Which pet is right for me? Ferret vs. bird

[LiquidStarlight]

Alright, some of you have been following my sort of "bird saga". Well the parakeet found a new home this morning and went to a family where it will get tons of attention. I love birds, but a parakeet wasn't right for me.

So now I'm pet shopping, hopefully not as difficult as horse shopping! The only thing is I'm torn when it comes to what kind of pet I should choose next. If I stick to another bird, I'd definately go with a nice, hand-fed cockatiel. There's a woman near me that has 4 babies that she's hand-feeding right now and will be weaned next week.

BUT I'm not sure if I want a bird, or a mammal. Me and my fiance have begun moving into an apartment, so we will not be allowed to have any cats or dogs. Caged animals are ok though. I will really miss having my dogs since they are cuddle monsters, so I might be leaning towards getting a small animal. I've always wanted a ferret, I love them and they are such friendly and curious animals that love to play. I know they're smelly though, but will daily cage cleaning cut back on the odor?

I'm looking for the pros and cons on both animals. I know cockatiels are friendly but they're not really the kind of animal you can cuddle with. But I love birds and like the idea of having a pet with me for a long time that is easy to take care of. I'm torn, should I get a cockatiel or a ferret? I know you guys can help me decide, all opinions, suggestions, or advice is welcome!

[Iwasbornonahorse]

Ferrets are stinky no matter what, and they like to damage things so I would say NO WAY in an apartment unless you are prepared to give up your security deposit.

How about a nice chinchilla? (Sp?) They are much nicer smelling and not as prone to destroying things.

[jazzymonster]

Even if apartments allow caged animals....many will not allow ferrets. I've even heard some STATES do not allow you to own them. So I would check before you make a decision.
I have had a couple ferrets, and I loved them. They are fun to play with and remind me a lot of a kitten at times. They are smelly and you need to take care of their living quarter continuously to keep things clean. I would recommend a female over a male because the females urine does not have as strong of a smell. They do need lots of attention and play time, something to keep in mind if you are only going to have one. You will have to be its buddy so you'll have to have the extra time set aside for your new ferret.

[LiquidStarlight]

I hadn't even thought of the damage factor. I remember a friend of mine having a ferret and he burrowed a hole into the wall .

Iwasbornonahorse, how are chinchillas as far as friendliness goes? I've always thought they were cute but I've never really done much research on them. Are they pretty people-oriented? Playful? I guess I'll go do some research about them.

So I guess a ferret is out then. I still really like them but I can't afford to risk damage being done to the new apartment, and I don't think my fiance would be particularly fond of the smell. I'm open to suggestions on what kind of pet you guys think might be something to consider.

[SEsporthorse]

Sugar gliders are also cute, compact mammal pets with great personalities if they are hand-tamed.

Everyone I know who has had a chinchilla loves them, but they can be messy.

[SEsporthorse]

What about a lizard?

Bearded dragons are awesome pets. And they have personality to boot.

[soft rider]

I allowed my daughter to have Ferrits, and i would never have them again. They stink they go to the bathroom wherever they want when she let them out of the cage and I didnt think they where all that loveable. But it was fun the watch the two we had playing.

Birds IMO are too noisy.

We did have Guiney (sp) pigs, and i liked them and they did seem cuddly and no smelll

No advise on chinchilla's never had one, Always wanted a sugar glider, but never actually got one.

[Iwasbornonahorse]

Chins are really nice pets, much like rabbits. They do need to take dust baths, but you can stop any mess by putting their dust bath in your tub while they frolic.

