When does it become too much

[Frozen Mist]

So I find myself incredibly torn right now. I used to have 5 ferrets, but 2 of them passed away from old age and the associated complications. The 3 remaining are only 2 years old, so they will still be around for a while.

Now, normally I count on my mom to be the voice of reason, forbidding me from bringing home more pets. Because, lets face it, every kitten is cute, and if I got a new pet everytime I thought something was adorable, I'd be drowning in a sea of fur right now.

But my mom called up asking about 3 baby ferrets, bragging about how adorable they were, and ofcourse my answer was "get them". And she actually did. (I have turned her into a ferret lover)

Space isn't the issue, we have a /very/ nice pen set up for the ferts. But I am still incredibly torn. I was heartbroken when the first two died, and so I was thinking I would not get more ferrets after the 3 remaining passed. And if I did get one, it would probably just be one, because I wanted to bond with it.

I wouldn't mind 4 ferrets. Even 5 maybe. But 6 is just alot. The thought of separating them breaks my heart, because they are siblings and only 8 weeks old. I do have one I'd prefer, if I have to choose, but I'd feel bad if he was my only boy/baby ferret (original 3 are girls). But then if I kept his brother, the sister would be left all alone at the pet store. Though I will probably be getting my own place in a year or two, and had planned to give them a whole bedroom. No matter how I go over this it feels like it's all or nothing. And Even though the space they have can handle it, it's still essentially halfing the free area per fert. Plus, I am concerned that having more ferrets will take away from the attention I give to the original set, and they are such rambunctious amazing lil creatures that I want to make sure everyone is getting enough love&play. My mom had the same exact torn thoughts, which is why she called me for advice.This is also the first time we've seen ferrets this young in person, so it's extra hard to resist. >.> It's just really difficult because I know that I could give them an amazing home, but if I leave them at the pet store god knows what kind of house they will end up in (I've seen a lot stuck in cramped shitty 3x1 cages and it breaks my heart). And the pet store bins aren't really any better.

Like it kills me that people are so ignorant about ferrets, because they are a truly amazing pet but 95% of the time end up in dismal conditions. (out of ignorance, not neglect)

I mean, I know I can make it work if we do end up keeping them, but I don't know if I should.

I will probably post pictures soon, and you will understand why this is such a hard decision rofl

So I am also wondering, how do you guys personally decide when to draw the line? Do you go for less# but more bonding, or like to have a bunch (same kind of animal, or even a bunch of different kinds), or what?

[and yes, I know it's better to rescue, but I don't want to go through that heartbreak of older ferrets so shortly after getting them, like I did with my first two.]  

[Shanna66]

i was having that issue with rats and i think had 6 or 7 at once at one point. i kept telling myself whats one more rat, all of a sudden when i got to that large number it was getitng to be too much work for me and i wasnt able to bond closely with all of them like i was my first 3.

and with ferrets my current plan is to just get one so it can have almost all my attention, but i may end up getting a second one down the line depending on how it goes with the first one cost wise

i do have a bunch of different animals, but alot of them are cold blooded and do better without me bothering them all the time. right now i just have one dog, 2 cats, and 2 rats that need my attention all the time and thats perfect for me, i dont want to add to that until after my rats die  

[Latrans]

I only have one dog. I only want to have one dog. She takes about two hours a day to take care of, and I would not be able to spend four hours a day on dog stuff, so I can't have another one.

I'm a 'less is more' person when it comes to pets.  

[Eileen50]

I have 2 adopted cats right now. Their ages are approximately 12 and 8 years old. I've been wanting to get a kitten for quite awhile now. An acquaintance of mine has 2 mamma cats who had litters within 2 days of each other back in late February. I was shown a cellphone pic of them, and I said I'd take a male kitten. They are nearly weaned, so I should be able to bring one home soon. emotion_awesome

Hopefully I won't find myself, or my son for that matter, attaching to more than one kitten, as I've already said the limit is 3 cats in this household. sweatdrop  

[Gabrielle_AnimalLuver]

Honestly the line between animal lover and hoarder is not a distinct one. Of course even PAST your limit, you may take better care of an animal than anyone else would. But at the end of the day, you need to feel right about it.

There is nothing I hate more than someone trying to GUILT trip me into adopting or fostering. Usually it's unregistered rescues who are borderline hoarders themselves. I actually had a huge issue last year with one of their main fosters going to the hospital and the government stepping in because they discovered how many animals she was keeping in her house. Like, just because You aren't capable of saying no doesn't give you the right to push other people to adopt more than they want... Sorry my mind is a lil unorganized but bear with me.

