>Keith Welding <[log in to unmask]>
>Are ferret shelters good place to get ferrets or should you buy them
>from a pet store?
 
Shelters are a great place to get a ferret, IMHO, much, much better then a
pet store.
 
Shelter ferrets are a "known quanitiy."
 
What I mean by that is, someone who runs a shelter knows a bit about
ferrets.  The shelter operator will know much more about the ferret's
temperment/personality, it's habits and how well it knows the rules of
living in the house - like litter box training, the knocking over of
things.  Even how this ferret feels about other ferrets.  Pet stores just
don't have the time to learn these things, plus most of the ferrets they
have are babies.  If you've never had a ferret before or are trying to
integrate a new ferret with some exsisting ones, the Shelter operator's
knowledge about the animal can be very helpful in making the whole
situation as smooth as possible.
 
Ferrets in shelters need homes.
 
Those ferrets generally were purchased at the petstore and surrendered
because the owner could not care for them or did not know what they were
getting into.  Some times shelter ferrets are surrendered because they are
older and develop health problems and ferret owners cannot commit to
keeping a pet through both good and bad.  Shelters are a nice place to be
for a ferret that didn't get what they needed with their former owners,
but, honestly, the ferret is intended to be there on a temporay basis and
is much happier in your home, with you.
 
Adopting a ferret from a shelter usually means you have lots of help!
 
A shelter operator is more then happy to be there, for advice with your
ferret and also, to make sure that a ferret is going to be the right pet
for you.  Lots of shelters are associated with clubs that have education
and fun activities for ferrets and people.  Adopting a shelter ferret can
open a door to a lot of fun associations.  Not that these things are denied
the person buying from a pet store, but there can be a certain cameraderie
with other people adopting from a shelter.
 
We have one shelter ferret.  Sophie is eternally grateful to live a loved
and cared for life.  You can see it in her happiness living with us and our
other ferrets.  She may not live as long as the rest of our crew due to
some health problems she had when she was abandoned and we really don't
know her age for sure, but we are happy to give her a good home.
 
Ann
[Posted in FML issue 2274]