Joy (i think) asked about the initial and extended costs of ferret
ownership, so i sat down and wrote up a list. i may have forgotten
something, tho.
Allowing 4 ounces of food daily, that's ~104 pounds of food per year. If
you buy 20 pound bags at $30 per, that's ~$150 for food yearly.
Figure an initial exam for $20, three distemper shots at $12.50 each, and a
rabies shot for $10. That's $67.50 for vet costs for one year. I allow
$150 per animal for my crew, just in case of emergency.
I completely dump and refill my litter boxes daily, but i have 10 ferrets
using ~5 litter boxes. Figure a big bag of cheap litter at $3, and you use
2 bags per month. Say $75 per year for litter, and this can vary
considerably by how much you use and how much you pay.
Cages vary considerably, and it will help if you or someone you know is
handy and can build one. Figure ~$100 for a really nice big cage, but you
can get away with spending less. Throw in a $10 hammock, a $5 water bottle
and an $8 dollar food dish, $2 for a small litter pan. Toweling or carpet
samples works well to cover wire bottoms, and can be had for nothing, or
nearly that. Total cost for cage needs... $125.
Figure an additional $50 for toys, treats, and stuff like ferretone
and laxatone.
Total initial cost-- $100 for ferret
$125 for cage
$293 $68 for vet
yearly costs--------- $150 for food
$75 for litter
$275 $50 for miscellaneous stuff
This cost can be greatly decreased by getting a ferret from a shelter,
as it may come with a cage, shots will be current and there shouldn't
be any major health problems immediately. The ferret would also tend
to be litter trained already, so you wouldn't have to refill the "sand
box" three times a day when the litter darling decided to play in it.
Good luck.
val
"Shamrock"
[log in to unmask] Valeriane Luke McNeill
Biology major/CS minor Marine Biology/Zoology
[Posted in FML issue 1458]
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