There's a physical limit, like say, the one your local laws say how many pets you can keep in a house. And yes many people with indoor animals get away breaking these while still taking impeccable care of their pets but keep in mind having your pets taken away is still a risk and one I am never willing to take.

But there is an emotional limit and not just in terms of the work involved. Though that is a big aspect too. It can be draining to always be cleaning, feeding, grooming etc. But the biggest issue for me is...When I take in an animal, yes I give it a much better life than 99% of the people on this earth would. BUT comparing how other people treat their pets is never good enough. I know myself, I know I could fit at least half a dozen rats in that cage. And they would be happy, extremely. But if I don't have enough time to give individual attention to each one of them. Then I will constantly feel guilty no matter how great they have it. If I get another dog, and fed both dogs purina. Both dogs would have a great life, and I would be miserable about feeding them garbage.

So it's a very personal choice and you should NOT feel like you are responsible to save them from whoever may or may not buy them. Because you have to live with this decision for the next decade or so. And whoever may or may not buy them, WILL buy the ferrets that the store replaces these ones with once their bought.

Sometimes rescues get pregnant animals and you can actually rescue babies. It's a matter of timing though, you never know when it might happen.

I'm not saying what to do, just that it's your choice and you shouldn't feel bad either way.


P.S to answer the question. I prefer a zoo. I like a variety of animals though I do like the idea of a pair of each so everyone can have a buddy when I'm out. Sometimes the dog&cat keep each other company. Though Rascal didn't pay much attention to Cowboy. My first cat and dog were attached at the hip. So that in mind, financial limitations aside my limit would be 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 rats and a tank of fish. Maybe 3 rats, but I worry that one would be left out, and 4 is definitely too many for me. I did have 3 at one point (only 1 dog and 1 cat ever) but that was partially because I knew it wouldn't be for long as my oldest was nearing her life expectancy.  

[Frozen Mist]

I think the big weakness for me is that they're babies. It's easy to say I can make it work, but then I see pictures of these mongo overgrown ferrets on my facebook group and I think that if even one of these babies turned out that big it would start to cause some space issues for the group.

As cute as they are I am honestly leaning towards taking back 2, if not all. I do find it slightly comforting knowing that at least they would have eachother (because at first I wanted to keep 2, and felt bad about leaving the one by himself). And /because/ they are so young and cute, I have no doubt they would get bought up quickly.

Plus they are so young now it's hard to know how things would turn out. It's almost like gambling. We have 14 (11, now) days to return them, but I don't want to find out /after/ they grow up that their personalities do not match what I can handle, because at that point it would be too late to really do anything.

And to be honest I am already getting pretty worn out. The waste didn't just double, it like quadruppled. I could get away with weekly paper changes before, but so far I've had to do it daily, and over a much larger area. It's not just the cleaning though, they need more playing too. I had a ton of homework to do this weekend and I've barely started it. I've realized that as much as I love spending time with my ferrets, I -do- need something that can be self sustaining for a day or two when I get swamped with work.

And one of them has some aggression that is really starting to bother me. I thought he was just chewing a lot because maybe he's teething, but then today he like... did this weird growl lunge thing at me when I tried to get him to stop chewing on my pants...

It sucks because the only one really placing guilt on me is /me/. But I don't want to end up regretting it if/when I return any of them to the store, so I am taking me time to be sure about my choice. It's getting easier and easier every day though, as I start to get a more complete picture.
It's also hard knowing that when I move out in a year or two, I will have a whole bedroom for them. I was even thinking I could take the 4 girls, and my mom could keep the 2 boys (since she has also come to love ferrets). But that is then, and this is now. I am trying to stop thinking about the possibilities, and focus on what is right, right now. It's just something I consider as a potential point of regret... One of my original 3 has always been kind of the odd man out, so the main thing I want to look for is which one plays with her the most. But that kind of battles with which one I personally prefer, unfortunately. <.<

The tug-o-war going on in my head is probably the most exhausting part of the whole experience... I wish that I had found them a years from now instead, because I wouldn't even doubt keeping them if not for the 3 I already have.  

[Shanna66]

Gabrielle_AnimalLuver

Honestly the line between animal lover and hoarder is not a distinct one. Of course even PAST your limit, you may take better care of an animal than anyone else would. But at the end of the day, you need to feel right about it.

