Ferrets for Sale? Why You Should Never Buy Ferrets
Are you searching for ferrets for sale? Read on to find out why you should never buy a ferret. Like all animals, ferrets are complex and unique individuals who require a lifetime of special care, food, and supplies. They aren’t “starter companion animals” to be scooped up on a whim or thoughtlessly given as gifts.
Here’s why you should never buy ferrets for sale as “pets”:
1. Ferrets Suffer on Breeding Farms
Just like dogs in puppy mills, ferrets endure hell on filthy breeding farms. Those born in these squalid facilities are sold into the pet trade or to laboratories, where they’re used in crude and painful experiments.
On breeding farms, ferrets are typically kept in small cages where they are denied any opportunity to engage in natural behaviour, such as burrowing and hiding, and may be deprived of food and water. Please never buy a ferret – or any other animal – from a pet shop or online retailer. Doing so only funds the further breeding and exploitation of these intelligent animals.
2. Buying Ferrets Fuels the Homeless-Animal Crisis
Every time someone buys an animal from a breeder, online or at a pet shop, an animal in a shelter loses his or her chance at finding a home. There are many homeless ferrets at shelters and with adoption groups across the UK waiting to find a permanent home.
3. Adopting a Ferret as a Companion Is the Only Way
Adopting a ferret is a long-term commitment. They can live up to 10 years or more, so be sure you have enough time, money, and resources for your ferret companion. If you are ready, please adopt one from an animal shelter or a reputable adoption group.
4. Looking After Ferrets Is Not Easy
As is the case with other small animals, ferrets are a much bigger investment than most people realise. Ferrets require a specific diet: they’re strict carnivores who can’t survive on vegetarian diets or most dog foods.
Ferrets also need routine veterinary visits, just as dogs and cats do. At 4 months, they should be spayed or neutered to prevent reproduction and to benefit their long-term physical well-being. These sensitive animals can suffer from adrenal disease, heartworm, fleas, canine distemper virus, and a host of other diseases. It’s even possible for humans to pass illnesses on to them. Veterinarians who specialise in ferret care may be more expensive than those who primarily treat cats and dogs, and they’re often harder to find. Make sure you can find a well-regarded veterinarian nearby who specialises in ferret care before even thinking about becoming a ferret guardian.
Some ferrets may never be able to interact safely with other animals in your home. Ferrets can and will bite in self-defence, especially when young. If you already live with animal companions, you should be absolutely sure that they can get along with a ferret before rushing to bring one home. Close and careful supervision of every interaction is required, and it may even be necessary to separate the animals permanently.
5. Ferret-Proofing Is Difficult and Can Be Expensive
Before giving a ferret or ferrets free run of the house, know that they’re inquisitive animals with claws, which need to be trimmed every few weeks, and sharp teeth. You should also note that ferrets have a distinct scent, which will likely be noticeable to you and others entering your living space. Frequently washing their bedding can help keep this odour in check, but bathing ferrets too often can cause their skin to produce even more musky oil.
Maintaining a ferret-proof home is essential for their safety and well-being. Exercise caution, especially with the following tempting but potentially dangerous items in your home:
• Cupboards and drawers (Ferrets can open them.)
• Electric heaters (Ferrets might knock them over.)
• Sofa beds (Ferrets have been crushed in their levers and springs.)
• Anything spongy or springy, including kitchen sponges, erasers, shoe insoles, foam earplugs, upholstery foam such as the insides of cushions or mattresses, Styrofoam, insulation, and rubber door stoppers (Swallowing pieces of these items will often result in an intestinal blockage.)
• Filled bathtubs and sinks, toilets, and buckets containing water or paint (Ferrets can drown in them.)
• Plastic bags (Ferrets can suffocate in them.)
• Refrigerators and other appliances with exposed wires, fans, or insulation (Ferrets love to chew on wires and eat insulation.)
• Dishwashers, refrigerators, washers, and dryers (Ferrets can get trapped inside them.)
• Houseplants (Some are poisonous.)
• Box springs (Ferrets love to rip the cloth covering the underside of box spring beds and climb inside, where they may become trapped or be crushed. To prevent this, attach wire mesh or a thin piece of wood to the underside of the box springs.)
Learn More About Caring for Ferrets
Having a ferret – or any small animal – is a big responsibility. If you’re certain that you can provide a ferret (or ferrets) with diligent, loving care for their entire life, be sure to do the responsible thing and adopt from a shelter or adoption group. Never fund the cruel pet trade by buying ferrets or other animals.
