Many people may be misguided in thinking that ferrets are low-maintenance pets. The truth is that pet ferrets can live 10+ years, and they require a considerable amount of care, time, and money. Here is a basic rundown of how much a pet ferret can cost.
Most ferrets cost $100 – $150 if adopted from a shelter, but expect to pay from $150 up to $300+ if buying directly from a breeder. You should also expect to spend $500 on initial supplies, and ongoing costs will total about $350 per year.
Table of Contents
Initial Costs
- Purchase price: $100 – $200
- Ferrets vary in price depending on where you purchase them. Rescues/shelters will be on the cheaper end, at around $100 per ferret. Pet stores are a bit more expensive, typically selling ferrets up to $150. Finally there’s breeders, which can sell ferrets anywhere from $150 up to $300 or more depending on ferret type, age, and pedigree.
- Cage: $200 – $300
- While there are cheaper ferret cages, they’re typically too small and low-quality. You’ll want to invest in a more expensive cage for your ferret that’s large, sturdy, and escape-proof.
- Litter pan: $10
- Litter pans that fit into the corner of a ferret cage and have a high back are ideal, and typically don’t cost much.
- Food and water containers: $15
- Your ferret will use their food bowl and water bottle constantly, so invest in high-quality examples that secure to the sides of a wire cage.
- Bed/hammock: $20
- While you really only need a bed or a hammock, it’s not a bad idea to provide some diversity by getting both! Higher quality beds and hammocks will cost more, but they’ll last a lot longer.
- Carrier: $25
- You need an escape-proof carrier for when you need to take your ferret to the vet or anywhere else outside of the home.
- Toys: $20 – $50
- There are many different toys you can buy for your ferrets. Store-bought stuffed toys and feather wands are relatively cheap and always a hit, but you can also hit up a hardware store for a cheap long bendy tube or a box filled with crumpled paper.
- Grooming supplies: $10 – $20
- A nice slicker brush and nail clippers are ferret grooming staples and won’t break the bank.
- TOTAL INITIAL COSTS: $400 – $640
Ongoing Supplies
(Remember that ferrets typically live 5-7 years.)
- Food: $250/year
- The average ferret weighs about 2.5 pounds, and a ferret will eat about 5% of their body weight in food every day, give or take. This is .125 pounds of food a day. Considering a 5 pound bag of high-quality ferret food, Wysong Epigen 90, costs about $30, the math says a ferret will eat about $250 worth of food every year.
- Litter: $75/year
- Ferrets need a slightly more expensive paper litter, as clumping clay litter can be dangerous. Thanks to their frequent bowel movements, you’ll find yourself changing litter and purchasing more bags frequently.
- Treats: $25/year
- To keep your pet ferret’s diet interesting, treats are a great occasional surprise. A bag of ferret treats and a bottle of salmon oil will do the trick and last for quite a while.
- Cleaning supplies: $5/year
- Occasional ferret accidents and normal cage cleanings will require some pet-safe cleaning supplies.
- TOTAL ONGOING COSTS: $355/year
Incidental/Variable Costs
The numbers above help to give you an idea of the costs associated with having a pet ferret. However, you should budget for at least this amount. Other costs can and will arise over the years.
- Vet bills
- Ferrets need to be taken to a vet with ferret knowledge once per year for regular checkups, especially as they become older. Additionally, even if you take excellent care of your ferret, they can get become ill. Serious vet bills for ferrets can cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. If the need for pricey medical intervention arises, make sure that you can comfortably afford to pay for it!
- Ferret supply replacement
- With ferrets being as mischievous as they are, some of the initial supplies that were listed above may need replacing after some time due to regular wear and tear. Of those supplies, beds and hammocks tend to need replacement the most, as do toys. Fortunately, these are not expensive items.
- Additional ferrets
- You may notice that the ferret cost analysis above only takes into account a single ferret. It’s not uncommon for a ferret owner to think that they’re fine with one, but end up purchasing one or two more after some time. Having multiple ferrets is a great choice, as it gives them a companion to play with while you’re not available, but it also brings additional costs. Your initial costs may not increase much, but expect your ongoing yearly costs to double.
Some hopeful owners believe that smart shopping and practicing frugality will help them spend significantly less on their ferret than the estimate above. While it’s possible to spend a bit less, there’s two things you should note.
First, you want to ensure that you can pay for any incidental costs that arise, so always allocate a bit of your budget. Second, you don’t want to purchase the cheapest available version of every product. Your pet ferret’s cage, food, treats, and litter should be higher quality, as the budget versions could cause more harm than good.
Ferret Cost Frequently Asked Questions
While other pets are certainly more expensive, ferrets are not the cheapest pets to own. Over a ferret’s average lifespan of 5-7 years, you can expect to spend around $2000 to $2500 on initial and ongoing supplies and services.
Ferrets absolutely love having a companion, especially if you’re not available to give them attention during every hour they’re awake. Therefore, it’s best if ferrets are kept in at least pairs. While this increases costs significantly, you’ll find yourself with a much happier and more content ferret.
Even if you can easily afford a ferret, they’re not the easiest pets to take care of. Ferrets need at least an hour of involved playtime every day, with 2-3 hours being preferable. They also need to be litter trained, watched after while they’re running around your home, and thoroughly prepared for.
Now that you have an idea on the costs of a pet ferret, read our article Preparing for Your First Pet Ferret.
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