About some of Christopher Cilley's questions...(I'm new to this list,
sorry if I'm repeating old info):
 
[Mostly good stuff - saves me having to do it ... again ... ;-).  CRL]
 
Ferrets are basically social animals.  They'll "bond" to you
(especially if you get them as kits) and can get depressed if left
alone for long periods, so if possible I'd recommend getting two--it's
lots of fun to watch them play together, anyway.  Some cats and dogs
get along fine with ferrets and have a great time playing together,
some react violently to ferrets, and some are terrified of them.
Ferrets, however, don't know the meaning of fear and will run up and
play with any critter that happens to wander nearby (for "play" read
"playfully nip at"--not all critters take well to this).  I'd
recommend getting two female ferrets (unless you're interested in
breeding); the males are about twice as large as the females, and the
litter mess from two of them can be kind of stinky.
 
My experience with litter training ferrets is basically they'll use a
box if it's handy but they're not going to run across the room to get
to it.  They tend to go to the bathroom by backing into the nearest
corner, so if the ferrets are going to have their run of your room
you should put a pan (or pile of newspapers) in each corner.  Some
ferrets, though, are quite conscientious about using their pans.
 
I also found they're good at learning to do new things, but not so
good about learning not to do old things--digging, for example, is
pretty basic ferret behavior, as is dragging/pushing things off
tables/ledges/etc.  It's easier to ferret proof the room, I think,
than to teach the ferret not to dig up the houseplants, push the paper
clip box off the desk, flip over the food dish....As for learning
tricks, I never had the patience for it, but my friends taught their
ferrets to push little balls around, to roll over, and to curl up into
a ball and do a flip when tossed in the air.
 
Food cost is negligible--a box of dry catfood a month, some ice cream
or peanut butter, maybe a few peaches or whatever your ferret seems to
like.
 
[We usually recommend a *good* quality cat food.  Such as Science Diet
or Iams.  They eat so little, the premium stuff ain't a burden.
Our vets recommend the low ash varieties.  The most knowledgeable one
said that the "ferret food" is a useless expense.  Dairy products should
be given only in small quantities because it can lead to the runs and
dehydration.  Peanut butter ditto.  Linotone (a dog and cat fur
supplement) is the treat that almost any ferret will prefer over
anything else - but again, it should be given in small quantities -
no more than 2-3 drops/day - it has vitamin A which can be lethal
in high quantities.  Our ferrets have had a wide range of treat
likings - all the way from soda pop to orange slices and peanuts!  CRL]
 
I don't know about costs for neutering, descenting and shots, but be
sure the vet uses live rabies vaccine--the killed type can be fatal.
Find a vet who really knows about ferrets, even if it's expensive.
 
[Females *must* be neutered.  Or they have a darn good chance of dying
of aplastic anemia in their first heat or two unless you breed them.
Breeding them is probably not a good idea either - many ferrets are
getting abandoned once the owner finds out how much neutering costs.
Unneutered males can be quite aggressive with other ferrets.
 
Consult the Winsted or Morton book for more details.  Descenting is
often not necessary - by the time the ferret is 8-10 months old
(which is the prefered time for the operation), you should be able to
tell whether the smell will be objectionable.  Descenting is a tricky
operation and should be avoided if possible.  Up 'ere, a neutering
and descenting costs about $80-$150, depending on the vet's rates and level
of skill.  Find a vet that knows ferrets.  My sister-in-law's ferret
was killed by a vet who didn't quite know what he was doing.
 
Shots are $20-$40.  Ferrets should be vaccinated for canine distemper (which
is moderately common and 100% fatal in ferrets) and feline distemper.
You should have your vet use the egg-cultured vaccine rather than the
ferret-cell culture.  If your vet can't figger that out, I can retrieve
product, and company name from a back issue.  I think you have "live"
and "killed" backwards for the rabies vaccine - check Winsted or Morton -
our copies are still in boxes from our move somewhere...  CRL]
 
Others on the list probably know of more recent books, but I found out
about ferrets from Sara Stein's GREAT PETS! book.  Sara's book THE
EVOLUTION BOOK includes a nifty design for a ferret cage (cages are
recommended for keeping the ferrets from getting underfoot while
vacuuming, exercising, etc.--they don't seem to mind).  Both are
children's books.  Wendy Winstead has also written a very well-done
petstore-series book about ferrets.
 
[Winsted's book is good (pub by TFH and available in just about any pet
store).  Chuck & Fox Morton's book "Ferrets" pub.  Barron's is probably the
best.  Anybody new to ferrets *should* get either the Winsted or Morton book.]
 
/Ned
                                                                          
[Posted in FML 0132]