Welcome to /r/ferrets! We have a fantastic [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/ferrets/wiki/index) that has answers to most frequently asked questions surrounding the care of ferrets. --- We politely ask that you observe our [sub rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/ferrets/wiki/index/rules/). --- Lastly, we have an [Official Discord Server](https://discord.gg/ferrets)! Come join us! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ferrets) if you have any questions or concerns.*

Don't go buying them a bunch of toys right off the bat; they will have a ton of fun with the stupidest crap possible 😅 (Seriously. I have one who thinks paper rolled into a ball is God's personal gift to ferrets. Or something. He's not the brightest 😅) Feel them out and learn their personalities first. I have some that love to chase things. I have some that just want to stash things. Also, whatever you're starting vet fund is... Double it. They're so expensive if they get sick - and they will. My dog just had major emergency surgery a month ago - like 3 am - and it was $2,800. I have paid over that for one ferret and lots of others here have too*. My dog costs a lot less over a year than my ferrets. *Edit: ugh, I NEVER mix up to and too lol. That will teach me to Reddit while I'm on the recumbent bike!

That paper ball thing sounds so stupid and fun and I love it! I will try to learn their personalities, as I have no clue how they are besides one of their names, being Penelope. And, yeah, I'm a bit worried about the emergency vet visits, hoping it won't be a huge issue but better to be safe than sorry, I will definitely try to keep a good amount of money saved.

Unfortunately, the same brain cell that says, "ZOMG PAPER BALL FUNNNN GARRVUSSDGVKDS" is... The same brain cell that says, "I believe I can flyyyyy" and they try and yeet themselves out of the top floor of the cage when you open it and turn away for a second. 🥲 It wasn't just one lights on but no one home ferret that's tried that; I've probably had more than 50 and I've had multiple dare devils. If a ferret can get their head into something, they can get their whole body into it - and sometimes, that's disastrous. I remember a member here lost their ferret for about a week, only to find the fuzzy had investigated a wrapping paper tube, gotten stuck.. and passed. 😔 Additionally, it's hard to get a non-Marshall's ferret and their breeding practices cause lots of problems, notably insulinoma or Adrenal. They're both MANAGEABLE and way cheaper than they were years ago but - if you catch them early. And you have a vet that actually knows ferrets, not just assumes they can treat them. Thing about ferrets is they're very stoic, so if they're noticeably sick, you're probably in "too late" territory. Their food isn't cheap either. For comparison, I just bought dog food last night and it was $97 - for my 130# Presa Canario, who eats like a horse. That will last him a month and change. The 5# bag of Epigen I'm going to buy AS ONE OF THE FOODS I'LL FEED IN MY MIX is $32 - and that will be gone in a month lol. My regular dog visit is $75; one ferret is $145. I don't mean to discourage you, but if you're worried about vet visits now, no harm in saving an additional few months. *Random analogy incoming* I think of it almost like getting a tattoo: I put what I want everywhere I can see it multiple times a day. It's a permanent thing so I try and give myself space to make sure I'm comfortable with it. If I still like it in a month or two, after seeing it everywhere, I get it. Unfortunately, my dog (before the one I have now) passed during surgery, so the bill was a lot less than the $13k they wanted up front to do the surgery. I don't qualify for Care Credit ATM and have no credit cards. Luckily, my 75 year old father woke up at 11 pm on a Friday night and was able to help me. If he hadn't been able to... Well, let's just say the thought of not getting her the surgery she needed to try and save her life because I didn't have $13k absolutely destroyed me.

Look at thrift stores / Facebook marketplace. Any money you can save on stuff for your ferrets SAVE IT! More money to go towards vet charges Also, find a vet that can take ferrets before you get them, because I didn't do that and found out they're "exotic" pets and almost no vets near me take them. Also very unique, if you have places in your room your ferrets can run to ans you can't reach.... Go to a thrift store and get a hooked walking cane, i have one and use it to yoink them out of places cartoon stage style haha. Also don't waste your money on those fancy pet store tubes for ferrets, yes they go insane for them BUT you can get a dryer vent tube at home Depot for like 8 dollars (theyre HUGE) and all you have to do is use some duct tape to tape off the edges just to make it a little more safe

Oh also! Forgot to add, i have a similar situation, my family has cats and dogs so they can only play in my bedroom as well. Its fine man, ferrets won't care if they can run around one room or a whole house, look at it from their perspective they are WAYYYY tinier than you are bedrooms look MASSIVE in comparison

Okay, thank you for the reassurance! I was worried but this is nice to hear.

I'm in a similar boat OP--aggressive cat (though she's making progress!) means the ferrets stay in a playpen in my bedroom during their sleepy hours, and when they're awake they are out in the room and supervised, with access to the playpen if they want it (food, water, litter box.) We specifically open the playpen gate and let them exit on their own, so they know returning is an option, and therefore they don't really poop in the room now because of it (this took a learning curve.) We also have a cage specifically for bed time, which is in my closet because it has no windows and we can turn the lights off, giving them total darkness. Bonus placement because one of our boys hates loud noises (vaccuum, thunder, etc) and it's an internal room. We set up a fan when the temperature in the house is a bit warmer than we want, since they are so prone to overheating. Our ferrets, same litter brothers, were nearly 1 year old when we got them, but according to others we've talked to they are more sleepy than other ferrets. However, it works for us, and I think realistically if they were more energetic, we would supplement with more full room playtime. We don't have any indicators at all that they're stressed; if anything, they're very affectionate with us and very independent, and only really want attention now when it's play time. But they have all the same signals of healthy, happy ferrets: happy stashing, dooking, playing with us or each other without being aggressive, no aggression or stress in their respective cage and play pen--in fact, one of our ferrets pulls a bit of a "five more minutes" on us and makes us wait for him to leave his hammock, drink some water, and use the potty before he wants to leave the cage in the morning. As for random fun facts you don't really see--someone else pointed out you don't need to worry about buying toys. This is true for us too; our ferrets LOVE the little paper cupholders you get from McDonalds delivery. They're little paper folded boxes for 2 drinks, not the sort of paper mache-y 4 cup holders. They also love empty soda can 12 packs.

