Congratulations! You are educating yourself about ferrets before getting one. It's also important to continue your education by keeping up with the latest information.

How do you go about selecting the right ferret? Let's discuss the where, who, why, what and when of ferret shopping.

The best way to start looking for a ferret is to:

Look through the newspaper classified ads for ferrets for sale, lost and found ferrets at local shelters and ferret events.

Visit a local pet shop and handle the ferrets there.

Write to STAR Ferrets, P.O. Box 1714, Springfield, VA 22151-0714, and ask for a free listing of ferret shelters, breeders, clubs and veterinarians in your state.

Who Can Help?

Pet Shops: They are a source for one-stop shopping. You can buy a ferret - and its cage, litter box, food, water bottle, litter and toys. Ferrets at pet shops are kits that usually are already neutered and descented and have had the first of three canine distemper shots. Kits from pet stores may or may not be well handled, and you will have to teach them basic manners, such as not to nip

Private Breeders: They have kits on a seasonal basis (usually spring through fall) and may have some adult ferrets recently retired from their breeding program. Kits will be handled more and better mannered. You will be able to see the mother and possibly the father ferret, which is important if you want to see how the ferret will look and behave as an adult. Kits will not be neutered or descented, and may cost either more or less than ferrets at a local pet shop. Some breeders require buyers to sign a contract stating that he/she will have the ferret neutered by a certain age or returned to the breeder for neutering, and the price of that operation is included in the kit's fee. Most breeders do not recommend descenting operations.

Ferret Shelters and Rescues: They have ferrets in need of homes most of the year. The majority of these ferrets have been neutered and been brought up to date on their distemper shots before adoption. Some shelters even have the ferrets inoculated against rabies and descented. Rescues usually have only adult ferrets, but their adoption fees are one-half to one-third of what pet shops or breeders charge.

If you have never owned a ferret, I recommend you start your search with a visit to a ferret rescue. This way, all your questions can be answered, and you can get some hand-on experience. Most ferrets are surrendered because of the owner's lifestyle - not because of a ferret's behavioral problems.

If you want to give a ferret a second chance, but don't have a ferret rescue near you, check with your local animal shelter. Also watch the papers for ferret ads. When a person sells a ferret through a newspaper ad, they usually have all the equipment to go with it.

I usually recommend an adult as your first ferret because

adult ferrets usually are already trained not to nip and to use the litter box in their cage;

adult ferrets' personalities are established.

adult ferrets are fully grown and children won't lose interest as quickly because it has grown from the "hold in your hand" size.

After you have owned a ferret for a while, you may find you can't stop at just one. This is the time to get a baby ferret. Remember, energy levels vary with age, so try to keep your ferrets within two years of age of each other.

What to Look For

No matter where you decide to get your ferret, you should look for the same basic qualities - happiness, health and social graces. Ferrets are happy animals, bouncing off walls, furniture, your legs and each other. Ferrets sleep about 16 hours a day but once awake, they should be bundles of energy.

When to Get a Ferret

Don't get a ferret on impulse. Select a ferret because it appeals to you, not just because of its color or price. Make sure your can afford premium food, a cage, yearly vet visits and shots, pet sitting, neutering and possible old-age operations.

If you are looking for the maximum selection in colors and ages, visit a ferret show. Talk to breeders with ribbons o their cages. Talk to ferret rescues, which frequently attend shows to place adoptees.

Author(s): Pamela Grant, 1996 Ferrets USA

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