I think it's great that you are actually stopping to consider the
conseqences BEFORE going of to college.  I think that you really KNOW that
you should not get two more ferrets two years before going to college and
then leave them with your parents, and that's why you are asking for
advice.
 
There are several reasons that you should wait until you graduate from
college to increase your 'animal family'.  First of all it is VERY generous
of your parents to offer to take care of 2 ferrets.  Its a big job and
believe me 4 ferrets is an even bigger job, the poop seems to increase
exponentially!  If I were you I wouldn't want to risk ticking the parents
off so much that after 1 month of taking care of 4 ferrets they decide new
homes have to be found.
 
Are your parents willing to let them out to play (mine said they would, but
didn't when they kept one ferret for 2 months).  4 ferrets in one cage will
get a LOT of pent up energy and will need to play a lot.
 
Another reason is this.  If you already have 2 ferrets in two years they
will be that much older, and you will have 2 younger ferrets of about 2
years of age.  With more ferrets and at such a age spread theres a good
chance that one or more of them will develop an illness (just based on
sample size).  Would your parents be willing to hand feed a sick ferret 3-4
times a day, and pay hundreds of dollars in medical expenses?  Would you be
happy knowing that one of your beloved animals was sick and you coudn't be
the one to take care of them?  One sick animal can be a financial burden,
two sick animals can be a downright lifestyle changer.
 
Along the lines of money, figure out how much shots each year for 4 ferrets
are.  It's upwards of $100/year.  I could be wrong, but I'm suspecting that
as a, what, sophomore, in highschool you are probabley not paying for your
ferret's upkeep.  I apologize if this is not correct.  But they can be
expensive and that's a big burden to ask your parents to take on.
 
It doesn't seem so long ago that I was this age, and concerns about money
and other people were not foremost on my mind.  Think about what you're
asking of other people, think about the time and money involved.  Think
about the fact that your life is going to be changing so much in the next
4 years.  You will not beleive me when I say it, but I will anyway... you
are going to be a very different person in 4 years.  Your priorities will
change, your outlooks will change, your financial situation will change.
Be the responsibe pet owner that I think you are, and do what you can to
help your parents take care of the 2 ferrets you have; enjoy them and wait
until you get your degree to make any decisions about getting more.
 
Best Wishes,
Leigh W.
[Posted in FML issue 3160]