Does anybody have one?
What are they like?
Any advice?

I would really like to get one. am not in a position to at the moment but definately in the near future and thought is best to start my research now. Just looking for others who may know a little bit about this.
Have seen some indoor cages - which look tiny, but some rather grand impressive sized and stimulating outdoor ones. Just wondered what others who may have ferrets have found and if anyone has some Do's and Dont's, what to look for etc etc.

Thanks

My brother had ferrets when we were kids! I am definitely no expert, but this is my experience of them...

*smelly
*hilarious and huge fun to play with
*excellent with both the cats and dogs
*affectionate
*can be a tad aggressive if encouraged
*not 100% on this- one of the sexes needs a mate othewise they die? Possibly the female needs mate? Def worth looking into.
*small cage which they snuggle up in, but LOVE to roam around
*total escape artists that can squeeze through or chew through just about anything
*KILLERS- ours slaughtered 25 of my mums chickens. Just ripped of their heads and left them. Very sad day :-(
Thats about all I have... they are funny little animals and look hilarious if taken for walkies on a lead :-P

Thanks Stormy, I have seen that about them needed to mate or dying of some kind of hormone overload - hence why they need to be neutered if not being bred from (i ould of course get this done).
What kind of smell - if at all possible to explain?!!

Smell...ummm. Very hormonal/animal smell mixed with wee I guess!! Ours were so clean but I could always smell them on me after playing with them. Apparently the smell is less if you have them desexed... They aren't like cats or dogs, they have their own personal BO! LOL

male ferrets, unusually for male animals, have a conception season.
both sexes are controlled by photo-periodism, around may to sept.

you can hold them by the scruff and put them in a temporary coma (not advised though)

ferrets are the domestic evolution of polecats (in the same way dogs are to wolves)

We have two male ferrets, both neutered - they don't really smell much at all - but before they were done, they were very pongy!  Also used to have very greasy coats, now they have lovely coats.  They do make good pets, and they are a lot of fun - they are like permanent kittens, always leaping around playing.  I think temperaments can vary - one of ours is from rescue and is very sweet, he loves everybody, has never bitten anyone in the 4 years we have had him - the other we had from a baby, and he only likes me and my son, as we were the ones that always played with him when he was little - anyone else, he bites them. 
The females can either be spayed, or you can keep a vasectomised male with them.  There's a book called Ferrets for Dummies, that is really good - you can probably get a used copy on ebay or Amazon.
  Hilda

We have 2 ferrets at the moment, have had up to 25 at one stage, we have a spayed Albinio, and a Male Polecat, they live in a huge purpose built avary, so they can climb, jump and hide in, they have a closed area where they sleep, where no drafts can get in there bedroom, they are handled daily, and very friendly, they also go out for walks on there harness and leads, which htey love, there used to all my dogs, and cats who sit on top of there house.
You have to handle them daily when kits, and make sure you either spay your female or have a vasectomised hob, as the females can die if not mated.
We feed our a complete ferret food, also Rabbits, and they get some goats milk once a week, they also get raw mince in there diet.
My 2 love the water bath they have , and tend to paddle in it, they also have a sand box, and heaps of toys and ladders to climb.
They make excellent pets, and are very affecionate if handled properly from the start.
They can live in the house, but would tend to smell, they prefer the fresh air of the outdoors.

I've pm'd you a couple of great sources of info. We currently have 6 ferrets who live in a hutch run complex in the garden. They make fantastic pets and the kids love them. We show ours, and they're alot easier than dogs!! Best bet when you get your first ferret is to get a rescue. There are alot around and there's a good chance that it would already be nip trained and neutered. Good luck, hope the info helps.

i have pmd you

just to add that 'polecat' refers to the colouring, which resembles polecats
but people dont mean your ferret 'is' a polecat, which is a different animal, that being the animal ferrets evolved from viz a vis wolves and dogs.

as this can cause some confusion.
another way of describing the 'polecat markings' is to call it 'sable'

the best book about ferrets is probably 'complete guide to ferrets' by james mckay, whom is considered this countries leading authority
he is also a zoologist, whom when he went to research the genetic of ferrets, realised there wasnt any, so did the research himself.

the national ferret welfare society is your best database for all things ferret, including rescue contacts.

I have a friend who has ferrets, they are quite cute, and I used to hold them, but was always afraid they would bite after Richard Whiteley being bitten on his tv show :-D But I honestly could never get past the smell, they really are smelly, could never have one.

wasnt that russell harty?

> What kind of smell - if at all possible to explain?!!

a very musky wild one. my friend use to have them

> wasnt that russell harty?

Nope if was definitely the late Richard Whiteley & it was on Calendar I nearly wet myself laughing !

wasnt that russell harty?

:-D  Nope,  Russell Harty would have probably preferred the ferret, he got a beating from Grace Jones. Another classic TV moment. :-)

Sincere thanks to you all for the messages and post's. Seems like they are quite addictive - i can see myself ending up with lots of them!!!
If anyone can find a good picture (or post one of their own) to show me the kind of 'accomodation' the ferrets live in i'd be very appreciative. Some of the pictures i've seen on the internet show cages/hutch's with a very small area - IMO too small for the ferrets to live 'spaciously' in.
Thanks

http://www.taysideferretrescue.btik.com/gallery/76881861.ikml

We bought a shed the same as the 3rd picture down, and its great for the ferrets, giving them plenty room to run around.

Kenya, that looks lovely. Much more the sort of thing I think is suitable for a ferret to live happily and spaciously in :-)