There is nothing I hate more than someone trying to GUILT trip me into adopting or fostering. Usually it's unregistered rescues who are borderline hoarders themselves. I actually had a huge issue last year with one of their main fosters going to the hospital and the government stepping in because they discovered how many animals she was keeping in her house. Like, just because You aren't capable of saying no doesn't give you the right to push other people to adopt more than they want... Sorry my mind is a lil unorganized but bear with me.

There's a physical limit, like say, the one your local laws say how many pets you can keep in a house. And yes many people with indoor animals get away breaking these while still taking impeccable care of their pets but keep in mind having your pets taken away is still a risk and one I am never willing to take.

But there is an emotional limit and not just in terms of the work involved. Though that is a big aspect too. It can be draining to always be cleaning, feeding, grooming etc. But the biggest issue for me is...When I take in an animal, yes I give it a much better life than 99% of the people on this earth would. BUT comparing how other people treat their pets is never good enough. I know myself, I know I could fit at least half a dozen rats in that cage. And they would be happy, extremely. But if I don't have enough time to give individual attention to each one of them. Then I will constantly feel guilty no matter how great they have it. If I get another dog, and fed both dogs purina. Both dogs would have a great life, and I would be miserable about feeding them garbage.

So it's a very personal choice and you should NOT feel like you are responsible to save them from whoever may or may not buy them. Because you have to live with this decision for the next decade or so. And whoever may or may not buy them, WILL buy the ferrets that the store replaces these ones with once their bought.

Sometimes rescues get pregnant animals and you can actually rescue babies. It's a matter of timing though, you never know when it might happen.

I'm not saying what to do, just that it's your choice and you shouldn't feel bad either way.


P.S to answer the question. I prefer a zoo. I like a variety of animals though I do like the idea of a pair of each so everyone can have a buddy when I'm out. Sometimes the dog&cat keep each other company. Though Rascal didn't pay much attention to Cowboy. My first cat and dog were attached at the hip. So that in mind, financial limitations aside my limit would be 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 rats and a tank of fish. Maybe 3 rats, but I worry that one would be left out, and 4 is definitely too many for me. I did have 3 at one point (only 1 dog and 1 cat ever) but that was partially because I knew it wouldn't be for long as my oldest was nearing her life expectancy.

i hate it whenever people say that you can always adopt one more dog, thats pretty much hoarder mentality and it makes me really nervous.  

[Frozen Mist]

I don't have the time to spend potty training them, and the messes are more than I keep up with (or want to), + the number was just too many than I was really comfortable with anyways, so I am doing the responsible thing and returning them.

I'm sure that they will all get bought up fairly quickly. It's just not the right time for me to be getting more ferrets, and I think I knew that from the beginning but the cuteness overwhelmed me.

There used to be a time where I loved caring for a plethora of animals, but I have been feeling more and more minimalist lately.

I am glad for the experience though, and the time I did get to spend with them....  

[Skeksis]

Impulse buying ferrets is never a good idea, especially multiple kits at once.  

[Frozen Mist]

I am worried that my mom is deliberately putting off returning them until it is not an option... tomorrow is officially the 14th day of the 14 day return policy...

I am so out of my comfort zone, usually the situation is the other way around. I mean she s**t bricks when I bought a hamster 3 years ago. A HAMSTER. D=  

[Celestial Fireflies]

Oh no. sad Did she take them back?

If she's deliberately waiting, is she offering to help out with them, or is she putting it all on your shoulders? Because that's not really fair of her. No matter how cute they are.  

[Frozen Mist]

She said she will take care of them if I can't handle it.

I don't think she realizes how exhausting it can be though, since I've been doing it so far...

She has officially refused though, so it's official whether I like it or not. (I have been begging her all morning..)

It also didn't help that when she called the pet store, the woman was a total B.

Even if the work wasn't too much it hit me last weekend that I feel like I'm losing something special from my 4 girls if I have to spread myself between even more ferrets.  

[Frozen Mist]

Well, it's not the worst thing to ever happen. At least now I get to enjoy this, without the stress of the decision:

(Sprinkles, Butters, & lil Bear)

I didn't even realize sprinkles tummy was still shaved from getting neutered, until I took a good look at this picture. D=

And here is a video of Bear sucking on his brothers ear emotion_kirakira
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FVwA57L2Jk