Reddit mentions: The best rabbit pet care books

1. You should always be worried about ferrets and other animals. Ferrets are troublemakers and instigators, and they will push the other pets' buttons. Even the most well mannered dog will only let themselves be pushed so far. ALL interaction between ferrets and other animals needs to be supervised.
   
   
2. A bedroom is plenty of room for a ferret to be housed in, but it would be great mental stimulation if you could occasionally take them to other rooms of the house and let them romp around for half an hour or so. Outside is great as well.
   
   
3. Bitter apple stuff doesn't deter many ferrets. They only see it as a challenge lol. Getting your cords and stuff off the floor is the most optimal solution. I'm an avid gamer too, I put all of my cords through 3 toilet paper tubes which hang on the wall, just behind my monitor. Keeps them out of sight and off the floor.
   
   Aside from that, as far as advice goes, I have a few points:
   
   

• My #1 piece of advice is to find a great vet that specializes in ferrets. Call around your local vets and find one that is experienced in dealing with ferrets, get them on your speed dial, and take your first ferret there asap so you can get that line of communication open. While we are always here to help, you absolutely need a vet when you own ferrets.
  
  
• They are not easy pets to own. You need to be very patient and persistent. Ferret proofing is an ongoing process that will need to happen continually as long as your ferrets live. They are smart and rambunctious and they will constantly be looking for new ways to circumvent your obstacles!
  
  
• Have a read through our wiki. If ferrets still sound appealing to you after that, pick up a copy of Ferrets for Dummies, this is pretty much the 'ferret bible'.
  
  
• Do some Googling to find local ferret shelters in your area. Kits are not recommended for first-timers, plus a shelter can also help you find a vet, give you advice on where to buy stuff, it's less expensive to adopt than buy, and lots of them attend/host fun ferret get togethers and parties if you're into that kind of thing. In most scenarios, shelters = good, pet stores = bad.

While their domain name is hedgehogclub.com, the organization's true name is the "International Hedgehog Association," a 501c3 charitable organization in the US dedicated to hedgehog welfare.

Please also add a link to the Hedgehog Welfare Society (hedgehogwelfare.org), an organization dedicated to helping hedgehogs in need.

In addition, the man who runs the largest hedgehog rescue in the country, the Flash and Thelma Memorial Hedgehog Rescue in Divide, Colorado, recently reviewed this care book and recommends it as the best currently available:

http://www.amazon.com/Hedgehogs-Complete-Pet-Owners-Manual/dp/0764144391/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b/181-0741693-3084544

Aww, how awesome of you for taking in a probably-abandoned bun (there are unfortunately many post-Easter throwaways). I've got two adopted rabbits myself.

Judging from the utter lack of a dewlap, I'd guess it's a boy. First and foremost, do you have a litterbox for him yet? Rabbits are easily litter-box trained. You should get him one and put in some wood pellets (the kind they sell in feed stores for horse stables -- super cheap) or recycled paper pellets (like Yesterday's News) and a big handful of good quality hay.

Someone posted a link to the House Rabbit Society's website already, which is a really good resource. I'd also recommend this if you can get your hands on it somewhere. Also, if you have any questions on rabbit care, feel free to PM me.

Ducommun suggests to introduce them in the (empty) bathtub because it's neutral territory. I have never tried this but sounds like fun. If you are pretty sure that they are all healthy I guess you could try this right away.

Niles are one of the largest, most active and energetic lizards in the world. These dimensions are for the smallest enclosure that you could keep it in. Also, it will need a large pool with a full on filtration system, the kind used for swimming pools. It will probably destroy cage furnishings made of foam, even after covered in grout. The enclosure must be built extremely sturdily, because pound for pound, Nile monitors are at least as strong as crocodiles, maybe even stronger and have far better endurance. He will be able to break out of a poorly built enclosure.

When it is an adult you will have to feed it a variety of crustaceans, fish and birds, eggs and only limited amounts of rodents. It needs whole prey food. Can you provide a very large enclosure, with correct lighting, heating, humidity, substrate, pool, with sophisticated controls (expensive thermostat / hydrostat) and still afford to keep it well fed? Can you afford exotic vet visits? Keeping a monitor lizard this large will not be easy and will cost in the ways I've mentioned but also in electricity bills.

