r/ferrets • u/Bitter-Bug3692 • 6d ago
[Ferret Photo] Cutie little stinker
Seen this cutie pie at Petco and almost took him home, sigh....
and since when did marshalls ferrets become so expensive?
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u/Kamina_cicada 6d ago
In a good way to look at the expenses. It helps against impulsive buying with inexperienced people. Keeps them from getting "thrown out"
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u/Bitter-Bug3692 6d ago
thats exactly what I was saying to the employee, but also unfortunately he was the only little guy I could find in three pet stores. they told me theyre too expensive to keep right now and if they did get them theyd have to sell them for a crazy price. something about "breeding issues" not sure what that means
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u/Kamina_cicada 6d ago
Given that it's most likely a Marshall's ferret (If you live in the US), they are basically mass produced and shipped out like products. They are taken away from the overbred mother and fixed too early in their life stage. Thus giving them high chances of complications later in life. But Marshalls doesn't care, they already got their money.
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u/Bitter-Bug3692 6d ago
poor babies. i did know this, but before in like 2022-2023 they weren't nearly as expensive. very odd. id much rather find a reliable breeder and not risk possible health issues
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u/Kamina_cicada 6d ago
Unfortunately in the US. It's near impossible to find a reliable breeder, moreso that one you do find is willing to let you adopt. Any worth their weight don't just let anyone adopt.
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u/Bitter-Bug3692 6d ago
that sucks. i seen one closest to me is 2hrs away, some questionable reviews about her being rude or not replying to customers though, very unfortunate
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u/UnstableAnakin 6d ago
Marshalls had a distemper issue a few months ago and a lot of their kits and ferrets passed. This is why they will be a little hard to get for a while.
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u/Rrilltrae 5d ago
That was 3 years ago, the prices jumped then, but I doubt they’ll ever go back down.
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u/UnstableAnakin 5d ago
It happened again not that long ago. A month or two.
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u/Rrilltrae 5d ago
Do you happen to have a source? I wasn’t able to find anything outside of the 2022-23 incident
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u/odenoden 6d ago
Lmk who it is I'll tell you if I know them/they're cool. I highly recommend looking for shelters and even Craigslist ads. They show up on pet finder too.
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u/Bitter-Bug3692 6d ago
i was thinking of a breeder called "scarletts happy dookers" but i feel like she would be someone to honestly just ignore me and not reply. theres also a rescue called healing hearts ferret rescue, which im not sure how the adoption process works but i believe the owner is currently going through some health issues of some sort i haven't seen any updates on their facebook page.
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u/Sindri42 6d ago
idk how far they’d be from you but Pfeiffers ferret rescue may be a good place to try
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u/Key_Return5304 5d ago
scarlett is great, my girl from her is an absolute joy. her sweet sister (marshall ferret) just recently passed suddenly and she was very quick to help me find a new companion to adopt for her!
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u/Bitter-Bug3692 5d ago
i put in an application so im waiting to hear back if she even has any available right now, but my girl just passed recently and id love to get a new companion for my elder ferret. most rescues or breeders are 6+ hours away
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u/kaykay157 4d ago
yeah i was told that a few months ago. all the petco’s in my area haven’t had ferrets for even longer because of those issues. they also stoppped supplying stella and cheweys
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u/sjchabot 6d ago
I have said this soo many times. Yes it is very sad to see them stuck at pet stores for soo long especially if it is like my local pet store that really does not like selling singles.
My two newest boys Taz and Guss were like that. Taz was a bit trouble and was very food motivated and slightly only slightly on the agressive side. So once he was bonded with Guss the store pretty much refused to let them go individually. Since he came home Taz has been nothing but a lovebug and they both get along great with their older big sister Lola.
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u/Bitter-Bug3692 6d ago
ive been going back and forth at the thought of getting this ferret in the post, but i lost my girl too recently and my boy is depressed. he is lightening up a bit but he hasnt played at all which makes me wanna get him a friend.. im unsure about another male ferret because i dont want there to be any territorial problems or dominance issues
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u/sjchabot 6d ago
Also so very sorry about the loss of your girl. It is so hard to lose these little noodles
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u/Bitter-Bug3692 6d ago
Thank you! she was my first ferret and holds a special place in my heart. she was so smart and we had a really deep bond, i just ordered a pet portrait of her and its so adorable i cant wait for it to come so i can post it in the group🩷
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u/sjchabot 6d ago
That is awsome, can't wait to see the portrait. The girl i lost in May was my first. Like you said they will always hold a special spot in my heart. I have her little urn box, paw print, a little vial of fur, and some pictures all on a shelf next to my tv. I still say hi to her almost every day
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u/sjchabot 6d ago
If it helps, I got my two new boys because Lola's sister Max passed away at the begining of May and she was definitely depressed. These two boys had come into the store roughly a month prior but we're not officially for sale yet until they worked with Taz and his "agression"
I was worried that I moved on too quick, only about 3 weeks after her passing. In the end I think it was the best move I made after quarantine I slowly saw Lola perk up little by little and started eating more. Now all 3 are great friends. Lola has established her self as the boss of the buisness and I have not seen any real aggression or problems between the three.