My sugar glider just passed a few months ago but she was a cute pet, but not easy to keep track of and in to everything. She lived a looooong life but it was full of mischief

[Sirita_88]

I have had tiels for a long time (too long actually, dern things have too large of a lifespan ) I got one in the 6th grade, b.h. (before horses ) Since all I had to cuddle with at the time was a lazy dog and calm cat the tiel was very exciting. We were such buddies, he hung out on my shoulder, took baths, watched me type, etc. Even though he was handfed, and paid a TON of atttention, he still would bite, and I mean Hard! Well soon came the horses and high school and I didn't have a lot of time for him. He always sqwaked, but it was non-stop. If the light was on, he squawked, if he heard me move, he squawked. Then, he became very aggresive and I couldn't really handle him anymore (I still could, but he had a very short temper). So I got him a girlfriend. Luckily he loved her, and she doesn't produce eggs unless there is a nesting box, so we don't have little birdies all over the place. This calmed him down, but they are such hermits! They insist on total darkness and quietness. It is aweful. I can still handle him from time to time, he still sings "happy birthday" says "thank you" when I give him food and water and says my name when my mom's yelling at me, but it isn't cute enough to be worth it. I have bought a special cage to keep bird seed and poo in, but it doesn't work, and they smell aweful, granted it wasn't as bad before she became "of age". But it's still hard to keep up with when you are busy.

The moral to the story is that a bird requires A LOT of attention, not just food and water and a little talking and petting every day, They are very needy, and if you don't have the time to take them out and let them "hang out" with you every day, they are too much. I had to get my bird a bird because it became too much to handle, and I will be the first to admit they would be much happier with another little girl, but I can't imagion what might happen to them the first time he throws a screaming fit, you know? At least with me I know they are taken care of and not "accidentally" let out the door or eaten by the cat.

Let me reiterate the fact that tiels are SCREAMERS! They SCREAM! It's not fun to listen to at 5:00 a.m. or while you are on the phone...

[cocaloda]

What about an iguana, i had one that we raised from young. Only get one they can be territorial. Tory had a large cage but mostly moved around the house. They have more personality than you can poss. imagine. tory reached over 5' before he went to live with my mom. When we lived in az. lots of people walked around with them on thier shoulder.

[LiquidStarlight]

I've tried finding sugar gliders around here, but I've had no luck. I'm not really into reptiles, I don't mind them and I had a cornsnake while I was growing up, but they're not the most thrilling thing to me. After doing some research chinchillas sound like something I would consider. Everything I've read says they don't smell and are friendly little things.

Sirita, in all my research on cockatiels (and trust me, it's been quite a bit) I've never heard of them being screamers! Not saying that they can't be, but I've always heard that they make whistling noises instead of real screaming. I have tons of time to devote to whichever pet I end up getting, which is why I want something super friendly and that loves to be messed with. It sounds like your guy went through maturity and that's what made him go mean. You definately did give me things to consider though if I choose to get another bird.

Thanks everyone, you're all really giving me things to think about!

[SEsporthorse]

Check on Craig's List for Sugar Gliders.

There are tons for sale up here for pretty cheap, maybe they can be shipped?

I recently re-purchased a new bird (I had a bad allergy to the one before) he is a parrotlet.

Smallest parrot in the world, he is smaller than a parakeet and he is very very quiet. His loudest voice is probably the same as a normal bird - so he is awesome for my apartment. They are cousins to Amazons, so they still have huge personalities. They can learn huge vocabularies, like 100s of words, but their voices are very soft.

Scooter is bright bright blue, and is very sweet. I would definitely recommend them for pets if you have the time to spend!!!

[Southriversales]

I disagree, ferrets are wonderful pets and don't stink if fed the right food, litterbox cleaned everyday and occasional baths.. Also they aren't destructive or atleast the ones I have and known haven't been.

PLUS they sleep 22 hours how great is that?

[Iwasbornonahorse]

Originally Posted by LiquidStarlight

I've tried finding sugar gliders around here, but I've had no luck. I'm not really into reptiles, I don't mind them and I had a cornsnake while I was growing up, but they're not the most thrilling thing to me. After doing some research chinchillas sound like something I would consider. Everything I've read says they don't smell and are friendly little things.