I've read your posts and though you know very little about keeping monitors, you seem willing to learn. Here is a list of books that will help you learn about these wonderful but difficult to keep animals:

• Varanoid Lizards of the World, edited by Eric Pianka and the late Dennis King https://www.amazon.com/Varanoid-Lizards-World-Eric-Pianka/dp/0253343666/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=monitor+lizards&qid=1574900093&sr=8-2
  
• Monitor Lizards as Pets https://www.amazon.com/Comprehensive-behavior-enclosures-interaction-included/dp/1910617121/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=monitor+lizards+as+pets&qid=1574899937&sr=8-1
  
• Giant Lizards by Robert Sprackland https://www.amazon.com/Giant-Lizards-Robert-George-Sprackland/dp/0793805813/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=monitor+lizards+as+pets&qid=1574899969&sr=8-3
  
• Terralog 6: Varanoid Lizards (this is on my wishlist) https://www.amazon.com/TERRALOG-Varanoid-Lizards-Monitor-Terralog/dp/3939759139/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=monitor+lizards&qid=1574900008&sr=8-3
  
  Much of the information online and care sheets are made by pet store chains that want to sell as many of these wild caught babies as they possibly can and thusly are full of misinformation.
  
  Also, read the wikis here on this sub: https://www.reddit.com/r/MonitorLizards/wiki/index

They're super smart and depending on their personalities can be super cuddly or a bit more aloof, or somewhere in between. I've seen people liken them to tiny dogs which I would say isn't too far off. They're quite social and nocturnal and don't exactly do well alone, so get a pair if you can. :) I've only ever had males, so their potty habits are the only thing I can speak to. Our rats would poo outside the cage when we first got them, but now they'll run back and use their litter box if they have to go. As far as pee goes, they do tend to pee on things quite a bit. It's generally only a little bit, but still pee. We had all of our boys neutered and that has cut down quite a bit. :)

Edit: I found this book to be quite helpful before I bought them. The price is quite low so it may be something to consider if you're curious.

Just saw this, And here they are incase you ONLY have a phone.

This is THE hedgehog sub-reddit. If you are looking to own a hedgehog, want to trade information, or do a hedgie meet-up, this is the reddit for you!

If you engage in racism or species-ism you will be banned. God loves all of his creatures, but the hedgehog most of all. As is evidenced by him sending his one and only son, Sonic, to save the world from the evil Rebotnik. So play nice.

I want to own a pet hedgehog


What are these cute things?

What to expect from your hedgehog

Books


The Hedgehog Owner's Guide

Hedgehogs (Complete Pet Owner's Manual)

Book reviews

Care


Basic Care

Example Cages

Diet Basics

Commercial Food Discussion

Sites


The International Hedgehog Association

Michigan Hedgehog Owners Group

Forums


Hedgehog Central Forums

Chins-n-Hedgies Forums

Rescues


Flash and Thelma Memorial Hedgehog Rescue

Hedgehog Welfare Society


UK Hedgehog Information

St. Tiggywinkle's Wildlife Hospital Hedgehog Info Page

Rochdale Hedgehog Rescue

The House Rabbit Handbook is one of the best books money can buy on house rabbit care. As a more immediate resource, Rabbit.org is available along with the lovely wabbitwiki sneaky_dragon linked.

You're welcome!

It's good that you contacted the breeder. I can definitely see what you mean about wanting one that's really yours, but to a breeder/seller then "unique" means "expensive". Anyway, now you've got a top end for your scale of how much you could spend on getting a unique hamster!

In the interests of not buying blindly, I recommend one of these books. You may be able to borrow them from a library, and/or your breeder may be able to lend you one.

• Hamsterlopaedia
  
• Proper Care of Hamsters
  
• Pet Owners Guide to Hamsters
  
  I'm sure there are websites too, but I'm a pre-internet hamster keeper. Damn, I feel old now.

Mary & Amy's (Howcast)?... How to Massage Your Rabbit? There is an older book I picked up a book called The Relaxed Rabbit: Massage for Your Pet Bunny.. it's ok. There is an article on Reiki for rabbits, it is more of a 'holistic' thing. Here is a video on it. It is even covered in the 'Rabbit Health in the 21st Century: A Guide for Bunny Parents' book. You just need to find the right spots they like. :) edit: Forgot about TTouch... and a long video on it.

I would highly recommend getting a ferret book.

http://www.amazon.com/Ferrets-Complete-Pet-Owners-Manual/dp/0764143328/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z

I read that one cover to cover before getting my ferrets. They eat the most random things (latex, foam, etc) and will try to kill themselves by getting into things they shouldn't get into. We sealed up every nook and cranny in our apartment and put wire grating over the floorboard heaters. Little shits would still manage to get into the entertainment center regardless of the modifications we made. They also busted out of their cage (one knew how to remove twisty ties from the cage door and unlatch the door) and would climb into bed in the middle of the night.

We ended up covering a couple baby gates with clear plastic (because the ferret will climb an unmodified gate really quickly) and using those to block off rooms that we didn't want to ferret proof (Kitchen, bedroom). The rest of the house was EXTREMELY clean and virtually had no clutter.

