# Does anybody own Ferrets or Hedgehogs?



## raving_ratties (Sep 2, 2013)

I am very interested in other types of rodent-like animals. Having been a previous hamster and mouse owner (and now being a dedicated rat owner) I enjoy taking in different types of animals to see what necessities they need, and what things they need that are more different than a rats' needs. Ferrets and hedgehogs really interest me. Though I will probably never be able to test out these animals due to my situations at home, I'd like to hear from other owners of these animals what it's like to own them. 

Owning a ferret will be a struggle for me. I will need a much bigger cage, their odor is much more potent than a virtually scentless rat, and after being a vegetarian for 6 years, I find it hard to have to prepare a raw meat meal for them everyday. But they do interest me a lot. I enjoy the fact that they are so playful, and just about any toy you buy for them they'll play with. (I think that I speak for everyone here when I say that rat's can be very neglecting of the toys you buy them.) So, what are ferrets like?

Also, hedgehogs. They are so adorable! I read that they are pretty low maintenance. I haven't really heard anything negative about them, no aggression or biting or anything like that. What are they like? Any feedback would be great. Thanks!


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## Xerneas (Aug 6, 2013)

Ferrets are great pets but they are a huge responsibility. They are like a mini cat or dog. They need vet checkups and shots, ear/teeth cleaning and their odour is something you need to get used to as getting their glands removed increases the risk of adrenal disease. They also require lots of free time out of the cage. But they are very mischievious and playful and overall great for people who have the patience and time for them.

My best friend owns a hedgehog and I'd arguably say they aren't low maintenance. Her hedgehog is so cute and she loves her tons but ferrets and hedgies I'd say are on the more intermediate and advanced side. Hedgehogs actually need higher temps or they'll go into hibernation which is easily fatal. Their diet can be tricky as well and they usually need to get fed a high quality cat or dog kibble and like to have insects supplied. You have to pluck any ingrown quills which usually happen during quilling (basically like baby teeth but with quills). 

As for temperament, they open up to you, but are shy at first and easily startled by loud noises and will ball up and require some patience and calmness to socialise but when you get them used to you they're very fun, cute and interesting pets


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## JLSaufl (Jan 20, 2013)

Degus are great little critters to have. They're like giant gerbils. I've never had any by they have a colony of them at the reptile store where I purchase my harlan teklad. They have them in a a large (85 gallon?) saltwater style aqurarium which is about a third full with aspen and paper shreds and they love to dig and play in them. 

They're relatively low maintenance and if properly socialized are very sweet and fun.

As far as ferrets, I love them - when they belong to other people. They're a huge responsibility and they can be really smelly. However, they're ADORABLE and when socialized, SO sweet and snuggly. 

The only hedgies I know are Eastern European, I'm not familiar with the African Pygmy variety at all.


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## raving_ratties (Sep 2, 2013)

Yeah, I don't think I could handle ferrets. I read about a woman who had to wake up at four in the morning to make their meal and kept them out for free range for a total of 6 hours. :/ Definitely not the pet for me. And, Degus? I only heard about those once..and I think it was when a woman was ranting about how to full grown ones wouldn't fit in a CN or something haha. They do seem very cute though.


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## TexasRatties (Jun 2, 2013)

Ferrets are adorable and fun but they are smelly and trouble makers lol.


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## ratpvnx (Sep 26, 2013)

I've got a hedgehog! They are really sweet and fairly low maintenance. You just have to spend a lot of time getting them warmed up to you
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## JLSaufl (Jan 20, 2013)

raving_ratties said:


> Yeah, I don't think I could handle ferrets. I read about a woman who had to wake up at four in the morning to make their meal and kept them out for free range for a total of 6 hours. :/ Definitely not the pet for me. And, Degus? I only heard about those once..and I think it was when a woman was ranting about how to full grown ones wouldn't fit in a CN or something haha. They do seem very cute though.


LOL, degus do require a lot of space, and need to be kept in pairs or better, a CN is more than enough room for 2-3 of them. They need about double the space as rats, because they love to bounce around and be crazy. A DCN would comfortably fit 5-6 of them.


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## raving_ratties (Sep 2, 2013)

Since there are no hedgehog breeders around me (are those even real? lol) I decided to look on the internet for any sites selling hogs and they're pricey! 182 dollars for one adolescent.


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## watts300 (Aug 3, 2013)

I had two ferrets about 12 years ago. They're a handful to say the least. They're persistent little buggers that want to be everywhere and get in everything. 

I would tell any one that's seriously considering ferrets to read websites, forums, and watch videos until you're blue in the face. Get as much information about their behavior as you can. Their medical care is what you can probably expect from any other animal: sometimes they need it, sometimes they don't, sometimes you have to spend a lot of money on it. But their behavior and eccentricities are unique and it's difficult to be prepared. 

There's just no way I could over emphasize that a good descriptor for them is "troublemaker." 

That's a summary, nutshell, of their cons. The pros are obvious.  




Here's a link to a thread from a few weeks ago about some one interested in ferrets. It has a few opinions worth reading. 
http://www.ratforum.com/showthread.php?t=102266


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## ratpvnx (Sep 26, 2013)

Yeah they are pretty pricey, but they're totally worth it! The times you have playing with them or watching them scurry around with a toilet paper tube on their heads make up for the price ♥ I haven't heard of many hedgehog breeders around ut if you look hard enough there might be a pet store that sells them. I visited the local aquarium/pet store and one day the had just randomly started hedgehogs!


