# I have a question about rats and ferrets.......



## ratlover01 (Feb 21, 2009)

i am just wondering....
i have owned rats before but they have all passed away. i am now interested in getting a ferret. i am just wondeirng if anyone here owns a ferret could tell me if they have a much different personalitly from a rat? i'm just curious. Because i am looking for something different. i don't have anything against rats, its just i am wanting a something new. 
thanks!
ratlover01


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## Andrew273 (Jan 25, 2008)

I have a ferret. They are basically like a really friendly cat that can live in a cage when your mad at it, sleeping, or not home. They're a bit smarter than rats and much more comical.


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

Thanks for asking and not jumping into purchasing one. Try to visit a couple of ferrets at a rescue, shelter or at a friends and talk to their owners so you can make an educated choice. There are way too many ferrets in the rescues because of impulse adoptions. They also live longer than rats so the commitment will be longer.


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## Andrew273 (Jan 25, 2008)

Ferrets live up to 15 years. Males can also still produce a musky scent even after they are fixed. The smell is less but it is still there. Younger ones can be rather stubborn to litter train and you need to empty the litter pan every day or two. Their food can be relatively expensive compared to a rat. They require more attention especially if you only keep one. You also have to trim their nails which many people never need to do for their rats. Female ferrets MUST be fixed or they can die from anemia (they are induced ovulators like cats).

From someone who bought a baby ferret from a petstore: Adopt! The older they are, the easier they are to train and the less bitey they usually are.


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## my_ratters (Mar 27, 2009)

there active more they say they are like rats


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## dodgingflames (Apr 1, 2009)

Ferrets are MUCH different than rats. They're more like toddlers than pets. They HAVE to have out time daily and can be destructive critters so you have to watch them when they're out. There is no such thing as ferret proofing 

They're as curious as rats, as active as small children or puppies, but you van cage them more than you can a small child ;P

Oh and they smell. A lot. At least in my experience.


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## my_ratters (Mar 27, 2009)

oh yea they smell alot i foregot to put that!!!!!!!!11111


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## littlematchstick (Apr 12, 2009)

I have 3 ferrets and they are A LOT more work then my 8 rats! Theyre a tempramental bunch. They spill their food everywhere and after a year, I still cant get my boy litter trained. The girls are a little more behaved, but not much!

Theyre very hyper, and bigger then a rat *obviously* so can cause bigger messes! Theyre very energetic and loved to play and wrestle with your hands and such. They love to play in tubes and make this cute little noise (called duking) when theyre hyper. You also need to bathe them *unless you can handle the musky smell*. The boys usually smell a little more then the girls.

I didn't look to see where your from, but if you buy from the store..all the ferrets will be fixed and decented. Its a requirement. If you buy from a breeder, some don't pay for the fix. 

Theyre a lot of fun, but also a lot of work and need a lot of attention. And if you get a ferret, and decide to get rats in the future, DO NOT let them play together. Im sure there are rare instances where rats and ferrets can be friends, but thats usually not the case. The ferret will hunt them. I have both rats and ferrets, but I have to keep them seperated. Theyre housed in the same room, but the ferrets dont play in there cause I dont want them getting to the rats at all.

P.S. ferrets like to steal and hide things....watch your keys...and pens/pencils...haha


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## MissHinasaki (Jul 29, 2009)

I've had a few ferrets (it's been years) and my boyfriend is currently baby sitting one for about a week and it's a good reminder of exactly how much trouble they get into! Ferret proofing is a very difficult task as they will most likely thwart most of your counteractions. They are extremely energetic and need to be out of the cage a lot. You really need to keep a close eye on them and will never ever fully be litter trained. There play is a bit aggressive and they aren't much for cuddling since they're always on the move (when they aren't sleeping for about 18 hours a day, and that isn't an exaggeration). 

As for there smell, I kind of enjoy it. I'm just weird, though. It's reminiscent of a wet dog. You can now buy sprays for them though that make them smell baby fresh. I was a bit weirded out by how nice smelling the ferret we're watching smelt.

The stealing things was a big problem with ours. They would steal anything from socks and stuffed animals to those huge phones from the 90s (that's when we had them). A few times the even successfully stole our wired computer mouse. They would then drag them _inside_ of our couch. They can be quite the trouble makers. At least they don't chew on things too much since they aren't rodents.

And I don't think their smarter than rats. Perhaps a bit more insane, but I wouldn't say smarter.


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## chiklet1503 (Jun 12, 2009)

When I was younger we used to have 2 ferrets and one day they decided to chew a hole in the couch and hide out for 2 days. Anytime we tried to reach in to get them, they nipped us. I suppose ours weren't very friendly and I was young then lol. 

I think my rats are much friendlier and seem to seek out attention where the ferrets were more interested in doing whatever. I guess is depends on individual personalities though.


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## MissHinasaki (Jul 29, 2009)

They probably aren't the best in a house with small children either. I've seen them nip babies before. Also they used to steal my brothers food when he wasn't looking. (They also killed our parrot! :'( )

One time when my brother was very young, about when we were starting to potty train him, one of our ferrets when missing. We usually knew when they lounging in the couch because there would be lots or rustling noises since they all liked to be in the same place. We kept looking and looking and finally we asked my little brother if he had seen Tasha and he said, "She had to go potty!" Sure enough, he had seen her going in the corner and since we had been potty training him, he thought she should use the toilet, too. We ran to the bathroom and there she was, swimming in the toilet. 

So I guess the moral of that is to not let little kids around ferrets (or other small animals for that matter) for another reason.


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## toby (May 11, 2009)

i had ferrets growing up and my son has had them since he was a small boy. they are very smart and very demanding, they also play rough so sometimes people can mistake that for aggression.
my son had a small Jill which used to follow him through the fields.. they're great.


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## silverlollipops (Sep 6, 2009)

is it a good idea to get multiple ferrets and keep them in a single cage?


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## littlematchstick (Apr 12, 2009)

i have 2 ferrets in a single cage...Ive had up to 4 in one cage at a time..they love to interract and play together...but obviously..the more ferrets..the bigger the cage..so keep that in mind


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