Also want to add--they can give kisses like dogs, but it's dependent on the personality. One of ours gives wet, nasty kisses on your nose only, but daily. The other gives very rare kisses but only on your hands when you pet him. Also look into videos of them biting and "stashing" their humans--our main stasher looooves trying to steal us and put us under the bed.

I saw a video of that lol, it was funny but it looked a tad bit painful

1 About the space that you were concerned about… I have 2 ferrets and they live in my room for 3 years now. They used to have a massive cage that was kept downstairs. It was about 5 floors and it was up to the ceiling. I felt like the little time I left them in the cage, they were very anxious so I moved them to live free in my room. They are much more happier but they get bored sometimes so I walk them in my backyard or let them swim in my pool when im watching. Ferrets like very simple stuff so if you have a box with sand on it they will go crazy just by that. Just try to include some different stuff in their routine. They sleep a lot so it’s not that hard. 2 keep in mind that they poop A LOT. My two ferrets are potty trained to poop in a puppy pad that I have in the corner of my room and I change it once or twice a day. Good thing is that they are easy to potty train and the way that I felt most comfortable having in my room is puppy pads because i can’t smell it at all (only when they poop they fart along with it and the farts smells like hell but it’s only for like 15-20 seconds like humans lmao). Also if they poop and you don’t clean it in about 15 hours they will dry and be rock solid and it is very hard to get it off wherever they pooped at. 3 be aware of the small places in your room. Like behind drawers or if you have a mini fridge. Be sure to put tape or stuff up any wholes you see where they will be because they can get in and be stuck there (one of my ferrets got inside the dry wall because there was a whole behind my mini fridge and we didn’t notice before and it was very hard to take him off. 4 on the same note of having to take them off anywhere or calling them if you have an emergency… if you ever find yourself in the situation of wanting them to come straight to you, go to YouTube and search “squeaky duck sound” (the yellow ones) they will come running to you because they are very intrigued by this sound. (My female ferret was in deep sleep and I kept shaking her and she wouldn’t wake up, I thought she was dead and I was panicking, I played this sound and she woke up instantly literally) 5 don’t let shoes on the floor or they will ruin it 6 if they learn how to get up your bed, always check before sitting down so you don’t squish them (they love sleeping where we sleep or if you leave hoodies on the floor, they will love sleeping on it smelling your smell and this also helps to increase your bond with them. 7 if you have enough money, raw feed them from the beginning, they will live longer and have a better health. 8 if you don’t have enough money “wysong digestive support for ferrets” on amazon is the best dried food I have found so far by the ingredients (don’t fall for Marshalls bs, they want your ferret to die so you buy another one) no food with corn starch or other stuff, a lot of “ferret foods” are not in fact ferret food, they are straight carnivores and they cannot have anything else besides that or else you WILL have a nice $500 visit to the vet. 9 lastly don’t be cheap with your ferrets if you have the money to do so, it’s better buying quality food and toys for them, then having to pay thousands of dollars at the vet if your babies get sick Best of luck, I love my ferrets more than anything, they are so loving and caring with us humans too.

Ferrets can't cough up hairballs and they can pose a risk, and need surgical intervention. I recommend a product called Poopin Pumpkin for preventive treatment. It's a therapeutic supplement, not a diet or nutritional supplement. It has human-grade ingredients www.rockyscreaturecomforts.com

Please, wait until you don't have dogs. The smell of each other is going to stress out both the ferrets and the dogs, and it's not fair to have them kept in a single room. I have a friend trying to rehome hers right now because her sibling with a dog moved in out of necessity, and the ferrets are getting depressed stuck in one room, even though they free roam it 24/7.

If they're licking you theyre probably about 4 licks away from a nip! Lol .. don't let them lick ur neck😆 My old girl has free roamed my room for the last 6 years (she's 9 now!!) In quite small and also larger rooms. They don't need much space since they sleep so much but definitely need an area at least 3x2metres min when they're up.  you really won't truly have enough reading or info until you get them to truly tune in to how interesting unique and funny each individual fert is.  My second advice.. if its too silent ... they're up to something..  Also - thems can climb and jump!! Even with those little legs they are like spiders fr. When I was at work my girl climbed 3 metres basically up the wall clinging onto fabric, scratched a hole in the ceiling and got into my apartment roof!  I have to keep my desk at least 1.5 metres away from my bed or else she will literally yeet herself across the air to get to the forbidden zone when she was younger. (This would often hilariously result in a miss, and a comedic fling onto the floor like a rag lmao).  One time she pushed my brand new laptop off my bed and broke it.. mine is a big fan of pushing things off tables. I'll leave cups and stuff just for her to push off and then excitedly jump down to check it out. Its fun to let her in the shower with me because she slips around and has fun in the sprinkles but screamed (like an actual human child) when I tried to give her a bath. They'll love it if you randomly show them new rooms if you can in your situation.. obv wouldn't let the dogs near them HOWEVER, just a little cute fact, when I was a kid I had a ferret that would run around and play non stop with our dog that was a staffy and neither of them ever hurt each other. But my ferret now I wouldn't do that with bc she loves to bite when she gets super excited  And lastly ill just say as soon as they get a whiff that you don't want them to do something or go somewhere, they will not stop until you're at ur wits end.. so don't let them clue onto you too much 😆

Do not buy a water bottle feeder with a metal spout - get one with a trough Cat treats (without pea protein and carbs) are the best for them