Today, I caught my little gal with something in her mouth.  She has always
been the feisty one of the group and now I can say "I have a ferret that
likes to sneak into the garbage in the early morning hours and bite the
used ends off of q-tips!" This should make for a very scary campfire story
(lol).  My hubby missed the garbage and she found it on the floor.  I think
I will tell him she likes his ear wax and that we don't need q-tips anymore
because she can clean his ears for him (yuck), who knows, he just might
enjoy this!  Yes it made me laugh but I was not being careful enough and
it could have resulted in a bad situation - BAD MOMMY!
 
To the gentleman who asked "what kind of nest egg do I need?"  Here is my
experience.  Depending on the vet, you will be faced with various expenses.
Some vets still consider ferrets "exotic pets" so they justify charging
more while others who see many ferrets, are reasonable.  Make sure you can
afford quality care.  It is not easy to put a price tag on how much you
will need but I can tell you that just basic care - annual exam, shots,
etc...will run you about $75-$100 depending on your vet (don't jump on this
people, I am only relaying what I have seen in my area).  If your ferret
has an emergency or develops cancer, etc...you can expect some high
amounts.  The main thing is that you provide lots of attention, love and
care.  If you are new to the ferret thing, make sure you do some research
about ferret care.  You have already come to the right spot to begin the
process.  Ferretcentral.org is a good source for other information.  For
supplies, theferretstore.com is the BEST place to go - they are cheaper
than stores, very friendly and very helpful.  You are looking at quite an
investment if you consider the food, toys and a cage (assuming you are
getting a cage, which is always good for a first time ferret owner).
You are definitely on the right track and it sounds like you will be an
excellent ferret parent.
 
I just recd a sample of theferretstore food, and here is what I discovered.
My female LOVED it, and the others just regarded it as ok.  I am going to
mix it in with Totally Ferret and Innova, for a more complete diet.  I
have always done this because I got burned once before when the food I
was feeding, went off the market - that was fun.
 
Hope all is well for all of you and yours.
 
DMC
[Posted in FML issue 3093]