We hope this chart - as inaccurate as it might be for any particular situation - is helpful to you in planning for bringing home a new furry face! 

Motor City Ferrets standard recommendation for folks who come to adopt is a) calculate initial costs and b) add $100 for each adopted ferret, and make sure as much is available for each and every ferret.  This recommendation serves as our basic guideline for "How many ferrets can I afford?"  Let's face it, ferrets can be addictive!  :)  And while our recommendation won't get you far for serious care, it'll see that you're at least able to get you in the vet's office in an emergency!

We also advise that for the next two years after bringing a new ferret home, folks put away $5 per week for that ferret.  For one ferret, that means after two years you'll have about $500 in a savings account at the end of two years, which is a healthy sum that can at least partially handle an unexpected surgery or emergency.  Think your ferret is young enough not to need to have surgery?  While a 1 year old might be too young for adrenal disease, just ask our friends whose critters broke their legs and needed surgical repair.  Why, in one case critter broke his leg after only being home for 3 days!  :)  During this two year planning period you might not have all the funds available for serious vet care, but at least with the $100 put aside when you took critter home and several weeks of additional savings, you'll be able to get in the door for medical treatment and have something to work with.  Remember, vet clinics aren't banks and they are often already extended in several directions, since many owners just don't plan for savings to take care of vet costs.

When you take a look at the chart, you'll notice some very different price ranges in the vet care columns.  Sadly there are still few vets in Michigan who are very experienced with ferrets and even less for serious care.  Sometimes the high figures will happen at less experienced vet clinics which will due many unnecessary tests, usually due to that lack of diagnostic experience.  But our figures don't even begin to calculate in visits to the Emergency Vets in the middle of the night.  Emergency care has been incredibly expensive for friends who've on occasions spent over $1000 in one emergency visit alone.  You certainly wouldn't want to take your beloved critter for "discount" vet care, but you should endeavor to find a vet who's experienced enough to have a reasonable fee schedule and who won't need to do hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of unnecessary tests. 

When we discuss the cost of taking on a ferret during adoption visits, we're often surprised by how easily some folks seem to brush off the cost issue.  Unfortunately pets are a luxury and one simply cannot be well enough prepared for each and every pet (unless you're independently wealthy, in which case we'd like to know your secret!). A little research goes a long way, and none is more valuable than talking with other ferret owners.  To properly prepare for a new pet, one must consider many factors and the costs involved should be given weight along with the rest of the planning issues.  And never hesitate to ask questions!  :)

If you've carefully considered the commitment adding a ferret to your life brings along, then you're ready to move along to the next page.  Click here!

Back One Page