Right number depends on how much attention you can give them and how much
care, plus what you can afford.
 
Tip: be careful to have ages a good bit different if you add more.
Otherwise, you will be going through the loss of many at about the
same time and that is very, very, very hard.
 
Also, more ferrets will be more difficult to manage financially.  Last year
our ferret costs (for 7) added up to $7,155, Because circumstances have led
to us having four who are in the same general age group plus an older one,
each of the next 3 or 4 years WILL will be more expensive for care, and in
at least one year far more expensive.  That is a chunk of reality we simply
have to deal with by doing without something else in our budgeting; it will
be manageable for us and far easier than the mourning when we finally lose
several close to each other, but for someone with fewer years of saving (I
turned 50 last year and Steve is a scant year and half younger than I am)
it could be a very real hardship for all.
 
If you are in strapped financial circumstances but want your ferret to have
a friend see about your local shelters' fostering policies.  Some provide
medical care for the fosters while the foster parent provides the day to
day care and the day to day costs.  By also having the ferret of a somewhat
different age you will also benefit.  This also is a great way to help
shelters, not as good as an adoption at times, but still a very real help.
 
It's sweet to think that "All You Need Is Love", but love doesn't control
blood sugar drops, find out how to best treat cardiomyopathy, provide
emergency surgery for a blockage, etc.  Wish it could, but sometimes in
this life we just have to be optimally practical as a true kindness to
others.  In this case the others are the ferrets, so seek a workable
solution for your family's own needs, whether that is no addition, an
adoption or adoptions, or a foster or fosters.  What is right for others'
families is not necessarily right for your's.
[Posted in FML issue 3287]