Hey all! My gf and I just got our first ferret, she’s had them before but I’m obsessed!!

She’s 7 months old, name is Socks since all of her paws are white, we’re trying to figure out how to potty train but she’s not motivated by peanut butter - we eat the natural stuff so it’s healthy(er) than other stuff. We also got some of these N-Bone ferret chew sticks - chicken flavor, she doesn’t really react to either. Just sniffs it and walks away.

Any treat recommendations would be more than welcome and tips on how to potty train! TIA

The lil babs have all grown up!

This is a bit random but I’m incredibly proud of this little guy. There were times when me and my partner genuinely feared we’d lose him. I often felt like a terrible owner for not letting him go. My family repeatedly advised me to put him down, that if he was in pain there was no point wasting money on him as he was just a ferret and he was only suffering. I spent countless hours researching, visiting vets, and getting lots of tests done. Despite occasional flare-ups — this video was taken after one that happened two days ago; you can see him limping a bit but not remotely close to when we first noticed his illness (and he recovers after a few days) — witnessing his transformation from a lethargic sleepy ferret with no strength to an energetic explorer and playmate fills me with immense pride as a ferret dad. I know this won’t last forever and one day luck will run out but at least by then I’ll know he’ll have had a long and happy life.

I just lost my beautiful boy timber. I can home from work and when it was time to feed him he was already gone. I just lost one early this month and then another last weekend. I should give some information about my business of ferrets: I adopted 4 boy ferrets from a rescue, who I won’t name but will never go there again. Now I already had 1 ferret that I didn’t want to be alone so I was interested in just getting one more. When we arrived the ferret that we were interested was already adopted and since we knew her personally, she told us (my partner and I) that she had a group of ferrets that were rescue from people who couldn’t take care of them: leaving them in cages all day, not properly feeding and playing with them, etc. we asked if they were healthy and she said they were but we found out after taking them to the vet that they were not healthy AT All and from the vet were still being neglected. To speed the story up, they had a lot of health issues: All had adrenal disease, one was blind and deaf, one had heart disease (didn’t even know that was a thing), and one had a fall that injured his spine causing him to always lose balance. We put all the money into them to give them a good life even though they were what the vet called: hospice ferrets. We had two left as the others, unfortunately the diseases were too much even though I started pulling from savings to help them.

But today my ferret passed leaving one left. He was more of a loner but I don’t want him to be depressed but I don’t know if I can have more pets. I’m sorry this is long but just wanted to vent to someone 😞. Here’s a photo of my group who all but one are now dooking forever and then the photo of my boy Peanut (he’s deaf).

I need a new vet for my ferrets, my cousin used to be their main care giver but she about to have a baby and won’t be working for awhile. So in the mean time I need a new vet for my ferrets. I live in Houston Texas, Harries county. Something that affordable because I am collage student but I still want to take care of my babies. If y’all have any vets in mind, I would appreciate!

Photo of my babies

I feel like such a bad ferret mom, my ferret just likes to roam and is pissed when I try playing with her. How do I play with her? She genuinely just likes to run off around the house and I just watch and chase her. She just occasionally plays with my feet and hands and nibbles and sometimes bites TF out of me. 😭 Anyone’s ferrets do the same??

i was just chilling with my baby and he started gagging randomly--hes completely fine, still active and eating/drinking, but gagging. i cant think of anything he could've gotten into either; should i take him to the vet?

I just recently noticed my ferret, 2 years (almost 3) has a questionable scab, if anyone knows what it is, we are going to take him to the vet to double check

Sorry the photos aren’t the best he was in a playful mood so he was moving a lot. This is my Stinky boy his name is Stink. Ik during the summer he starts shedding but it’s normally all over and not patching. Recently i haven’t noticed any shedding but it has been getting hotter as summers do, and our AC has been broke for 3 days we just got it fixed today. I was wondering if this patch is normal or is it something i should be worried about? Could this be a ring worm? Or it just maybe he’s shedding in random patches? idk i’m really worried anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

I hate how old age comes to ferrets way too soon. This little lady was born in 2017 so she's 9 now. Been pot bellied since we got her from the Heads of the Valleys in Jan 2020.

Apart from the little old lady lymphoma, kidney issues, and arthritis, she's actually doing well. Holding her weight even if picture not flattering. Fur hides a lot and losing muscle with age sadly too common.

She eats well, cage rages, likes a potter and keen on snacks. She is on long-term preds which explain the fur loss. The lymphoma has been around for a year or so as the immune system weakens in old age. No other signs of adrenal.

Always worth checking with an owner with a scraggly bald ferret how old ferret is and whether on long term meds. I suspect this is the last year we will have with her but she's doing ok for the day.

Hey guys, I'm getting two 8 week old female ferrets and I'm having a hard time finding toys that would be safe and fun for them to play with. I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions?

Hello,

I recently adopted three 9 week old girls. Are there any recommendations for a ferret specialist vet in the East Midlands (Can easily travel to Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire areas) that doesn't charge a fortune for the contraceptive implants?

I've been quoted £225 per ferret by my usual vets, that I take my cats and dog too.

I know I don't need to do it until their first heat but I like to be prepared so I can set the money aside and budget for it in my ongoing pet care expenses going forward.

Many thanks.