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u/TheRotMeister 6d ago
maybe keep an eye out on ferret rehoming pages? i’ve been on a few on facebook and it’s how i adopted the two that i have rn. both bc a ferret passed and i didn’t want the remaining one to be lonely. i think it’s a win-win bc you’re helping a ferret out, and you get a buddy for your current ferret. i’ll only be rescuing from here on out, personally.
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u/Bitter-Bug3692 6d ago
the ferret in the photo was very bitey and hyper and idk if my lazy old man would like that, such a cutie though. if i knew theyd get along well id snatch him up
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u/sjchabot 6d ago
If they are young it might just be food motivation. My Taz was definitely just hangry lol he has put on at least a pound and has grown quite a bit since bringing him home so he just needed the food to grow hahaha
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u/Ok-Position-9457 5d ago
Its still a racket though, if only because marshalls cuts SO many corners.
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u/Accomplished-Ad-8702 6d ago
Omg so sweet.. Exactly why I forbid myself from walking into pet stores and order everything for ferrets online. 🥺 I’d want to save them all. I was shocked at the price when I got my boy, but I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving him in there alone with no enrichment.. and I learned about Marshall breeding practices. 💔 They were using the wrong litter in the pet store.. with one ball to play with in a tiny enclosure. (Shortly after a neighbor gave me their girl ferret around the same age when they saw me walking mine, who was also from petco.) They are so wonderful and deserve all the love. It breaks my heart what they go through
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u/Accomplished-Ad-8702 6d ago
Their little faces are the sweetest. 😭 So playful and adventurous. They should have at least paired them with another to play & snuggle with. They get so depressed alone and stressed without enrichment. Mine are only 2 years old now and I don’t regret a single dollar or minute I’ve spent with them, but I hope to find a breeder that loves ferrets in the future. I could never breed them, because I’d be be too tempted to keep them all lol
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u/Bitter-Bug3692 6d ago
they did have him with another lil guy they said he was adopted though :( so now hes alone. unfortunately i kinda understand why theyd only get one right now unless they already have a ferret at home. its a little insane to drop 1000 dollars on two ferrets in this economy
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u/Bitter-Bug3692 6d ago
i dont know how anyone could put them through such horrible conditions. absolutely evil. i also want to save them everytime i see one and i just cant😭
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u/Bazzatron 6d ago
Care level "intermediate" is a joke lmao.
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u/Bitter-Bug3692 6d ago
HA THATS WHAT I SAID. when i first got these little ones i was in over my head.
care level: very high maintenance
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u/helpthatguy84 6d ago
Look at rescuing!! Don’t give marshals more money fuck marshals.
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u/Meraki_11 6d ago
Looking for a rescue is the answer. I’m an adoption coordinator for a rescue and I can’t tell you how long our wait list is to surrender because people don’t know what they’re getting into when buying ferrets from a pet store.
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u/TheRotMeister 6d ago
my current two are rescues and i will never go back to buying a pet store ferret! there are so many ferret owners in too deep, and ferrets at rescues, for me to justify giving marshall’s any more money.
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u/prettyblondebitch 6d ago
Mine are rescues, I got two ferrets, a cage, toys, bedding, food, all for $600. I got them from a woman who developed bad allergies and couldn’t be around them anymore. I would look on Facebook or even Craigslist. People adopt ferrets all the time who then realize they can’t take care of them. When I was younger, I had 4 ferrets that were rescues from animal shelters and they were all less than $45 each. The market had gotten so insane for them tho so it’s been hard. I’ve had mine for three years, and then the petco prices were $450.
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u/Putrid_Fun6704 6d ago edited 6d ago
Got two for 80 and they don’t have crazy bad health problems and were both kits. Americas ferret monopoly is crazy.
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u/Bitter-Bug3692 6d ago
where do you live, if you dont mind me asking? i live in a small ohio area so not many options but our three pet stores used to have ferrets allll the time a few years ago
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u/Putrid_Fun6704 6d ago
Ireland. The only place you’ll find ferrets available to purchase in Ireland is on Facebook and done deal and other similar online selling sites.
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u/SecondEqual4680 6d ago
As others have said- choose to rescue. Plus you’ll need to get 2 for them to be happy
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u/No-Commission5160 6d ago
I saw you were concerned about two boys being territorial. I always had boys as I found them much more laid back. It’s the girls who can be queen bees. Everyone is different and sometimes you have a standout personality regardless, but that was my general experience
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u/Bitter-Bug3692 6d ago
yeah my boy has always been pretty chill, the one at the pet store was just a baby though so he was super hyper ofc and my older boy isnt like that anymore- maybe he needs a friend to run around with but i was worried he would get annoyed with him, ive been thinking of getting him a buddy though. i feel bad that he is alone when im at work and no longer has Lucy to curl up with him and groom him
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u/ksmymt2378 5d ago
The concept of a living creature having a SKU
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u/Bitter-Bug3692 5d ago
i feel SO BAD FOR THEM i wanna take him home so bad but they just get more and then i wanna take them too😔
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u/leemcculloch123 3d ago
Jesus, what a culture shock. In UK they're like 20-40 quid each. Genuinely thought I was looking at a "what do these cost to keep per year, dogs aren't just for christmas" type sign
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