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Chinchilla or Ferret?

B

blevins321

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Dec 24, 2010
2,769
97
Detroit, MI
I want a pet :( but I'm not home enough to be fair to a dog. And I hate cats. Considering all factors: furballiness, cuddliness, friendliness, intelligence...would you recommend a chinchilla or a ferret and why? :D
 
blevins321 said:
I want a pet :( but I'm not home enough to be fair to a dog. And I hate cats. Considering all factors: furballiness, cuddliness, friendliness, intelligence...would you recommend a chinchilla or a ferret and why? :D
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From what you say, I wouldn't recommend "a" anything. :(

Animals are just like you and me. They love company.
 
leekohler said:
Neither. Chinchillas need a fair of amount of attention, and A ferret will rip your place to shreds in you're never around.
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And they stink without constant cleaning.

Chinchillas are very temperature sensitive and have fragile limbs which can be injured easily. They do need a lot of attention and play time, otherwise they won't be social. Getting a proper cage/wheel setup is also a >$300 investment.

My advice is to get a fish tank.
 
If you get 2 chinchillas then they don't require as much 1 on 1 attention. However the thing about chinchillas you must be VERY careful is that they WILL die if they are exposed to temps higher than 80-85 for very long.

chrmjenkins said:
And they stink without constant cleaning.
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I have owned several chinchillas, and they never smelled bad, as long as they got often access to their dustbath, which is also very cute to watch.
 
leekohler said:
Neither. Chinchillas need a fair of amount of attention, and A ferret will rip your place to shreds in you're never around.
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I've had multiple ferrets; they can be loads of fun if you have the time for them. I kept mine in a three-level cage, quite spacious by ferret standards, except for the few hours a day when they were up and active. When they're out, they do require near constant attention, as it's really easy for them to get into things and places they shouldn't - I had one manage to get behind the baseboards in my kitchen; it took near an hour to get him to come out, and that was only with a bribe of peanut butter and something jingly. They're also doubly plagued by having more curiosity than a cat and no fear whatsoever - if you ever want a good laugh, watch a ferret attack a vacuum cleaner. They also get on generally well with cats and dogs. You also have to watch out for adrenal disease when they get old, if it's not caught and taken care of (expensive), it's generally fatal.
 
Dalton63841 said:
I have owned several chinchillas, and they never smelled bad, as long as they got often access to their dustbath, which is also very cute to watch.
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I was referring to ferrets. The only thing that will stink about a chinchilla is if you don't change their litter often enough. I also agree, I still love watching mine in her dust bath to this day.
 
chrmjenkins said:
I was referring to ferrets. The only thing that will stink about a chinchilla is if you don't change their litter often enough. I also agree, I still love watching mine in her dust bath to this day.
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They don't smell as bad as you might think. Pretty much all domesticated ferrets in the US come from Marshall Farms in New York. Before they go to pet stores, they're neutered/spayed (highly important for females, as if they don't breed the first time they go into heat, they generally die) and they've had their scent glands removed. I had three at once, and a once-a-month bath each was all that was needed.
 
Why own a wild animal in the firs place. I think its more cruel to keep an animal that's used to being outside in a cage.

Cats, and dogs are different, they're domesticated but I think its cruel to keep something that's used to roaming around in the wild locked up in a cage :(
 
CorvusCamenarum said:
They don't smell as bad as you might think. Pretty much all domesticated ferrets in the US come from Marshall Farms in New York. Before they go to pet stores, they're neutered/spayed (highly important for females, as if they don't breed the first time they go into heat, they generally die) and they've had their scent glands removed. I had three at once, and a once-a-month bath each was all that was needed.
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All ferret owners seem to say that but but even with scent glands removed, sterilized and cleaned regularly they still smell pretty bad. They are cute and have personality but the smell is worse than most owners seem to realize. Fine for the owners but as a guest, I can tell you that I know immediately if someone has a ferret without them even telling me.


blevins321:

I'd get an aquarium. Do plenty of research though and get a syphon cleaning system that hooks up to your sink. It makes cleaning/re-filling SO much easier. I had one of these, it was brilliant. The video is a bit ramble, ramble at first but you'll get the idea.
 
Thanks for all the tips everyone! Especially for the warning about Chinchilla temperatures. I won't be getting one of those for that reason..it gets hot here in the summer. Pretty sure that I'm going fish tank shopping this weekend. :)
 
blevins321 said:
Thanks for all the tips everyone! Especially for the warning about Chinchilla temperatures. I won't be getting one of those for that reason..it gets hot here in the summer. Pretty sure that I'm going fish tank shopping this weekend. :)
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Have you looked into betta fish? Easy to take care of, hardy, and doesn't cry because of loneliness.
 
Aquariums are great, but make sure you do your homework and plan what you're going to put in it. The worst thing you can do is just go to the store and pick out fish you think look cool. Asking the shop staff isn't always a guarantee of good information either.

Also, you can usually get an aquarium setup for a good price if you shop around on craigslist.
 
Glad you listened to us. A lot of people don't realize how much effort a chinchilla takes. They are cute and full of personality, but they require a lot of care.
 
You need a tamagotchi.

Feed it, pet it. The only way it'll die is if the battery dies. ;)


If you're not going to be home to be it's friend, don't get a pet. Or get 2 or 3 so that they're not bored.
 
I don't understand why people who can't give a pet much attention think they need a pet.

If you can't be there enough for a dog I wouldn't recommend any mammal. True, something like a rat would probably be fine, but I can't recommend any sort of rodent. I've had them and I think they are disgusting and uninteresting pets.

Have you thought about fish or a lizard? Fish are easy to take care of, as long as it's not something too exotic. And lizards you can hold and ones like bearded dragons are pretty durable. If you have enough room for a good size tank I recommend a bearded dragon. They're pretty, very well behaved, and easy to clean and take care of --unless of course you can't deal with crickets or meal worms.
 
I`d go with the fish too TBH.

We`re at home quite a bit so as a result we currently have:

2x Cats
9x bantam chickens
2x Indian Runner ducks
2x fishtanks (plus pond)

1x 3 year old girl, she is the most work :p
 
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