How to tell a good breeder from a bad breeder
When shopping for a breeder, ask the following questions:
- Can I see the living conditions of your ferrets?
- Can you provide the lineage of your breeding ferrets?
- Will I get a birth certificate with the date of birth and the names of the parents?
- What kind of food do you feed the breeding ferrets and kits?
- Will you take the kits to the vet and will I be able to get a copy of their vet records?
- Do you have testimonials from previous buyers?
- Would I be able to interact with my kit before purchasing them, to make sure their personality suits me?
- Will you be able to help me with questions about ferret care after I purchase from you?
- Do you keep spare cages for nursing and sick ferrets?
A good breeder will say yes to all of these questions. If they say no to one or more of the questions, then they may not be a good breeder to buy from. In addition, you should also ask:
- What should I do if my ferret gets sick? A good breeder will want to know if your ferret gets seriously ill, since this means your ferret’s breeding parents may not create genetically healthy kits.
- What do I do if I can’t keep the ferret I bought in the future? A good breeder will want you to return a ferret to them if you can’t keep it for any reason.
- How old are the kits before you sell them? A good breeder should not sell kits who are younger than 10 weeks old.
- Where do I learn about how to take care of ferrets? A good breeder will provide you with an information packet or direct you to credible sources of information such as Ferret-World.com, your local ferret welfare organization, or Ferrets for Dummies.
When you visit your potential new kit and see the ferrets’ living conditions, you should see:
- Clean cages, litter boxes, water bowls, and food bowls
- Ferrets who do not panic or become aggressive when held (baby ferrets are nippy, but they shouldn’t seem frightened)
- No fleas
- Soft, silky, clean fur
- Clean ears
- Hard nails that are clipped and not too long
- Clear, bright eyes
Where to find good ferret breeders
There are not that many excellent, reputable breeders in the world, as most ferret breeders are backyard or hobby breeders. To find a reputable breeder, contact your local ferret association, ferret shelter, or ferret vet to get a recommendation.
We recommend printing this page before you visit a ferret breeder, so you can reference it throughout your visit!
