Ferrets & Birds ??

[TurquoiseMel]

So another quick question. I'm rescuing this ferret from this horrible stupid kid who got her only 2 months ago keeps her in this tiny cage 24/7 and hasn't cleaned the cage in what looks like the whole two months he's had her.

I knowww that ferrets will kill birds, so I'm not ignorant enough to let her (ferret, who I've named Panda) interact with Loqui, but I was wondering if anyone knew if they could catch anything from each other- illnesses & whatnot? (They won't be housed in the same room together, but I will be primary caretaker for both of them so I don't wanna like spread anything to either of them or however that works ??)

Also I know this is a bird forum but if anyone knows if ferrets & cats & dogs can share illnesses or diseases too please let me know. I really wanna help this poor lil thing out, I couldn't stand seeing her in that situation!! but I don't wanna put my own little things at risk.

I tried a quick google search but I'd figure I'd ask while I keep reading around.
Thanks in advance guys! you're always so helpful here <3
-Mel

 

[dknight8919]

Im not sure, but hopefully ull find ur answer. like u said everybody is so helpful here

 

[roxynoodle]

I don't know about diseases, but I do want to say ferrets are much more predatory than cats when it comes to hunting birds. And they are quite smart and sneaky and will do everything they can to try to figure out how to get to one. I probably would be very careful if you choose to let it play in the bird room.

I do not know of any inter species diseases between dogs and cats and birds. I do know that cat saliva is supposedly dangerous to birds. And even the tiniest of scratches from cats tend to transmit bacterial infections. If you have a cat touch a bird with it's claw, get it into the vet right away.

 

[Echo]

I have had 2 ferrets along with my birds. I lost one 1 year ago and still have one who is 7 years old. I had the ferrets before the birds. You don't have to worry about diseases between the 2 species to my knowledge. The ferrets never showed interests in the birds and unlike cats, they can't really jump up. They also do not sit and watch like cats do. Ferrets are very active and never stay still. Maybe being bred here has reduced their hunting drive because, on the contrary, I also have to watch for the birds not to bite the ferret! Of course now mine is senior and mostly blind but I have never had any problems between birds and ferrets. This is only my experience though.

 

[TurquoiseMel]

Yea Roxynoodle, I had that feeling too. Or not that they're more predatory, but that they're more.... slippery? lol I feel if I had to intercept my cat from going after my bird I'd have a lot more luck than if I had to intercept the ferret, only coz they're slicker & faster & have I dunno, just quicker movements. ?dunno how to explain. But I also hear what Echo's saying about how they don't sit & stare like they're plotting an elaborate, and very violent plan the next time you leave your bird unattended LOL. Instead they're always on the move & doing their own thing all over the place.

But hopefully any predator drive she has in her I can minimize with socialization & training & getting them slowly used to each other since she's still under a year old. Not that I'd ever let them play together or anything, just so that they tolerate each other how my cat & dog have learned to do with the bird. That is if I end up keeping her. Right now I'll sort of be fostering her til I find her a better home than the one she came from. Coz really, the kid who bought her is a total idiot. Bought her with his girlfriend, had her for two months, in those two months barely paid any attention to her and now is sick of her & was thinking about dropping her off at the shelter. like ............. it's beyond me. it really is.

She's in a cage with no food in the bowl (at least while I was there) and with an entire corner of the cage covered in feces. The bars of the white cage are bare metal. She's been chewing on the darn thing probably for the 2 miserable months shes been there & the cage is way to small for even a guinea pig much less for an active creature like a ferret & one as young as this one. I mean baby animals all they wanna do is bounce around & let their curiosity get them into things but she's in this little stinky cage all day in a house where no one pays attention to her no matter how painfully obvious she makes her cries for attention. The whole time I was there she's pacing at the front of the cage standing up and making direct eye contact with me. How can you SHARE A ROOM with her & not see that?!?!!!??

& they all complain that oh she bites, she has an attitude this & that. I took her out for a lil, put her in my jacket & everything & I didn't get a single "bite". A nibble here & there but she seemed like a total sweetheart. She probably just bites YOU because, well, read the whole paragraph above this & give me one good reason why she shouldn't bite you every chance she gets??

Bleh anyway sorry for the rant. Thanks for the responses guys. I'm glad I won't have to worry about the things I can't see (diseases & he like) I think tho to be sure I'll give my vet a call.

 

[MissyMe83]

I would just like to add that I would be very careful with your ferret being even in the same room as your bird. I may even go as far as to say that you should re-think adopting the ferret. I say this from experience. I had two ferrets years ago, before I decided to buy my first parrot (a cockatiel) and was always very careful, and never let the tiel out at the same time as the ferret. My roomate, however, was not so careful and left the living room to get a drink and within that time one of the ferrets climbed the couch and snuck up quickly enough that my flighted tiel didn't even see her coming and she was killed by the ferret.
Needless to say I was completely devistated and heartbroken and couldn't bare to live with the ferret that killed my bird, so all around it was a bad situation. Just be advised....

 

[IcyWolf]

I don't know about diseases either, but we had a ferret when we had our cockatoos. We also had tiels and a budgie but they were in a completely different room that the ferret had no access to, ever. We would let her out to play and she would run right past the too cages, they both immediately ruffled all of their feathers, spread their wings and did the "I'm a vicious cockatoo rocking". The ferret never even seemed to take notice to them. We NEVER left them out of their cages together and always made sure the ferret was securely locked in her cage. We also made sure that she couldn't get into the room we kept our smaller birds. I think you can safely have both but it takes a lot of preparation and precaution. And it's something that not only you, but anyone you live with understands. Ferrets are pretty serious predators and it only takes a second for something disastrous to happen. It's all about preventing an accident before it happens.

