantime, however, you should be aware of the fact
that your ferret will probably encounter one or more of these
conditions during its lifetime. Note that some veterinarians charge
extra for surgery on exotics, so it makes sense to talk over these
possible surgeries with your veterinarian even before they are needed
in order to be well-informed should the occasion arise.
Common and Basic Procedures
Neuter/Spay
Of course, if your ferret was acquired from a pet store or from a shelter,
you should be aware of whether the ferret has been neutered or spayed
(fixed) before you bring it home. Most pet-store ferrets have already
been neutered or spayed at a very early age.
For a ferret spay of a female (not in heat), expect to pay between
$80 and $150. It is very important that you have any female ferret
spayed unless you are a licensed breeder. This is because the females
must be spayed or they can die of numerous complications (infections,
aplastic anemia) associated with remaining in heat too long without
either being bred or receiving hormone injections to bring them out of
it. They do not spontaneously come out of this state. Occasionally,
too, a spay is not complete or an animal might have been accidentally
skipped during a breeder’s spay procedure, so you should still read the
sections in a reliable ferret care book on what to look for when a
female is going into heat. Sometimes the female heat symptoms can
be indicative of other conditions, so it is good in any case to know
these signs and to be able to describe them as such to your
veterinarian should you observe them.
For a ferret neuter, you can expect to pay between $45 and $120.
Un-neutered male ferrets can present some problems of odor and/or
behavior, so it is highly recommended that your male ferret be
neutered unless you are a licensed breeder. Occasionally, there can
be slightly more involved procedures required. A male ferret my have
a condition called cryptochid (where one or both testicles are still in
the abdomen and have not descended). If his is the case with your
ferret, you can expect to pay between $75 and $120 for the neuter
procedure.
De-scenting
Many ferrets are de-scented in addition to having been neutered by the
time they appear in a pet store. Others may come to you from a
breeder or adoption having never been de-scented. It is a matter of
personal choice to have your ferret de-scented. A ferret does not need
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Massachusetts Ferret Friends
First Things First!
The purpose of this publication is to acquaint you with some of the
costs of owning a ferret. It is not meant to take the place of a good
reference book on ferret care or your veterinarian’s advice. Before
making a decision to get a ferret, you should make an honest appraisal
of your own lifestyle and personality. Ferrets are rather unique
animals and some people find them adorable in the store, or at a
friend’s house, but then find that they are not compatible after all.
MaFF strongly recommends that you first learn as much about general
ferret care and personality as possible. So, to start with, you can
expect to spend between $15 and $25 for each book you buy about
ferret care. Some titles we can recommend are: Ferrets for Dummies
by Kim Schilling and A Practical Guide to Ferret Care by Deborah
Jeans. Others we can recommend include the ferret care books by
Windy Winsted and by E. Lynn Morton.
Some Free Stuff
If you have access to the Internet, we highly recommend that you visit
the website Ferret Central at www.ferretcentral.org. There, you
should obtain a document known as the Ferret FAQ (for Frequently
Asked Questions). This is a rich resource on ferret care and
personality and is available free from the Folks at Ferret Central. There
are many other resources linked to Ferret Central as well—chat rooms,
forums, personal pages, vendors, information and literature, even
veterinarian information—take a look! A free book available online is
The Ferret Owner’s Manual by Dick and Joan Bossart
www.thechipster.com/fert-man.html. Yet another source on
ferrets via the Internet is the Ferret Mailing List (or FML), which is a
daily mailing containing postings from ferret owners all over the world.
The FML is free and you can subscribe to it by sending an email
message to its moderator, Bill Gruber, at [email protected] or your can subscribe automatically
by sending an email message to
[email protected] with the command SUBSCRIBE
FERRET <first-name> <last-name> in the body of the email
message. You can even subscribe directly from the Ferret Central
website. Look for the section heading “Getting in touch with People”.
Your Ferret: A Lifetime’s Commitment to Care
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simply bury your pet in a special place of your own choosing. If your
ferret dies at the veterinarian’s or in hospital, leaving the ferret with the
veterinarian is one option or you may take your ferret home and bury it
on your own. Burial and cremation services are also available for pet
ferrets.
If you choose individual cremation, be aware that it takes a few
weeks to get the ashes back. Cost can range from about $35 to $95 for
cremation of a ferret-size animal—this cost is based on the weight of
your little fuzzy. Urns to contain the ashes are at an additional cost,
ranging anywhere from $7 up to $90, depending on the materials of
the urn. Alternatively, you can simply receive the ashes and scatter
them as you wish or place them in an urn or container of your own.
Ashes come carefully packed and are not difficult to handle. You can
have the ashes shipped to you via UPS or you can pick them up
personally from the veterinarian’s office or the crematorium. Some pet
crematoriums will permit you one or two small fabric or paper items to
be cremated with your ferret, so if you want to write a special little
note to your fuzzy or wrap them in a favorite blanket, that can be
arranged.
Private burial at a pet cemetery is also an option. Costs for a
private burial begin with caskets, which start at about $70 and the
basic fee for a small plot ranges from about $300 to $500. Plaques of
granite, cast aluminum or bronze are available with lettering and even
an option to include a photo image of your pet. Metal plaques can be
mounted on concrete or granite, with or without a little attached
bronze or aluminum vase for flowers. The cost for plaques ranges from
$90 to $180 and up for bronze mounted on granite, for example. Care
of the plot falls under annual or perpetual care for an additional fee.
In general, private burial in a pet cemetery costs an average of about
$600 altogether.
MaFF would like to acknowledge the kind assistance of Mitch
Selnick, President and Director of the Pet Memorial Park, Foxboro, for
his help in compiling this information. Private burial and individual
cremation are offered at the Pet Memorial Park (with offices open on
weekdays and voice messaging available 24 hours at 1-800-477-5044).
It is suggested that you call for more details. Thanks also to Angel View
Pet Cemetery and Crematory in Middleboro (1-800-287-0066) for
providing additional information. MaFF suggest that you check with
your veterinarian for referrals or call and compare services. Look in
the yellow pages under Pet Cemeteries or Pet Cremation and/or Burial
Services for what is available in your area. One small piece of advice:
get clear directions when it comes time to bring your pet in, because
you won’t feel like stopping to look at a map. Always call first to find
out about costs and options.