How long do ferrets live? And would the be a good pet for an 18 yr old?

7 years is pretty common, though many live longer when cared for properly, & some succumb to disease earlier, sadly enough.

Generally speaking, an 18 year old is responsible enough to care for a ferret. Monetarily, it could be an issue--they r not the cheapest pet, & emergency vet fees when a problem comes up could be rough on ur brother.

However, an 18 year old heading off to college needs to think about where he is keeping his ferret while at college, & if he will actually have enough time for one.

Ferrets r still not well accepted as pets, so it can be different to find housing that allows ferrets. If he plans to stay in a dorm, he probably wo not be allowed pets at all.

Ferrets require daily interaction, so if he plans to compete in any sports or other extracurriculars, he has to have a ferret sitter lined up. You can leave a cat alone for a weekend with enough food often, or even with having someone just stop by to refill the food & water dishes. A ferret needs someone to come by for over an hour, cleaning litter, changing food & water, & playing with it.

Ferrets require a decent time commitment. Litter needs to be changed daily, as well as food & water. Ferrets need play time outside of the cage each day--most say 4 hours! Notably, he can study while the ferret is out playing; the big thing is that he is home to deal with any emergencies (ferrets r very curious, & very good at getting into trouble). If he gets two ferrets, it is actually easier. More litter, food, & water, but they will play with each other, so he does not have to directly, constantly, interact with his ferret while it is playing.

If he does decide to adopt a ferret or two, he should make emergency plans in the case that he is unable to take them with him, or in case he discovers that he does not have time in his studies. They r wonderful pets--I love my four--but they can be a handful!

Ferrets used to be illegal in Ontario, Canada but now they r 'accepted' as pets. I do believe, however, that in Windsor, Ontario they r still illegal. You may want to check with ur local animal shelter just to be certain. Who wants to risk a fine?

Ferrets have been documented to live anywhere from the age of 6-13.

Are ferrets a good pet for an 18 yr. old? Well.that depends. Age is not really a factor here. I think ur maturity level & ability to devote time & care is what matters. Do u have what it takes to own any pet?? Only u know the answer to that.

I will recommend one thing: do ur research. At least know what u r getting into! ;) Check out this site. It is very informative & should answer all of ur questions. http://ferretuniverse.com

As a college student, will he have the US$1500+ to get the surgery that so many ferrets need? Will he have the 4+ hours a day, every day, with no exception, to spend playing with the ferret? Will he have the ability to ferret proof an entire room for the ferret to run and play in?

No, he will be too busy with school. Ferret a bad idea - at least until after 1 or 2 years of college, and he can see how his life will change FIRST without dragging a poor fuzzie into it.

What a horrible idea. If he is 18, he will have a hard time taking care of himself, much less another living being.

Buy him a video game or some porn. That is generally what they are good for at that age.

5-12yrs is the lifespan, but it seems like they r getting sick at an ever younger age. Results of mass production, spaying/neutering too young & wrong nutrition.
Your brothers life is about to undergo some dramatic changes. He is going to meet all kinds of new people & new challenges. He will have to do a lot of studying, maybe even work on the side....he wo not have the time to take good care of a ferret & a ferret that is not taken care of well will get smelly & possibly destructive out of boredom.
And I am not even going to get into the cost of keeping a ferret, especially vet costs.

well ferrits live for about 8-10 years they are great pets to have and are gorgous looking. The bad thing is they need cleaned alot as they smell a lot like urin (you can gues why).

1. Ferrets r cute!
With mischevious eyes & sweet faces, ferrets r undeniably adorable. See the Ferret Photo Gallery for proof!

2. Ferrets r very playful & curious.
They will entertain u endlessly with their antics. They will happily play with toys, & watching ferrets play for the sheer joy of it is guaranteed to lift ur mood. Remember, it is known that owning pets has real health benefits & the joy & affection they bring is the main reason.

3. Ferrets r sociable, friendly & affectionate.
It if often recommended (although not essential) to have more than one. Having two or more ferrets increases the fun factor for the owner & the ferrets as they will interact & play together, sometimes with wild abandon. And despite having other ferrets to socialize with, they will still crave attention from their owners.

4. Ferrets r intelligent.
Some owners r amazed at how adept ferrets become at solving problems - & training their owners. Ferrets r very determined & will work at figuring something out with surprising persistence.

5. Ferrets r quiet.
While they can & do vocalize, for the most part they r very quiet. For example, probably the only time a ferret will make a noise loud enough for someone in the next apartment to notice is if the ferret is hurt or very frightened. They also sleep away a large portion of the day.

6. Ferrets r small.
Therefore, ferrets do not need a huge cage. Of course, the bigger the better, & ideal ferret cages r tall with muliple levels, so they still do not take up too much room. They do need time out of the cage daily for playtime & exercise, no matter what size cage u give them.

7. Ferrets r easy to feed.
This is especially true now that a variety of good quality ferret foods have become more widely available.

8. Ferrets can be litter trained.
Perhaps not to the same extent as cats, in that there r bound to be a few accidents. However, most can be fairly reliably trained to use a litter box in & out of their cages - a big plus when u have them out for exercise for a couple of hours a day!

9. Ferrets r easy to exercise.
They can get all the exercise they need tearing around ur (ferret-proofed) home! Of course, if u want u could take them for walks. With a ferret sized harness & a little training, u can take them out for a stroll. There r few things that will start a conversation with strangers faster than walking ur ferret in the park!

10. Ferret have distinct personalities.
Every ferret is unique & has it is own personality. Some r independent, & some r very cuddly, but each is an individual & treat to get to know!

LIFE SPAN-- around 7 years is average but up to 12 years is possible

Ferrets r a good pet, but they r EXTREMELY curious & will try to get into every hole, nook & cranny they can! they r part of the weasel family so that is where they inherit this trait! he would have to make sure he has time to play with them everyday & let them out of the cage otherwise they get bored & get into trouble! but they r very smart & very funny- I used to walk mine on a leash. Alot of times u can even find one to adopt at ur local humane society or even on Craigslist where u can adopt one from somebody with the cage & everything. Goodluck

Oh the average age of a domestic ferret is about 5 years but since they r prone to so many diseases, it is not uncommon to see really heavy medical issues in a 3 year old. Some people say they have ferrets that live to 9 years, but I have 3 ferrets that r 5 or 6 years old who have had both adrenal glands removed, & spleens & they have implants & one is not doing well even though I we have done all we can for her. Could be a long time but medical expenses r high..

If u r a college student, u will probably not have the time or money for a ferret just yet. You would be better off making friends & studying because ferrets require daily cleaning of their cage & 3 hours of outside play every day. Lots of fun they r but also a big commitment.

Ferrets live about 7-10 years and yes they are wonderful for 18 year olds because theyre easy to take care of, easy to clean up after , and they are so much fun to have as a pet. Mine has been a blessing from the get go and Im 19. Theyre better pets than dogs or cats for people who are just going out to live on theyre own. Plus, when you buy them, theyre pretty much trained already.

Not if he is going to uni, it is not a good pet.

Most uni rooms do not allow pets, especially ones that smell.

Also, it requires a good size cage, & attention/exercise which he may not be able to give if he is at uni due to class, revision etc.

They're good pets for an eighteen year old IN THEORY. But not if they're going off to uni, & chances r they wo not even be able to keep the pet.

And like any pets, they have certain requirments. Nice size cage, bedding/food, exercise, toys, interaction, company.That costs money for a start. Then add vet bills, which ALWAYS happen, no matter how healthy an animal is, & you're giving a finanical responsibility, as well as commitment to someone who already has to think of uni.