The Ferret: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet

Ferret Mania!:
I checked out several books on ferrets from the library, and then bought this one. I felt it contained all of the useful, general information a ferret fancier needed. Since I had never owned a ferret when I first owned the book, it answered all of my basic questions. Later as I became more experienced with my pets, I still found useful tips for strange behaviours, suggested treats, etc. Between this book, and the alt.pets.ferrets Usenet group, you'll have all the advice you need to have healthy happy little bouncies!

A nice book, but lacking....:
I think the Sheffermans have wonderful writing skills in thier magazine, but it somehow doesn't work in a book. I found the book a nice addition to my collection of ferret books, as well as pretty enjoyable to read once through. I just felt it was a little lacking in depth for a ferret book. It's a good begginer book, but I think anyone with many years of ferret experience wouldn't find this book as helpful or appealing.

great book:
must own very good book. glad that i bought this book. lots of colored pictures

A good started book:
As a first time ferret owner, I bought this book. It was very helpful with tons of info. All thou not as impressive as the other ferret books, its good enough if your just starting out. You will find each book that is put out on ferrets to have somthing that the book before didnt have..

A good beginner's book on owning a ferret:
I found this older book to be a good readable starting point in learning about the ferret. I highly suggest it for anyone thinking about adopting a ferret, since it gives you a very good picture of the care involved, including medical issues, ferret-proofing your home, the hopelessly curious nature of the ferret, and daily life with a ferret in general. The only real places it is lacking is in updated advances in veterinary care for certain diseases specific to the ferret, and also in legal issues since many things have changed over the past ten years on that front also. One negative issue, and I've seen this erroneous information in print many times in many places, is the book stating that the lifespan of the ferret is six to ten years. That is true in Europe where ferrets are largely bred in small operations. In the U.S., however, the lifespan is more like five to seven years. Also note that the book doesn't really stress the fact that the ferret is a social animal - not so much with humans as with other ferrets. Ferrets are happiest and most active when they live together in groups of two or three. A ferret will play with you, but don't expect the level of interaction and affection you would get from a cat or dog.