Sorry for cross posting
 
Hi All,
I went to look at 2 ferrets (2 males, 2 yrs age) for sale with cage (ad in
paper) for $150 locally.  The cage was no bigger then a giunea pigs cage,
just enough room for a small litter tub and side by a sleep area of equal
size.  No food/water in cage, she keeps them in the cage and in morning
she lets them out to go to kitchen to get their food /water and puts them
back in cage until she comes home from work and then they are let out
freely to roam (except bedrooms) until she goes to bed....
 
First I saw the the male albino, who she told me just was a nipper (no
biter), the other ferret (a sable) was covered asleep in cage (he's
supposedly bites!).  Anyway I was just sitting quietly on the floor and
the albino walked over to me and licked me and then bite me and held on
and broke the skin of my hand.  I didn't act alarmed and brushed it off.
 
Then I asked to see the second ferret (sable - the biter) who was asleep.
So they took the covers off him and I saw a almost completely bald
ferret!  She proceeded to tell me how he sheds more then the other ferret
seasonally but it always grows back.  I told her it looked more like he
has adrenal disease and then she proceeded to say "oh yes that too!".  But
never would have told me so...I guess she figured I wouldn't know that.
Good thing I got FFD book & educated myself.  Then I thought being sick I
would expect him to bite.  The owner wouldn't even take him out of the
cage for fear of his biting!  But ofcourse they both bite.  Obviously I
did not but the 2 ferrets.
 
I'm concerned when I buy a ferret I could be getting a biter when I
thought I was told they only nip.  Is it unrealistic to think that some
ferrets for sale don't nip?  I wonder if I should get a kit and at least
then I know I will train the little one not to nip/bite.  Also the albino
started rolling around in his litter.  I thought to myself that I'd roll
around in it too, if it was yout only area to play in the cage!  The owner
never heard of Bitter Apple and when I asked her how she disciplined them,
she said she didn't do anything.  .......My ad is still in the paper so
hopefully I will get a call.  The fellow who lives away who wants to sell
me his 2 ferrets sounds like a good idea to buy them, yet they nip (but
does that really mean "bite") and I hope they are healthy.  It's not the
best thing to buy them when you can't handle them or see them before they
show up on your doorstep and pay for them...travelling distance.  Any
advice would be appreciated, comments.  Confused!  My son is 4 years
old...should I get a kit?  I would prefer an adult that didn't nip but
do all adults nip?  :(
 
Broomie
[Posted in FML issue 3752]