The obvious answer is yes.... well maybe.

Here we are at the end of ferret week. This week we have talked about the difference between ferrets and pole cats, the slink-o-dynamics of ferret anatomy, managing the unique bouquet of a ferret, and even introduced you to some obnoxiously cute ferrets.

Now that we have your interest... Lets attack the question: Is a ferret right for you? The easy answer is yes, but as ferrets.org states about half of ferrets are abandoned in the first six months. Ferrets are demanding little buggers. Typically a ferret will sleep around 18-20 hours a day, giving you plenty of quiet time. However, when those 4 to 6 hours of awake time happen you had better be ready to love and play that little slinky to death. Adding a ferret to your house will mean being available, and keeping a schedule.

Ferrets are also incredibly curious, and agile enough to get just about anywhere they want. Stray cables, open drawers, and easily accessible box springs are all relevant to a ferret's interests. There will be a decent amount of ferret proofing you will want to do to ensure that your fuzzy buddy doesn't hurt themselves, or end up somewhere they don't belong. Hug A Woozel has some tips for getting your house ready.

On Wednesday, I went over lessening the smell of a ferret. Part of keeping the musk down is to bathe your ferret from time to time. From what I understand washing a ferret isn't as traumatic as say... washing a cat, but will still take some time and consideration.

I looked around online attempting to find a definitive answer to whether or not ferrets are okay around young children. I was unable to locate a single yes or no answer. If you have children, a pet like this may not be a good fit. There are plenty of videos on YouTube that show ferrets playing around small children. Something that comes to mind while watching said videos is that there is always supervision, and I assume not just because someone had to hold the video camera. To sum this up... if you have small children AND a ferret, never just leave them alone.

My goal wasn't to convince you, but more to inform you. I will admit that I am not a ferret owner. My schedule is not conducive to ferret companionship unfortunately. Perhaps you are more like me-- willing but unable to hang with all the cool kids. If you are NOT like me though and the things discussed in the previous paragraphs illicit only determination, then you my friend might have found your new best buddy.