Breeders & Shelters
Breeders
By Holly
Private breeders can be hit-or-miss. You’ll need to research them to determine if they take good care of their ferrets, or if they are basically as bad as a ferret mill.
Ferrets from REPUTABLE breeders are typically much more curious troublemakers than the docile mill-ferrets. They will need a lot more stimulation and ferret-proofing. (This doesn’t mean mill ferrets are dumb - stimulation and ferret-proofing is still very important for them. They may just be more easily appeased).
Breeders and Breeder List (as of 2016).
Shelters
By Holly
Shelters keep extensive health records on their fuzzies, while ferrets from pet-stores may not have as much info.
Shelters shower their ferrets with love and make sure that each one is taken care of in the way it needs. Shelter ferrets can be perfectly healthy! Most people surrender their ferrets because they didn’t properly educate themselves before hand, and their ferret is too much work. It could be their owner died, or that their ferret is just too energetic for them. The lady who owned my ferrets before me gave them up because she was expecting a baby, and didn’t think she would be able to give them the time they needed.
Most shelter workers work there because of their devotion to ferrets. You know they mean it!
Most shelters will interview you to see if you can truly care for a ferret effectively. This shows they care about where their fuzzies are ending up. Also, most have a veterinarian they work closely with - this is a perfect way to know who to bring your ferrets to. They already have a history with this veterinarian, after all!
https://ferretshelters.org/shelters-directory/
http://ferret.org/links/shelters.html
Dookerz 2.0
Pet Store
By Holly
Most pet store ferrets come from mass producers, or “ferret farms” (most common Marshall Farms). Ferrets from farms tend to be smaller, since they have been neutered/spayed at an earlier age, and more docile. These farms are more focused on making money than taking care of the ferrets, and they are very prone to health issues. Buying from pet stores directly is supporting these farms.
In pet stores, it is uncertain if the workers are devoted to caring for the ferrets as needed, or simply cleaning their cages when it’s necessary. This can lead to bad socialization, behaviors, health, and cleanliness. Make sure the pet store workers are keeping their area clean and are knowledgeable about the ferrets.
Craigslist
By Holly
Craigslist can be very hit-or-miss. You might find someone who seriously is a good ferrent but cannot keep their fuzzies for whatever reason.
Typically you will find people who are lying about their ferrets, who are in MUCH worse conditions than they're advertising. Most of the times these ferrets will need a LOT of vet visits and medical expenses, behavior work, etc. That doesn't mean they don't deserve a home, but definitely not suggested for a first-time ferret owner.