I have been reading for months about people asking questions about getting
this dog or that with a ferret.  As it is that time when there are many
kittens available at your shelters-please realize that POTENTIALLY, a great
deal of extra work and expense and vet bills could be involved if you take
in a cat when you already have a ferret thAT i HAVE NOT SEEN DISCUSSED
HERE..
 
                                Problems:
 
1.The cat is a finicky creature.  Mine will not use a litter box the
ferrets have recently used.  Nor does he want the ferrets touching HIS
property-territorial trait, I guess.  So he sprinkles and poops in as many
litter boxes as he can to convey ownership and territorial rights.  At
least that is what he told me.
 
2.The ferrets will not poop in a stinky cat contaminated litter box.  So,
they poop on the floor beside the box after leaping in the box and smelling
cat stuff.  I have gone from a 90 percent hit rate to a 50 percenter.  This
equates into considerable mistakes in a large ferret household.
 
3.The time involved cleaning up is one thing.  Then there is the expense of
paper towels-which cost me hundreds of dollars a year.  Then there is the
disinfectant fee: I buy a giant container of the stuff, and distribute it
into spray containers throughout the house.  More time and expense.  And
then there are the garbage bags needed to put all the paper towels in.  It
adds up to a lot of money ----all because I have a cat.
 
4.Worse yet is the destruction of my carpet.  Poop cleaning once in a spot
leaves the carpet in good shape.  Cleaning up poop 100 times in the same
area is destroying my living room carpeting as it destroyed the bedrooms
and kitchen.
 
5.I cannot clean up cat poop fast enough-literally.  The sooner I find it
in the box and scoop it out-the better the chance the ferrets will use the
box.  Part of my life consists of poop patrol.  Do you want that to have to
be a part of your life??
 
6.But-next problem-after not using the box consistently because of cat poop
in their litter box -- some have developed bad habits they did not have
before.
 
As an adoring mother and as an aside:
One of my ferrets-Sunny Rhino Mudd-is unusual in this house, as he loves
to play in cat pee!!!!!  and kick the litter all over.  LOL He fell in
the toilet this morning.  I am thinking of changing his name to Mr.
Pee-body. :-) ))  When he is covered in cat litter with stinky stuff
clinging to him-- he leaps through the air to land on my thigh with his
stinky poopie body and climbs up me for a kiss.That ferret shampoo is not
cheap.  Nor is constant dry cleaning necessitated by a flying cat pooped
ferret.
 
Worse problem: the food dilemma
 
7.Cat dies early and vet bills mount
Ferrets must have food left out for them all day.  As free roam ferrets for
half the day or more-food is left on the floor for them.  The cats eat this
high fat content food and can get fat and diabetic.  Bring on the vet bills
and medications and early death of your cat..  Notice I say CAN.  I have
one cat who is still slim.  But my feral cat has become obese.  He will not
live as long due to this problem which I have tried-and still am working on
a solution.
 
8.Ferret dies early
The ferrets love the cats diet food.  They eat food low in fat and the cat
eats their food.Ferrets NEED A HIGH FAT CONTENT IN THEIR FOOD.  Closing
doors to keep the ferrets away from the cat food means holes in my carpet
and is not a solution until I have finished tiling everywhere.  Even
then-they destroy doors.  AT least, mine do.
 
Not all people have free roam ferrets and cats.  But for those that do
have free roam ferrets and want a cat or kitten-don't get yourself in a
situation where you will give your ferret up because of the situation you
have created.
 
I have created a mess here.  It is my fault and my responsibility.  I am
tiling all the rooms because it is needed to be able to clean up poopies.
I cannot have certain flooring I would like becaUSE it would be scratched
by the litter in my 14 litter boxes.
 
I am demented, I guess.  I have never regretted my decision to save a
starving feral cat or take in sick ferrets and the cost and destruction
and time this has led to.  But you may be VERY sorry.
 
Just thought I would share with my FML family.  Lots of people I know
bringing home kittens lately.
 
Lisette
[Posted in FML issue 3102]