What does it mean to buy cheap ferrets?
Are there cheap ferrets for sale near me?
If you want to know if buying a cheap ferret is a good choice for you, then this is the post you should read. Here I will share with you what it means to buy ferrets for cheap, where can you get them and what are alternatives to that. I will also mention what are good budget-friendly ferret items and which items you should invest more money in and why.
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How Much Are Cheap Ferrets?
It is hard to determine one price for a ferret, but we can separate them into two categories – cheap and expensive ones. The cheap ferret’s price is around $100-$150. Those ferrets are mostly sold in pet stores that hold ferrets or by some breeders. As you can imagine, a cheap ferret comes with a few downsides and I will mention them later in the article.
Other, more expensive ferrets can go up to $500 or more, depending on the type of ferret. The more expensive ferrets are ferrets sold by high-quality and professional ferret breeders that are specialized in one or two types of ferrets. You can read more about ferret breeders if you are interested in what is included in that price.
Ferret Farm Ferrets
Ferrets you can get in a pet store are actually ferrets from ferret mills, aka ferret farms. Those farms are large-scale ferret breeders that have hundreds of ferrets in one place, bred solely for commercial purposes. They are selling them to pet stores and research facilities. Since you are looking for cheap ferrets for sale, we will only mention ferrets that are sold in pet shops here. If you want to know more about some of the biggest ferret mills, read my post about ferret farms.
Backyard Ferret Breeders
The second way to get a ferret for cheap is to contact a breeder. But, the problem with those ferret breeders is that they aren’t serious or professional breeders. They are called “backyard breeders” and they don’t treat ferrets the right way, no matter if they plan to sell them or keep them.
Why Shouldn’t You Buy Cheap Ferrets?
By buying cheap ferrets you are encouraging ferret farms, pet shops, and bad ferret breeders to continue with their work. But, the work they do isn’t good and it shouldn’t continue. They don’t handle existing ferrets nor future ones the way any animal deserves. No matter if we are talking about farms, shops or breeders, they all o the same things. You can read them below:
Living Conditions Are Bad
Ferret farms, shops that sell ferrets, and bad breeders have ferrets in too small cages or tanks, most of those cages are dirty. The worst situation is in ferret farms since they not only put ferrets in small cages, they put many ferrets together so it is pretty crowded in there. Most of those cages aren’t clean in a long time so you can expect to receive fleas with your ferret too. There is a chance you will get some other unwanted guests.
People Don’t Care About Genetics
Another pretty important reason why you should avoid cheap ferrets for sale is that people breed ferrets with similar genetic material. That means they use ferrets they already have so there is no diversity. From time to time they get new ferrets but it is not as common as it should be. With that in mind, you have to realize that those ferrets have more medical problems than ferrets with better genetic structures.
Ferrets Aren’t Socialized
There are two ways you can screw up ferret socialization. The first one is to take it away from his mother too early. Another is if a breeder, as a human, doesn’t work with him since the beginning. When you take a ferret from his mother, the mother won’t have a chance to show how to act to the kit. She won’t correct bad behaviors and show how to act in some situations. If a breeder doesn’t hold a ferret, the ferret won’t get used to the handling and the ferret will bite. Ferrets explore by biting and a young ferret doesn’t know it is bad to bite. So, if you get cheap baby ferrets for sale, prepare to teach them how to stop biting, how to use the litter box, etc.
Ferrets Are Neutered Too Early
This fact is mostly reserved for ferret farms since they tend to neutered/spay ferrets before they ship them to pet stores. That usually happens when a ferret is a month to two old. A good time to neuter or spay the ferret, depending on the gender, is around 9 months of age, up to one year. So, ferret farms do that way too early and those ferrets have a higher chance to develop serious medical problems like an adrenal disease than ferrets that go through that in good time. Also, there is a higher chance for those ferrets to get sick around 3 years of age, which is way too early.
Ferrets Are Descented
This is another fact mostly reserved to ferret farms. Ferret farms descent a ferret at the same time they neuter/spay it. Descenting is a process that means removing anal glands from a ferret. The reason why would anyone do it is to reduce the ferret smell. But, the problem with descenting is that it doesn’t reduce the ferret smell. You can read here to see what it actually does. Just like other animals, there is more than one source of smell on a ferret’s body. By descenting a ferret, one removes one source. The other source is located all over the ferret’s body and there are ways to keep it under control. If you are curious about that, read my post about reducing the ferret smell.
Adoption Is A Better Choice
If you really want to have a ferret and you are looking for cheap ferrets, the best option I would recommend is to adopt a ferret. Adoption will give you a chance to give one animal a second chance. The adoption fee is similar to the price of cheap ferrets for sale but it is a much better option in so many ways. So, for around $100-$150 you can have a good ferret and a good source of information from a ferret shelter.
Shelters Take Care Of Ferrets
Most ferret shelters are held by people who love ferrets so you can be sure that those ferrets live in good places with many toys, other ferrets and they receive care and love. People in ferret shelters don’t see ferrets are a way to earn money. They are there to take care of ferrets and to provide them a better life.
You Can Choose A Ferret
Once you get to the ferret shelter, you will see that they have many ferrets in their care. That means you can choose a ferret based on gender, color, pattern, even age. Although it is not that common for shelters to have kits, most of them have young, adult, and old ferrets.
They Will Help You Pick
As I have already mentioned, people in ferret shelters care about their ferrets. That means it is in their interest to give you a ferret that will fit your lifestyle best. They don’t want to give you the ferret and you come back after some time because things didn’t work out. You can describe to them your routine, interests, and wishes and they will do their best to provide you with a perfect match.
They Can Refuse You
This is actually very important although it doesn’t sound good. If a person from a ferret shelter feels that a ferret is not a good pet for you, you aren’t ready or you aren’t serious, they can refuse your offer. This is perfect proof that their main goal is the ferret’s well-being and not to get rid of every ferret they have in their center.
What Makes Expensive Ferrets Better?
More expensive ferrets are ones you can buy from good breeders. Yes, you will have to have a healthier budget for him, but you will receive more from it. For example, good ferret breeders take care of genetic material which results in healthier ferrets with a longer life span. Also, they work with their ferrets. That means you will get a good ferret, a ferret that doesn’t bite and knows to use a litter box. Now, the only thing left is how to pick a good ferret breeder.
Conclusion
When you consider all those factors, you could say that cheap ferrets will save you money in the beginning, but in the long run, they might even cost you more than others. Cheap ferrets come with fragile health and a lack of socialization so you will have to have time reserved just for their “rehabilitation”. By boycotting ferret farms and bad ferret breeders you are lowering their chance of succes which means that they will stop doing that in the future. What are your thoughts on that? Share them with us right below!