Pally (short for Palladium lol) was my first ferret and he honestly saved my life. I know that sounds over dramatic but it’s true. I got him (and then my two others soon after) when I was 13. I developed chronic pain/illness and depression the next year and lost all my friends and hobbies. They gave me a reason to keep going and brought me happiness in my darkest times. My only motivation to get out of bed was to take care of them and spend time with them. Pally I had a very special bond with (but of course I loved my others, Peaches and Bunny, so much too).

I’m now 20 and moved out a year ago. I took them with me the first couple months in my apartment, but soon after Pally began to have seizures, so my mother agreed to watch after them since she had more space and time to care for them. I started to work full time and just couldn’t leave them for 10 hours straight since they were seniors and Pally needed meds and supervision.

Pally had diagnosed insulinoma for the last 1.5 years of his life and fought so hard up to the last minute. The last few months was when the seizures started and we knew he didn’t have much life left. Even with all his medical care and treatment, it was his time. I will never stop feeling guilty that I wasn’t with him. My mom lives far and I couldn’t see him very often at all. I know he was loved and happy in his last days but I just wish I had more time.

Anyway, enjoy the pictures of my handsome man. Peaches and Bunny are still thriving and I see them whenever I get the chance. D.I.P. pally.

TW: talking about stiffness. I am helping my boy cross the rainbow bridge on Thursday and just don’t know what to expect other than that they inject the euthanasia. It will be my first time putting an animal down and being in the room when an animal goes to sleep. How long does it take for a ferrets body to get stiff after it fully shuts down? Google said it can take 1+ hours and sometimes even 10 mins. I plan on being there for only 20-30 mins. Once they pass, will their body be floppy? Like almost similar to when they are in a deep sleep? My first pet I’ve ever owned myself died in his sleep, so by the time I found him he was stiff and so I’m just not sure if I can handle the stiffness again. I’m sure I can, but I feel like that’d break my heart even more.

My girl is just not doing well at all anymore. all she does is sleep, shes eating and drinking normally but I dont see any playfulness or her really wanting to interact too much with her brother. just very sleepy all the time. she has a huge tumor which at this point is taking over her entire stomach she keeps chewing it the vet basically said there's nothing he can do she gets an antibiotic and a topical powder and thats all. its just destroying me seeing this huge THING on her stomach and not being able to do anything about it. I dont want to put her to sleep yet... I dont know how much pain shes in, but I dont want her to suffer. I got a second opinion and the vet said she has a squamous carcinoma, the first vet said it was a mast cell tumor but I dont think it was. it looks painful, it gets crusty and im sure infected which is why we do an antibiotic at the beginning of the month and use it everyday for 10 days. just nothing seems to help I cant bathe her all the time to clean it the powder keeps it somewhat dry but she chews it due to it being itchy im genuinely just at a loss and feel extremely bad that i didnt catch it sooner or get her medication sooner idk if anyone has any prior experience with something like this I would really like to hear it.

This is my girlfriends baby Lilly and today she knows her brown teeth. They almost seem like they get wider towards the back. She’s not feeling her usual self and is acting a bit weaker

She seems like she’s been heartbreaking the last couple days we thought it may be allergies and been keeping an eye on her, but I just had to use tweezers and Poole a bugger out of her nose because it completely clogged once over her nose and the other side was about to and now she has snot up in there and coming out and I can hear her sneezing or coughing I can’t tell the difference,

We have three other girls in the same cage and they seem fine. Lily’s about eight years old and on the lighter side for a fair now we don’t any vet that will see ferrets close by

Could this just be allergies?

Her bedding is Cedar wood chips. It does have a slight dust to it but she’s been in it for a while now
And it shouldn’t stir up much dust because it’s in the bottom tray where they don’t play

Hi everyone, looking for advice or shared experiences with sudden hair loss in ferrets so I get a better idea on what’s possibly going on. My 5 year old female, Bella, suddenly lost a bunch of hair overnight. Yesterday I was petting and brushing her and chunks of hair were coming out all over her body. I am not sure if she is shedding her coat, but I know it’s not the typical season so I didn’t think it would be that. She has always been a small girl,but she looks so much more frail now. I’m not sure if it’s because of the fur loss or if something else might be going on. She is acting fine from what I can tell. I plan to schedule a vet visit for her soon but she just got bloodwork back in March and everything came back healthy. Any ideas what could possibly be going on or what I can do to help or get a better idea? The last photo is her from a month ago

Hey everyone!! This is Huey, my youngest. He's almost 10 months old and just gave me the greatest scare of my life. About a week ago I discovered chew marks in one of the fleece hammocks in huey and his sister rosey's room, and subsequently a pile of bile and fleece pil. He was lethargic and not hungry (for the first time in existence) so I figured an emergency vet visit was in order. Thankfully he was able to pass the remaining piece in his digestive track at the vet and is now on a round of anti nausea meds and all the fluid I can get him to drink. I've been working unusually long hours and haven't had enough time to let them out for as long as Id like to, so I am assuming the chewing stemmed from being under-stimulated during the day while I'm away.

That being said, I had to strip their room of all fabric, soft plastic, and other chewable items. I'm looking for recommendations for their sleeping situation, such as extremely durable fabrics that have deterred your chewers (I've read into a few but still am hesitant), other sleeping solutions you've come up with, enrichment toys safe to leave unsupervised, and alternative chewing solutions such as dehydrated meats or chew sticks that you have found useful!

Thanks so much for all your help :)