You'll also want to make a couple extra litter boxes for the ferrets to use when they're outside of their cage.

EDIT: Both of my ferrets died of adrenal gland disease many years ago. They were flipping adorable and the best cuddlers. One bit me the first time I met her, but she bit everyone the first time she met them. I miss them terribly, but they did require quite a bit of babysitting. Cats are a little bit easier to care for, but not nearly as adorable. I know you're only getting one, but you might consider getting two. I think they're happier if they have a friend.

I would like to help. I've started going through HedgehogFan's link and will hopefully have a good list of reading material for people. I found this book to be a decent guide.

I'm decently busy myself, so I completely understand!

Ferrets for Dummies was a lifesaver for me when I got my first ferret and I still consult it. Also, they are so very inquisitive so ferret proofing your home is an ongoing task, even the smallest hole can be scratched into a larger one. And congratulations! You can never stay in a bad mood when you have ferrets in the house.

For sure, this book helped me out a lot to learn about these beautiful creatures. Rainbow Boa. Rainbow Boas as Pets. Rainbow Boa, Biology, Behavior, Husbandry, Daily Care, Enclosures, Costs, Diet, Interaction and Health. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1911142399/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_UzpPzbSNK9S38

My advice would be, if you're looking for information on every aspect of taking care of a rabbit, get a book about rabbit care like this one.
They will give you technical insight on everything you've asked about, and also give you a lot of details about owning bunnies backed up with personal stories that will help you figure out if a rabbit is right for your household/lifestyle.

Also Training Your Pet Ferret

Best tip is to have a loud squeak toy with a distinctive sound that you use only in emergencies and always reward with ferretone when they come running!

If you're curious about anything from your little guy, I'd recommend this book: https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Owning-Leopard-Gecko-Geckos/dp/079380258X
I had it when I got my first leopard gecko as a kid and it's quite informative and a good read.

I just purchased both of these to supplement my normal A&P textbook. Maybe they could help you too! :)

Large Animal

Small Animal

Congrats on your new ferret! I highly suggest you pick up Ferrets for Dummies to help you learn all about being a ferret owner!

• For the boxspring, you just need a fitted sheet or 2. Put one on the underside of the boxspring. If it does not stay very well on its own, then put the other fitted sheet on top to hold it on. This worked for me and my 5 ferrets when they had access to my bedroom :) Go to a thrift store and buy the fitted sheets for cheap!
  
  
• As for the fridge and stove, that gets a little trickier. You can use scraps of wood to block off the underside and spaces on the sides of the units. Most home improvement stores have a scrap bin that has tons of pieces that should work well for incredibly cheap.
  
  
• Something else that tends to be forgotten is the spaces under your cabinets. Some cabinets have space under with a gap that ferrets can easily fit through. There can be unknown holes for pipes that go into the walls/floors/outside. You may also want to block this off with wood, or just block access to the kitchen all together.
  
  
• Your other option is to get a ferret playpen to block off the kitchen. You can get one like this. I know it may seem expensive, but its so versatile, I couldn't imagine not having one. The kitchen can be a dangerous place for ferrets, so my business has no access to the kitchen because of this.
  
  It's a dangerous game to play having a pet when they are not allowed. Hopefully your complex gives notice when they plan to come in. Recruit a friend to be your ferret sitter in case you need to house him temporarily somewhere else. Have a plan before you need it!

Ferrets For Dummies https://www.amazon.com/dp/0470139439/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_HnGazb8G76TSE

This book has tons of good information and it's not expensive.

You should check out the FAQ section and grab a copy of the ferret bible

I'll echo the other posters here - ferrets will get sick more often than a dog, in my experience. I think of it as their life is condensed to 7-10 years compared to a cat or dog's 15-18 years. A dog will have a good 10 to 12 years before it might have cancer or die or old age, whereas a ferret will run into problems around the age of 4 to 6. Ferrets are such sweet, joyful, punchy-personality & heart-capturing creatures. I imagine it must be equally tough with rats not living very long?

If you haven't heard of it already, read Ferrets for Dummies. Yes really - it's THE ferret book, and explains all their conditions and risks.

We try to always have $1k emergency money that we can use on ferret vet bills. We feed them the best food we can find, and keep up on their hygiene. Make sure they don't eat anything they shouldn't - fabric, rubber, plastic - due to risk of intestinal blockage. This should cover your bases fairly well.

Edit: out of curiousity, I looked it up: black footed ferrets live 8-9 years in captivity, maybe up to 12. Polecats live up to 14 in captivity?