Hello all!
 
Well I've gotten permission from my landlord to have a small pet and I've
been reading up on ferrets and want to get one but have a few questions.
 
First let me say I live in the Boston MA area and am bound for the most part
by public transportation (unless I can bribe a friend or co-worker with a
car) so this having been said (and it does relate to my questions) lemme ask:
 
1)  Any suggestions on where to go to get a good ferret cage for one or two
    ferrets?  I dont want to pay an arm and a leg for it, two levels at
    least, three if i can find it under ~150.00 in the Boston area.  I think
    I am goign to start out with one ferret and then bring another one in
    once i get the hang of things.
 
2)  Any suggestions on a good vet in the Boston area that is T accessible?
    I'd really like to find one that has seen ferrets before so I am not
    educating him while I am still educating myself.
 
3)  Is there any advice on a good age for a first ferret for a new ferret
    owner?  I love animals and will spend a lot of time with my ferret but
    dont know if a kit is what I want or do I want one that has "been around
    the block" with another owner?  My concernse are these...with a kit I'm
    one step ahead of her in terms of learning how to train her not to nip,
    or to use the litter box etc.  But with an older one will she adapt well
    with a new owner...I dont know what sorts of ferrets end up at the
    shelter, but should I be terribly concerned that they are there cause
    they are having trouble adjusting to being a loved pet or some other
    reason?
 
4)  Where other then shelters, can someone in the Boston area get a ferret?
    I know someone I asked offered the advice that kits coming from a
    breeder in NY probably have been descented and neutered/spayed at 4
    weeks as opposed to what I'v read to be the better age, 6 weeks.  Any
    particular places I should go look for ferrets (esp kits if I decide to
    go for one).  I'm looking for a female I know that for sure.  Also
    regarding the descenting, a friend who doesnt have a ferret but thought
    about getting one for a time said the descenting doesnt always or work
    well enough.  Is this true and if so how can I tell?  I mean is it
    intuitively obvious?  I've been around descented ones and not noticed
    any particular scent so I dont know if one whos scent glands arent
    completely removed would be obvious to me.
 
Well thats is in terms of specific questions right now.  I'm quite excited
about this and am going to go out and start looking at pet stores for
supplies and what not so any advice you can give to me would be more then
welcome!
 
Look forward to sharing more info with you all.
 
Jeanie
aka pookie
[Posted in FML issue 1619]