# Ferrets in heat, whats my best option?



## PippinsMummy (Sep 7, 2011)

Hi there! I thought i'd post in here and see if anyone has any advice on my fuzzies!

I have two Ferret Jills, they are 11 months old and have just come into their first heat. I know the subject is controversial, but personally i wanted my girls to have at least one heat before they are spayed, which is why they were not spayed before.

At the moment, i can't afford to get them both spayed. The cheapest is £80 each. Which i cannot do as i'm currently paying for my two dogs to be fixed.

My boyfriend and i are discussing the best route to take on this one.

1. 
Get a vacectomised Hob. 
cost: £40.
The Hob will bring my girls out of season. giving me time to gather funds for their spaying. Plus, it would be a rescue ferret, so i would be giving a loving home to someone. I completly stress that i'm not getting a male purely for servicing my females, the Hob would be another member of my family and loved and looked after for the entirety of his life.

The downside to this would be that i cannot get one until April 15 at the earliest, due to the hobs i have my eye on not yet having their castration.

How long is it safe for them to be in heat?

option 
2. Jill Jab
Cost: £40 for both.
This is the other option i can go with, however i do not know alot about them, i've heard stories of it not being good for ferrets. Does anyone use this method and have any info to share?

3. Renting a hob.
There are people who "stud" their hobs out, though it could be weeks until i find someone available for this. 

Are their any other options for me.
Please note, spaying is NOT an option financially for me this season. And breeding is out of the question as i do not feel experienced enough to handle kittens.


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## wraig ffured (Mar 29, 2012)

Hey hun 

Ok so personally, I would go for the vasectomised hob. If you're not in a financial position to get your girls payed just yet (I feel your pain, trust me lol) then I imagine you would not be able to afford to breed & rear half a dozen kits for 8 weeks of their life. I AM biased in this, I don't agree with breeding in these kinds of situations but thats because I've taken on ferrets who have been "accidentally" bred/bred without serious thought.

Jill jabbing is controversial; you will find some people rave about it whilst others condemn it saying they're harmful. 

At least if you got your snipped hob it would be a one time donation to a shelter and then it doesn't matter when you can afford to get your girls done, you can have them brought out of season naturally.

Hope I helped


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## ferretwumun5 (Mar 5, 2009)

you could jill jab first or ask about the hormone implant and its costs this is a chemical spay/castration it last about 18 month
a v hob is fine if hes been vasectomised properly this procedure can go wrong if the hobs tubes reattach you could end up with two pregnant jills 
plus rented v hobs can carry STDs 
remember you need to do something as the jills will stay in season till brought out one way or another if you do nothing the jills will suffer and die not a nice thought


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