Well I kind of both agree and disagree with that statement.  They are low
maintenance in many ways...
 
- You can rest and never worry about having to take them for walks.
- You never have to worry about them barking and disturbing the neighbors.
- They aren't really territorial, and wont go around marking your
  furniture (as long as they are altered right?)
 
All in all I would say they were a little more to deal with than cats,
but much less that dogs.
 
You just empty their boxes, make sure they have clean water and good
food and lots of love and fun, and a safe enviroment. They also dont
require hours of grooming like some cats and dogs do.
 
However, as far as vet bills go, I have never spent so much money as I have
on my ferrets.  They do seem to run up a bill when they do have to go.  And
you can't ignore them like cats, or they will certainly make your ankles pay
for it.  They aren't as well known as cats or dogs, so a ferret caretaker
must be very well educated too.  I have also noticed they tend to "miss" the
box more than cats...but on the bright side, I would say I would drather
step on ferret doo, than cat or dog doo.  Besides, when will I be romping
around the corners of my room to step in such doo?  On another bright side,
their toys are cheaper.  All in all they are cheaper to amuse than dogs.  I
dont have to spend 12 bucks on a rawhide strip that will be gone in an hour.
I just can give them a paper bag, unmatched sock, or cardboard box and they
will be quite happy.  Now the really weird thing, they eat more than my dogs
do.  Now what kind of dogs do I have you might ask?  Siberian huskies, one
at 40 lbs and another at 60lbs...But then siberian huskies dont eat hardly
nothing...so it isn't hard for my chow hounds to out eat them!  The dogs
will eat 2 cups a day...with some left over (but its summer too, and their
appetites are way down in summer) and my ferrets would eat 3 cups a day if
I would let them.  Okay, so my ferrets are fat, so what?  I tried cutting
them down, but they act nuts.
 
All in all I would have to say that my ferrets (aside from a few couch
pillows disguised as cats I once had) are the lowest maintenance pets I
have had to date.  But for the uneducated person, I think that statement
could prove to be dangerous.  These are not Ball pythons that you throw a
mouse to once every few weeks.  But when you have dealt with siberian
huskys who need constant obediance reminders, and need to dog proof
everything, or when your comparing them to persian cats who need constant
grooming, or tropical fish who need their tank monitored and cleaned out,
they seem pretty easy to me.  But maybe that is because the joy i get from
them greatly shadows any trouble they might be?  Anyone else agree?
 
Oh, and for a cute story.  The person talking about the troll doll babies
made me think of something cute Shandy has been doing.  Now Shandy has never
had babies.  She was spayed at 6 months of age.  But here lately she has
decided this huge stuffed dog I have is her baby.  It has a squeeker in its
ear, and gives a squeek when the ferrets tromp on it.  Shandy hears this and
comes to the rescue!  And tries to pull this purple fuzzy dog under her
chair!  This dog is about five times her size.  And just to be sneaky, I
will pull it out and give it a squeek, and boy does she get mad and chatters
at me, and pulls her big purple baby back under her chair.  Is this ferret
confused or what???
 
Chelle
Gypsy "I am low maintenance mom, just fill up the food bowl and I will
get to it later after my nap"
Hugo "Low maintenance, Shah, where's the soap? I wanna eat some soap!"
Shandy "Would you leave my baby alone!? And stop calling him funny
looking, you will give this big purple squeeky ferret a complex!"
[Posted in FML issue 2411]