As a former shelter mom, I feel qualified to comment on this.  Whether you
choose to adopt a shelter ferret or buy a baby from Petco, you should be
aware that the baby from Petco has NOT had all of their shots.  They will
have had their FIRST distemper shot, will need TWO more AND the rabies
shot.  If you figure $25 for a vet visit (just guessing here), you're
talking about an additional $75 you will need to spend on your baby ferret
before they have had all of their shots.  So then your baby ferret ends up
being more than twice as expensive as the shelter ferret instead of only
$25 more.  Also, many baby ferrets are nippy and have to be litter box
trained.  If you're willing and able to deal with that, wonderful!  If
not, do yourself and the ferret a favor and adopt an older one.  There are
many wonderful things about baby ferrets and many wonderful things about
shelter ferrets, so don't make your decision based solely on money issues.
 
Good luck with finding the right ferret(s) for your family!
 
Sara & her ferrets 4 (two from a shelter, two bought as babies)
[Posted in FML issue 3692]