Care guide · Ferrets

Where to get a ferret: rescue, breeder or pet shop

Checked against Humane World for Animals: Is a ferret the right pet for you?, American Ferret Association: Ferret shelters, American Ferret Association: Ferret breeding and 10 more on

The best place to get a ferret is a rescue. In the US, a rescue ferret costs about $200, or $300 for a bonded pair, and usually comes neutered, vaccinated and vet checked. In the UK, the RSPCA lists ferrets on its Find a Pet search. PetSmart does not list ferrets for sale, and Petco prices vary by store. If you buy, choose a health-first breeder and a kit of at least 12 weeks.

Where is the best place to get a ferret?

A rescue. Humane World for Animals advises getting a ferret from an animal shelter or a rescue group, including ferret-only rescues, rather than a pet store or commercial breeder. Rescues have plenty of ferrets: one US shelter featured by Vetstreet has rehomed more than 3,000 since 1995, about 300 a year.

A rescue ferret has usually been neutered, vaccinated and checked by a vet, and the rescue knows its character: whether it nips, whether it gets on with other ferrets, whether it has a health condition. Many have bonded pairs that already live happily together, which saves you the work of introductions.

How much is a ferret at Petco or PetSmart?

PetSmart's online range of live small pets does not list ferrets. When we checked in November 2026, it had hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, mice, gerbils and chinchillas, but no ferrets. Petco does not show a ferret price we could check online, and prices vary by store, so ring your local store and ask exactly what the price includes: neutering, descenting, vaccines and any health guarantee.

Compare that with a rescue fee, which usually includes the vet work. Our ferret cost guide sets out what you will spend after the ferret comes home: the cage and the vet bills cost far more than the ferret.

How much does it cost to buy a ferret?

From a US rescue, around $200. Five Points Ferret Refuge in Indiana, for example, asks $200 for one ferret, $300 for a bonded pair and $400 for a trio, including a vet check, age-appropriate vaccines, neutering and a starter kit. UK rescue fees vary: the RSPCA says its fees depend on the animal and the centre and go towards vet care, vaccinations and neutering.

Breeder prices vary widely by colour, coat and line, and we found no published price we could check, so we do not quote one. Whatever the price, ask what is included.

How to adopt a ferret

  1. Find a rescue. In the UK, search the RSPCA's Find a Pet and filter by ferrets, and ask local vets about ferret rescues near you. In the US, the American Ferret Association lists 62 ferret shelters across the US and Canada, and pet adoption sites list ferrets too.
  2. Apply. Fill in the form for the ferrets you like. At Five Points Ferret Refuge this takes 7 to 10 working days to process; the RSPCA needs a separate form for each centre.
  3. Show your set-up. Expect a home visit or a video call to see the cage, the play area and how you have ferret-proofed the room.
  4. Meet the ferrets. The RSPCA asks everyone in the household to come. Some ferrets need more than one visit.
  5. Take them home. Pay the fee, collect the vaccination and vet records, and ask what food they eat so you can carry on with it.
Ask a rescue for an older ferret or a bonded pair. Ferret rescuers told Vetstreet that most callers want young ferrets, so settled adults wait the longest, and they are often the easiest to live with.

Buying from a breeder: what to ask

If you want a particular colour or coat, or a young kit, choose a breeder who breeds for health. In the US, the American Ferret Association publishes a list of breeder members and runs a registered ferretry name scheme, so a line can be traced. In the UK, ask ferret clubs and rescues who they trust.

  • Can I see the mother, and the father if he is there?
  • How old are the kits? They should be about 12 weeks before leaving
  • Which distemper vaccines have they had, and when?
  • Have the kits been handled every day?
  • Has the line had adrenal disease, insulinoma or deafness?
  • For blaze, panda and white kits: have they been checked for deafness?
  • Will you take the ferret back at any age if I cannot keep it?
  • What food are they eating now?

Our guide to ferret breeds and colours explains why white-marked ferrets need that extra question.

Buying from a pet shop: what to know

Humane World for Animals advises against buying ferrets from pet stores. If you do, VCA suggests asking whether the ferret has been spayed or neutered and descented, and asking for its vaccination and health records. It also advises a check with a ferret-savvy vet soon after you take it home, and notes that sellers often require this or the health guarantee is void.

