# New ferrets in a few months...



## Akai-Chan (Feb 21, 2009)

So I'm getting a couple of ferrets around August time. Just wondering what sort of cage is best for them? I'll be keeping them indoors and they may well end up being free roaming. I have a spare Jenny cage, would this be big enough if they were out a lot?

Also wondering about diet. Just wondering how much/hwo often I should feed them? I'll be breeding rats to feed them. Just wondering if 2-3 pinks each 3 times a day is enough?

Peace
Akai-Chan


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## ChrisTheGerbilGuy (Aug 9, 2008)

I've never heard of a ferret owner giving pinkies as food


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## Akai-Chan (Feb 21, 2009)

Not live, they'd be frozen at a few weeks old and fed as necessary... Want to give them as natural a diet as possible.

Peace
Akai-Chan


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

the most natural thing would be rabbits.


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## Akai-Chan (Feb 21, 2009)

At the moment I don't have the time or space to breed rabbits and not enough money to buy them. I already breed rats for pets (and sometimes food though I don't like doing so) so that's the most viable option for me at the moment 

Peace
Akai-Chan


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

If anyone finds out your breeding animals and killing them as food i think you can get wrong, You can buy blocks of pet foods i know its not on the bone but its still meat.


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## Akai-Chan (Feb 21, 2009)

It isn't illegal if it's done humanely, if it was how would frozen food companies be able to do it? I know it's not the nicest thing in the world but I've looked at prices for frozen food and chicken etc and I can't afford to be spending that much a month. I wouldn't be breeding hundreds and hundreds of them, just enough for the ferrets to eat. I love all of my rats and I give them the best life I can and any babies that I do need to kill, I do in the most humane way I can. I've discussed this with other ferret owners and they've agreed with me. This is simply the easiest and most cost effective way for me to do this.

Peace
Akai-Chan


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

it dosent cost that much to feed ferrets, I dont agree with breeding animals to kill them sorry, its not nice to post this on a pet forum id feel sick if i owned pet rats and someone posted that, you dont need to feed them in this way. Its not expensive to feed them how will you afford vet bills.


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## Akai-Chan (Feb 21, 2009)

I was only looking for advice on feeding them to start with, I'm not here to cause a fuss. Like I said, it's not a nice thing and I'm going to hate having to do it. I've owned rats for longer than I can remember and it'll be horrible killing them, but like I said it's the most viable thing for me right now. As for vets bills, my aunty is a vet and has always treated any of my animals free of charge (because I do work for her) if they've been ill and she's said she'll happily do the same with the ferrets so that isn't an issue.

Peace
Akai-Chan


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

It wouldnt cost that much to feed a couple of ferrets anyway. I dont see the need to do this.


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## Akai-Chan (Feb 21, 2009)

Ok, for argument sake what would you feed 2 growing male ferrets per day?

Peace
Akai-Chan


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

They would benifit from Lactol kitten replacer milk but this isnt a must, the ferrets will eat maybe 1lb a day between them, in pet shops they sell pet foods minced meats for 40p a lb so that would work out at £2.80 per week

P.S. the meat comes in lots of different types: Chicken,Heart,Liver,Beef,Rabbit.Chicken necks,Turkey so you can vairy the diet and the texture. This also ensures that different vitamins and minirals are fed at different times but most are covered.


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## Akai-Chan (Feb 21, 2009)

Ok but like I said earlier I want to give them as natural a diet as possible AKA raw foods (Mice, rats, chicks or even shop bought chicken on beef). I discussed the option of feeding minced meat pet foods (do you mean like cat food etc?) with their current owner and she's tried to get them to eat it but they won't. I'd be feeding them first thing in the morning and end of the day, and maybe middle of the day too, so 2 or 3 times a day for 2 ferrets? Shop bought meats like chicken and beef are very expensive, so if I were feeding them twice a day every day that adds up to a lot of unnecessary cost. 1lb of chicken a day can cost anything up to a tenner a day, over 7 days that's 70 quid, plus dried food that would be in the cage between mealtimes. I personally don't earn enough money to be forking out between 50-70 quid a week for raw foods, hence why breeding rats is so much easier for me to do as I breed them anyway and can supply enough to keep the ferrets fed without spending lots of money.

Peace
Akai-Chan


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

Im not talking cat food i am talking raw meats that are for animals, look in your local petshop they might sell them look at the prices, where abouts are you? you could also try and locate somewhere that sell Prize choice pet foods heres there site

Natural Frozen Pet Foods - Prize Choice - The Natural Food for Healthy Animals they also sell chunks of meat. its slightly more expensive them my last prices but not much more.


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## marion..d (Nov 12, 2008)

thats ridiclous prices... if it cost that much to feed 2 ferrets, nobody would have them as pets


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

marion..d said:


> thats ridiclous prices... if it cost that much to feed 2 ferrets, nobody would have them as pets


lol i agree Marion


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## Guest (Mar 8, 2009)

Akai-Chan said:


> Shop bought meats like chicken and beef are very expensive, so if I were feeding them twice a day every day that adds up to a lot of unnecessary cost. 1lb of chicken a day can cost anything up to a tenner a day,
> Peace
> Akai-Chan


Where do you do your shopping....HARRODS?


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## ChrisTheGerbilGuy (Aug 9, 2008)

It costs me about £12-£14 a month to feed 4 ferrets! And that's kibble and raw meat.
You would need to feed maybe 4 pinkies per ferret per day! So that means you would need a large amount of breeding rats, either that or you would be breeding them at an alarming rate which isn't fair on them.

At the end of day, it's up to you, but don't expect many people on a pet friendly forum to agree with the culling of any animal.


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## Ratty Loving Monster (Mar 9, 2009)

I cant believe you think life is so black and white. You cant possibly say you love rats when you are quite happy to kill their offspring!

Also if you are constantly feeding pinkies! (just that word pees me off!!!!) your going to make your ferrets extremley poorly they need vitamins and minerals that are found in green foods (which would be naturally ingested by eating rabbits in the wild) so your going to have to feed ferret mix too. You are also going to find your house is going to be REALLY Smelly as the poo of a ferret on that diet is going to be really smelly and slimy!


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## charlotte-missy (Feb 12, 2009)

:mad2: i really can stand people like you sorry but i cant if you have not got the money to buy real food treats then dont get them :nono:
freezing baby rats at 3 weeks or over or younger they can still feel the pain! 
i love rats and every other pet you need to stop and think what you are doing please dont get them they will be living a life of hell with you feeding my rats alone cost 43.96 a month just on food and some treats then the vet bills 
jenny rat cages are lovely for size but a pain for cleaning out and the bars start to smell after a while and yep your house sure will smell even with the window open  cost loads of money to buy care fresh! please dont kill them babies please stop breeding there are loads of unwanted pets out there as it is dont bring any more into a life of hell sorry for being rude i have seen a few things in my time and yer most people do give the poor things live with the blood coming out of its month and bum its life but you dont have to do it do you? please take something in from what i have said

and if you dont like it go to Reptile Forums UK - Care, Pictures, Classifieds & More they mite help you!!!

i realy dont mind if i get kicked of for saying that to you 
you need to no your cruel


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