ferret question!

[*blackrose]

Still don't know if I'll be getting ferrets again....but with Biggs having his health issues (), it may happen sooner as opposed to later, if it will happen at all. Which leads me to my question.

Is it better to get two kits at once, or just get one kit, wait a few months, then get the other? I've never had two kits at once. With Casey, I had her for a year before I added Dameon. And Rinnie and Ruben were adult rescues. Casey was a bit put off when I brought Dameon home, but she was a gentle soul and Dameon was, well...Dameon. Once he grew up a bit, and was less intense all of the time, they got along much better.

I can think of the pros of two kits being that they can have an immediate companion and playmate. And since they'd be from the same group, they'd already be bonded. But is it difficult to properly train two kits at the same time? I'm envisioning trying to litter box train and teach manners to two kits at once and my mind goes a little . Or does having a pair make it easier, because they have a playmate? (Kind of like with kittens?)

Any major cons to adopting one, then adding another a few months down the line? Or is it best to get two at once?

(For my own personal reasons, I will be adopting kits/adolescents this time around, not adults.)

 

[JessLough]

Well, I'm not really sure there's a real pro vs con of it, but if you got two at the same time, from the same place, you pretty well know that they will get along.

Ella is the only one I got even somewhat young (8 months), and despite having a perfectly-litterbox-trained ferret in the cage with her, she never really got litterbox training. I doubt that's because she had another in there though, I probably just didn't care enough/suck at litter training. LOL That said, I doubt two would be harder than one... you're doing the same thing really -- small area, litterbox in one corner, beds and food dish in other corners.

Nipping would probably be easier to do with two, since they'll have a playmate and won't be looking at you to play with all the time.

Basically, I don't think it would really matter, but I'd probably do two at once, so you only have to go through litter training once

For the record, Allie got Porom and Palom together. A few months later, I started really visiting with Rascal often. I'd say they were just as comfortable with Rascal as they were with each other, though Rascal's laid back personality likely helped a *lot* with that.

That said, Renegade and Rogue came to me as a bonded pair, and would absolutely not accept Rascal. Renegade did accept Harley, but she was brought in specifically for Renegade a few days after Rogue died. So something to think about regardless of when you get two, if there was another that came along later.

 

[*blackrose]

Good point about only doing litter box training once! That is the one thing I am NOT looking forward to.

I don't think I'd be adding a third in their lifetime, so that shouldn't be an issue. Two ferrets is where I'm most happy.

I guess I'll just see whats available when I'm looking! I think I'm leaning towards two at once, but if just one happens that's fine, too.

 

[PennyD]

Hello everyone,

Has anyone had any experiences regarding ferrets ruining your carpet and furniture? What can you do to stop these behaviors? As you can understand, they are quite disruptive when behaving like this.

Thanks!

 

[*blackrose]

Hello everyone,

Has anyone had any experiences regarding ferrets ruining your carpet and furniture? What can you do to stop these behaviors? As you can understand, they are quite disruptive when behaving like this.

Thanks!

Oooooooh, yes. LOL

Honestly, though, it depends on your set up and the ferrets. When my ferrets were free range in my bedroom and only caged at night, they tore up the carpet by the doors (digging) and ripped the cloth off the boxspring aunder the bed (to crawl up into it). This was solved by putting a plastic sheet under the doors and setting the bed flat on the ground.

When I was in my apartment and just had my senior Dameon (God, I miss that boy) I would let him run loose while I was home to supervise and he never tore up anything. Kits are obviously much more mischevious. My girl Casey once climbed up my clothes in my closet and knocked down all of the storage boxes at the top of the closet on to the floor.

Honestly, the biggest "destruction" was from their poop/potty accidents on the floor. Even the best of trained ferrets WILL poop in corners that don't have a box in them...even with my senior boy, I had to place puppy pads in his favorite spots in order to keep my rental carpet safe. With my free roam ferrets, there were a few places we didn't realize they were defecating in until there was a nice pile. The carpet was stained in places even after we solved the problem with management. Hard wood floors would have been amazing.

 

[GoingPostal]

Ferrets aren't really trainable when it comes to that sort of thing. We had them in two apartments with carpet and it was awful. You can put down newspaper or plastic sheeting around corners and doorways. When we bought a house we ripped out the carpet and put down plastic over the hardwoods. We had a rug but it just trapped odors and once one peed there it was free game for all. Impossible to keep clean. We also bought a futon rather than a sofa so they couldn't ruin it but for the most part they are in the ferret room loose all the time and supervised only in the other rooms. There's nothing fabric furniture wise other than a cat tree in their area. One of mine got out when we were gone and promptly scratched up a huge section of new carpet in front of our bedroom, they are very destructive persistent brats.

 

[PennyD]

Oooooooh, yes. LOL

Honestly, though, it depends on your set up and the ferrets. When my ferrets were free range in my bedroom and only caged at night, they tore up the carpet by the doors (digging) and ripped the cloth off the boxspring aunder the bed (to crawl up into it). This was solved by putting a plastic sheet under the doors and setting the bed flat on the ground.

When I was in my apartment and just had my senior Dameon (God, I miss that boy) I would let him run loose while I was home to supervise and he never tore up anything. Kits are obviously much more mischevious. My girl Casey once climbed up my clothes in my closet and knocked down all of the storage boxes at the top of the closet on to the floor.

Honestly, the biggest "destruction" was from their poop/potty accidents on the floor. Even the best of trained ferrets WILL poop in corners that don't have a box in them...even with my senior boy, I had to place puppy pads in his favorite spots in order to keep my rental carpet safe. With my free roam ferrets, there were a few places we didn't realize they were defecating in until there was a nice pile. The carpet was stained in places even after we solved the problem with management. Hard wood floors would have been amazing.

Daemon sounds awesome! I hope my ferret gets to that point one day..
He's still is in his "Death to Socks" phase..
I'll have to try the plastic under the doors.

Thanks, Blackrose!!!!

-Penny D