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## Xerneas (Aug 6, 2013)

Yes, hedgehog breeders are real; my friend got hers from a breeder. I imagine them to be uncommon but they are around.


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## raving_ratties (Sep 2, 2013)

So much information.  One more ferret question: do they need to be kept in pairs, or more, like rats? Or will one ferret live fine? 


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## watts300 (Aug 3, 2013)

Ferrets prefer to have partners. 


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## xolectic (Oct 2, 2013)

Ferrets are cool but they can be quite mean. They are not rodents, if you look at the teeth they look nothing like a rodent. Ferrets are fun pets but harder to take care of than rats.


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## September (Jul 30, 2013)

I don't have any real experience, but I want to say that ferrets are crazy inventive. They will always, always find a way to get in trouble. (one of my aunts had one when I was younger and she was constantly chasing it down and looking for whatever it had stolen at that moment.) I've thought about one but I would like to smell one's home before committing lol.

ETA: Also, she treated it like a dog in the sense that it was given run of the apartment during the day and caged at night. That seemed to work well for both of them


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## HeatherElle (Aug 16, 2012)

We had a hedgehog. I wouldn't recommend them. They are expensive, antisocial, high maintenance and they stink. No offense to anyone who loves them, lol, they just weren't for us. I would definitely pick a ferret over a hedgehog.


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## EverGreen (Oct 25, 2013)

I had a hedgehog as well, and I had to rehome him shortly after bringing him home. I know that sounds terrible, but he was incredibly antisocial, grumpy constantly and I had a HORRIBLE allergic reaction to his saliva. Every single time he would pop at me, or I would get poked too hard by his quills, my hands would immediately begin to burn as if on fire. I did find that hedgehogs seem to have more of a sweet smell, instead of musky like ferrets or guinea pigs. (I also can't have guinea pigs, rabbits or chinchillas because I'm allergic to hay)

Ferrets are adorable and a little stinky. I know they can be hard to litter train and my cousin had one that picked a corner in his house to potty. No matter how many types of litter boxes he put in that corner he would either move the box or go right next to it.


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## silverfox (Aug 29, 2013)

I had a hedgie that I lost along with several other animals when my furnace broke a few years ago in the middle of winter and my landlord refused to fix it for several months. Anyway, Javo was a very sweet little guy. He prickled a bit but if you let him sniff you and he knew who you were, he would come out of his defense pose and lick you half to death. The poo is a bit stinky and at first, you have a hard time believing such a large pellet could come out of such a small animal. He loved his wheel (which was custom made from somebody on the hedgie forum I visited). He loved his mealworms and he loved his igloo. They aren't for everyone and you have to remember that they are night creatures, but if it turns out you like them as pets, you'll be hooked.


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## Pandandelion (Oct 20, 2013)

Hedgehogs can be very high maintenance and I wouldn't really recommend them for someone who isn't totally dedicated to "putting up" with one. I work with 3 of them and their diets are very specific and none of them are very fond of being handled; they don't bite but they will curl up and huff every time you touch them. We also have to handle them with gloves because of this, which isn't fun but it's a necessary safety precaution. You can handle them without but you run the risk of them pricking you. They're also very messy! While they don't poop that much in their cage, they DO poop when they run in their wheels and they need to be scrubbed down every day. A heating pad is also a necessity and you need to keep it in the same spot, always.
Degus are cute and interesting, I work with a pair of them as well. They're extremely energetic and you need to keep a close eye on them when you've got them out or their cage is open because they will RUN. They can be trained to an extent, too. Lots of toys are a necessity for them because they're out and about more than rats are and are avid chewers. Their diets are also specialized, too because of health concerns. 
As for ferrets.... I've always loved them, the 2 we have are very old and do nothing more than sleep, really. A friend of mine owns a few and they're little mischief makers! They'll steal anything and everything and they can be quite destructive, too. I've also noticed that some of them are more prone to having nasty attitudes but that could just be the ones I've come in contact with. They've all got lots of personality but I'm not super familiar with them.

Also, I've noticed you live in PA, too. Hedgehogs AND degus are illegal here! Your best bet might be ferrets, honestly; if not for the care then definitely for the legality issues.


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## silverfox (Aug 29, 2013)

In PA, are short tailed possums illegal? If not, that may be another option. Don't know much about them however. You do also have gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and mice as an option (assuming they are legal).


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## raving_ratties (Sep 2, 2013)

silverfox said:


> In PA, are short tailed possums illegal? If not, that may be another option. Don't know much about them however. You do also have gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and mice as an option (assuming they are legal).


I haven't heard anything about then being illegal. I didn't even know opossums could be owned! Haha. I actually was contemplating getting either gerbils, guinea pigs, or mice again a bit ago. I had one male mouse about 2 months ago (whom I gave to a trusted friend) but he was very stinky.  he marked the entire cage only about a day after cleaning it. But for some reason, I want two female mice again. 


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## silverfox (Aug 29, 2013)

Short tail possums are small, rat-sized. Maybe smaller. They're typically brown and have a hard bite, but they're interesting.


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## raving_ratties (Sep 2, 2013)

Really? I'll have to look into them. I've never even heard of short tailed opossums before haha! 


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