Sirita, in all my research on cockatiels (and trust me, it's been quite a bit) I've never heard of them being screamers! Not saying that they can't be, but I've always heard that they make whistling noises instead of real screaming. I have tons of time to devote to whichever pet I end up getting, which is why I want something super friendly and that loves to be messed with. It sounds like your guy went through maturity and that's what made him go mean. You definately did give me things to consider though if I choose to get another bird.

Thanks everyone, you're all really giving me things to think about!

I also have a cockatiel and I'll be happy to vouch for the fact that they DO scream. Especially when angry, bored, tired, someone calls, someone walks by your house...basically anytime.

Chins are really nice, and I'd go with one of those or a sugar glider. If you go with the sugar glider please read up on their food needs because they are pretty specific.

[farmergal]

Have you thought of owning a rat? I've never had one only mice but I know people that have them and really enjoy their ratties.

[sparkyharky]

Rats are AWESOME pets...some apartments do not allow them. They have a short life span, are very clean and very intelligent. The males like to cuddle and snuggle. The females can be very inquisitive and active. Also rats are fairly cheap to feed and keep healthy. They are, however somewhat prone to tumors. DO NOT keep your pet rat in an aquarium...it is unhealthy for them. I do rescue and we swear by our rats and ferrets. Ferrets are NOT easy pets and are not recommended for everyone! Ask our rescues that were turned over because people got tired of them!

[wildcat180]

I had ferrets for years. They are tough pets for a few reasons. One, it's best to have more than one so they can have someone to have "down and dirty" play sessions with. (Otherwise you risk getting bit a little too hard accidentally.) Two, they DO stink. I cleaned their litter boxes several times a day, washed their bedding twice a week, and bathed them once a week. They STILL smelled. It's a basic fact that they're musky animals. Three, they ARE destructive. By nature they're curious creatures and they like to get into everything. Unfortunately, they don't know that digging that hole in the sheet rock is a bad thing, or that you didn't want the insole of your shoe removed. Mine never did much damage, but they had each other to play with and I always had them loose when I was there to watch them. If left on their own, they would have gotten into all kinds of stuff. (Ferret proofing is fun! )

Also, one thing most people don't seem to talk about is how they die. Out of my seven, NONE died a peaceful death. They ALL developed some sort of cancer and had horrible endings. (Even when I took them to be put to sleep...one had to be stuck with the needle several times before the vet found a good spot to inject him.) They used to be used as lab animals and I think that may have something to do with it. I don't know.

I loved having my ferrets. They were entertaining, but they were also frustrating at times. Like at night...being nocturnal and all. I'd have a few now, but I can't handle losing them. They just don't live long enough...

[LiquidStarlight]

Thank you everyone for giving me such great insight to different kinds of pets. It is really appreciated. My fiance doesn't really care one way or another, so he's not too good for giving opinions . He just doesn't want something that will wreck the new apartment, nothing smelly, and something that will sort of 'replace' our dogs. He's heartbroken about having to rehome them, while he pretends not to be, but I know he wants something that we can have fun with.

I've thought about getting a rat before, but my fiance is afraid of them . He does fine with mice, since I used to have a few, but he HATES rats. I have also considered a sugar glider, but they are extremely hard to find around here, unless you're willing to pay alot. My friend used to have one and hers was very mean when she tried to take it out during the day since it was always trying to sleep. I still love ferrets, but I'm afraid it's just not the right timing for one.

Right now it's pretty much between a cockatiel or a chinchilla. The only thing is chinchillas are impossible to find around here. I guess I'll keep doing research and looking around to see if there are any available. Thanks again everyone!

[Saelym]

Everyone has missed the most simple animal of all - a bunny! They can be litter trained, don't smell, and if raised properly can be almost like cats! I used to own a bunny that I let run loose around the house.. he went in his litterbox when he had to go, and liked to snuggle.

Something to consider.

[Lady_MCSE]

Bunny - um, hate to bring up that darned damage factor again, but I have friends whose bunnies destroyed carpet, wall, phone cords, electrical cords, etc.