Check the ferret's sex and neutering yourself, or ask a vet to. An unspayed jill that comes into season and is not mated can develop a severe, often fatal anaemia, VCA warns, so this is not a detail to skip.

What does a healthy ferret look like?

VCA's checklist works wherever you get your ferret:

  • Alert and curious, not sleepy or dull while awake
  • Clear eyes and nose, with no discharge
  • Not thin or bony along the spine and hips
  • Clean, dry bottom, with no sign of diarrhoea
  • No fleas or other parasites in the coat
  • A thick, glossy coat with no bald patches

The last point comes from the American Ferret Association breed standard. Hair loss on the tail or back of an adult can be a sign of adrenal disease, so ask the rescue or seller about it.

What to avoid

  • Kits younger than about 12 weeks
  • A single ferret if you are out a lot: get a pair
  • Unneutered jills, unless a vet is booked to spay or implant them
  • Ferrets with runny eyes, a dirty bottom or a dull, dry coat
  • Sellers who will not show you where the ferrets live
  • Getting a ferret where they are banned: California and Hawaii, and restricted in New York City
Keep a new ferret away from your other ferrets for the first days and book a vet check soon after you bring it home. Ferrets catch several infectious diseases, including human flu, so wash your hands between groups.

Before you bring your ferret home

Get everything ready first, so the first days are calm. Set up the cage with beds, trays and food in separate corners, using our ferret cage setup guide. Block gaps and lift wires in the play room with our guide to ferret-proofing your home. Find a ferret vet before you need one. Then read ferrets as pets and the ferret care guide so you know the daily routine.

Getting a ferret: questions

Should I get a kit or an adult ferret?

For most homes, an adult. A rescue adult has a known character, is usually neutered and vaccinated, and is past the nippy stage. Ferret rescuers say most people ask for young ferrets, so adults wait longer for homes. A kit is fun but needs months of patient handling and play-biting training.

How old should a ferret be when you get it?

A kit should be at least 12 weeks old. The British Veterinary Nursing Association says kits weaned at 6 to 10 weeks but left with their mother to about 12 weeks are more confident. Kits also need distemper vaccines at 6 to 8 weeks, 11 to 12 weeks and 14 to 16 weeks, so ask which they have had.

Do pet shop ferrets come neutered and descented?

Some do, but do not assume it. VCA advises asking whether a ferret has been spayed or neutered and descented, and asking for its vaccination and health records. Descenting does not stop the musky smell, which comes mostly from the skin, so it is not a reason to choose one ferret over another.

Are ferrets legal everywhere?

No. The American Ferret Association notes that California and Hawaii ban pet ferrets, and New York City restricts them. Some towns have their own rules. Pet ferrets are legal in the UK. Check your local rules and any tenancy agreement before you start looking.

Do you need 1 or 2 ferrets?

Two, in most cases. The RSPCA describes ferrets as sociable and Woodgreen asks for at least a neutered pair. Rescues often have bonded pairs that must go together, and at Five Points Ferret Refuge a pair costs $300, against $200 for one.

What is the 3-3-3 rule for ferrets?

It is a rule of thumb many rescues use for any newly adopted pet, not a ferret rule from a vet: about 3 days to stop feeling overwhelmed, 3 weeks to learn your routine and 3 months to feel at home. It is a fair guide for a rescue ferret, so keep the first weeks calm and predictable.

Sources

Read next

How much does a ferret cost to buy and keep?

About $200 to adopt one ferret or $300 a pair, then from about £210 or $250 to set up, plus food, litter and vet bills.

Ferret care: the complete guide

Keep a neutered pair in a big, cool home, feed complete ferret food with water always available, give 4 or more hours out daily and see a vet every year.

Ferrets as pets: what to know before you get one

Playful, affectionate pets for people with time: they live 6 to 10 years, eat only meat, need a ferret friend and at least 4 hours a day out of the cage.

Ferret breeds, types and colours

Pet ferrets are one species with no true breeds. Types differ by colour, pattern, coat length and head shape, with sable the most common.

Ferret cage setup: layouts and ideas that work

Give each zone its own corner: a high-sided litter tray, heavy food and water bowls, hammocks and a sleep sack, tunnels and toys, on a solid, padded floor.

Ferret-proofing your home

Block every gap and vent, seal the undersides of sofas and beds, lock cupboards, remove rubber and toxic plants, and check recliners before every use.