 

[cockatielfan17]

ferrets can catch colds from us and birds can get diseases from other animals so if u get a cold ur ferret gets a cold it might affect ur bird thats all i know hope that helped

 

[roxynoodle]

"Slippery" is a very good description of a ferret! There is a reason why we refer to certain peoples' character as a "weasel", lol!

I'm also sure the ferret would more actively hunt a smaller bird than a large one. However, mongooses can kill cobras!

I only had a ferret for a short while; it was given to my ex husband shortly before we were married. It did try to terrorize the budgie, pet rat and guinea pig. So much so it was spending too much time locked up in it's cage. So we did find it a new home with a young woman who could give the ferret the attention it needed. I've always thought they were really cool pets, but I've also always had some small animals as well that were just too interesting for them, so have never had one long term.

 

[TurquoiseMel]

Missyme38: I may not be keeping the ferret forever but I know for a fact that my conscience WILL NOT let me leave her where she is. I just can't.So not getting the ferret is out of the question for me. I spoke to the owner & he spoke to his girlfriend they agreed to let me have her. I'm picking her up on Tuesday.

The ferret's cage will be in our basement living room tho, & my bird is upstairs in my bedroom so I think it'll be fine, they're on completely separate floors. & I agree everyone in the household should be on the same page, although I'm the animal freak in my house so if I'm not around everyone stays in their cages.No one really wants to deal with my pets cause, well they're mine lol. ALL of them


cockateilfan17: I head read about the colds & stuff too that's why i was curious. Thanks tho C:

Roxynoodle: "I'm also sure the ferret would more actively hunt a smaller bird than a large one." that's probably true.

I have a friend's mother who had 2 ferrets & one passed from cancer I think so maybe she'll want her so the one ferret can have some company again. Hopefully it all works out & she ends up in a better situation than the one she started in. But to be honest if I could, & if everything turns out well in the time she's here at my house I probably would keep her. I totally already fell in love with her. But I want what's best (for her, my bird, & my other pets) even if she ends up with another owner you know.

 

[roxynoodle]

If she's in a bad situation, you should definitely take her. And it sounds like if things don't work out as well with your bird you have another potential good home for her.

 

[MissyMe83]

I'm glad you are rescuing her from a bad situation. Sounds like you have it all figured out too as far as placement. I hope it all works out!

 

[echoskybound]

A friend of mine recently adopted ferrets. She is no longer a bird owner, but having had experience with both, she's said she would not keep both together. However, I think that if the birds or ferrets have their own rooms and you don't have them out at the same time, that is a good safety precaution. Ferrets have very strong hunting instincts and are bred as vermin hunters... I've heard of ferret owners losing other pets to ferrets (especially rats and rabbits.)

Also, I don't know whether or not the birds wings should be clipped when living with predators, because on one hand, the bird could escape from trouble if it is flighted... on the other hand, it could fly into it.

 

[sssaucey]

With birds and ferrets I don't think they can spread disease to each other, but ferrets, dogs and cats can spread diseases to each other I think the main one is distemper. Most people recommend getting the same vaccines for ferrets that you would get for your cats and dogs.

goodluck

 

[TurquoiseMel]

Hey guys, just wanted to update everyone since you were all so helpful C:

I ended up getting her like the next day instead of Tuesday like I said but she's doing well & I've become really attached actually, which is never a good thing when it's a rescue mission haha.
I quickly realized she can slip under the door from our finished basement living room into the unfinished boiler room (so unfinished there's holes in the walls and access to crawl space & all that stuff that ferrets shouldn't get into) so I tried letting her in the living room and she dug up all of ma's plants & ma had a fit XD & in the bathroom she gets into cabinets & a bunch of other stuff ferrets shouldn't get into LOL......
Point is I was running out of rooms so she ended up in my room. where the bird is.

& actually they're not so bad with each other. If Loqui is in the basement with me while Panda is in her cage he will fly over to her & just investigate. He'll peck at her a lil & she just sniffs him. Up in my room Panda & my dog were hopping around like crazies on the bed & Loqui from his little play area (my closet turned to a bird gym. I should post pictures of that actually) comes flying onto the bed & wants to join in the mess too. So I'm watching close, ready to jump in if anything goes down.

Loqui was going after everybody. My dog runs from him but Panda didn't. They pecked at each other a little bit. I got real scared about the ferret biting Loqs and I grabbed her by the scruff & shook her up & said NO (I read this is how you should do it, coz that's how their mother would?). Then corrected Loqui & sent him back to his cage. A couple repetitions of this & Panda now doesn't bother Loqui, even when she's getting pecked at. She just stops and backs away from him. Smart girl.

Not so smart bird tho. He'd walk up to a Great Dane probably & peck at his nose! LOL silly chicken

Still tho, I'd never leave them alone in a room together uncaged coz you never know.

Other than that Loqui just seems a little jealous that I cuddle with Panda all the time now hehe. Everything else is going gooood.

Anyone want a ferret? LOL :09: (jus kidding I secretly wanna keep her)

 

[Keinanna]

It sounds like everything is going well. I work with my local ferret rescue shelter as a foster home for ferrets I currently have four ferrets being fostered right now. I keep the cages on seperate floors but the ferrets do get to come upstairs to play which is where the birds are. i tend to keep the birds up high so the ferrets have never even seen the birds. out of sight out of mind.

Because of that i have never had any problems keeping ferrets with other animals i just give them their own seperate out of cage times to be safe. One thing i have learned about ferrets is that if they dont know it exsists everything is fine but if they decide they want something and it does not matter what it is they will not stop until they get it and distractions do not work. I have tried to block them from leaving the living room by putting up a piece of plywood over the doorway i had one ferret try for over 3 hours to get through the plywood and eventually found a way and that was with me moving him to the other side of the room at least every 5 mins trying to distract him. So they can be very persistent!