Ohhh ferrets. They truly are adorable. Those cute little faces and whiskers, the tiny soft bodies, and inquisitive eyes. What’s not to love?! But before you go rushing to your nearest pet store to purchase a new friend this Chandler pet sitter wanted you to have the lowdown on all things ferrets. As the previous owner of 2 ferrets, I have the inside scoop on what it’s like to have a ferret as a pet companion.

First of all ferrets require a LOT of attention. They are not an animal that should be kept in cages for hours on end and if this is your idea of what a ferret’s life is, then they are definitely not for you.  Ferrets are very curious and exploratory little guys and they need several hours a day out of their cages. In fact the word ferret means thief in Latin – which brings me to my next pointer. If you choose to get a ferret, plan on things going missing, often. 🙂 I can’t tell you how many times I had to go looking for keys, pencils,pen caps, cat toys and anything else small enough for my ferret to haul off. They love to take things and create a hoarding stash. It’s funny and not funny, all at the same time. Funny if you watch it happening, less funny saaayyy, if you’re late for an appointment and can’t locate your keys for the 3rd time that week.

Second, ferrets have a very distinct musky smell that not all people can tolerate. Most pet store ferrets have been demusked but there is still an odor that is present in any room that your ferret pal will inhabit. Sure air fresheners, etc. will help but its important to know this going in.

Next important point about ferrets is that they do not live a very long time. Average life span is 6-8 years. And medical care for ferrets can get quite costly. I had one surgery for my ferret that ran over $1000, but it gave me another full year with her and I was happy for it. If you want a pet that will be with you for many, many years, a ferret is not a good choice. Trust me those years go by very quickly!

If, however you can get past these few things, then a ferret does indeed make a wonderful pet. They are trainable (they can be taught to potty in a litter box and to walk on a leash), insatiably curious their entire lives, and have the exuberance of a kitten until they are very old. Once you have seen a happy ferret dance of joy (where they are pouncing and bouncing all over the place over nothing), it’s not something you will forget. If you do opt to get a ferret companion, please opt to get two because they enjoy the companionship and fun of another ferret.

So take it from this pet sitter in Chandler – ferrets are a very enjoyable pet companion to have and we enjoy pet sitting for a couple of our clients who have them.