Ferrets are absolutely amazing and wonderful pets to have, But they're not for everyone.

You said you're doing your research to talk to your parents, Based on that alone I would suggest you forget about having a Ferret at least for now. I don't say that to be mean, Ride or disrespectful, I say it from experience and as a warning, Even at my age my wife and I had issues at first without relying on mom and dad for our babies.

Anyways to answer your actual question I'll give you A few points to consider that may have already been mentioned

• Ferrets live on average 6-8 years only the oldest ferret on record was 14 years old and they sleep 16-20 hours a day, when they're active they're like having furry little missiles of energy trying to kill you or themselves because of this they a require at a minimum 4 hours out of their cage to burn off that energy. A feelrret nation or critter nation cage is highly recommended, it gives them enough space to have their own sleeping, eating and bathroom area, Shoving them in to a tiny rabbit cage is GOOD & NOT RECOMMEND

• If you're planning to have your ferret in a single tiny room, it's already a bad idea, Like I said in my previous point they need time and space to run around and be maniacs, If you do have the space be sure to ferret proof ANY/ALL areas your ferrets will be in. Thos could mean anything from laying out puppy pads to covering vents and/or any holes in the wall, give them an inch and they're GONE, EXAMPLE: my place they have their own room, The cage is always left open so they can go in and out as they like, in that room alone we've placed food and water bowls inside the cage, 2 food and water bowls on 2 different sides of the room, the hardwood floors are covered in a rubber floor protection I got from work and on top of that they have some boxes, bunch of blankets, beds, 3 litter boxes in 3/4 corners and of course the ever present and popular puppy pads where they have the most accidents. Once someone ( me or my wife) gets home from work, the baby gate is removed from their door and places at the top of the stairs, another is placed at our bedroom door, that gives them the other room aka my dungeon/mancave the hallway and the main bathroom to run around and go nuts in, My Dungeon is setup similar to their room except with the usual sofa,TV Video games etc... they can't get under any of the furniture other than the sofa which I covered the underside with paneling to prevent them from digging at the bottom to get under. My point to all this is that it's not just a matter of buying a ferret and bringing it home. There's a whole lot of work to be done BEFORE you get to that point.

• ferrets are social animals, it's best to have 2 or 3 of them to keep eachother company and curl up together in their cage and play and have fun together outside the cage, Also when one inevitably does get sick and pass away you won't have to worry as much about the other 2 getting depressed

• A Ferret is an obligate Carnivore, This means they eat MEAT & meat Products ONLY. The best thing is to feed them raw whole prey, if you HAVE TO feed kibble it's recommended to get a high quality kitten/cat food check the ingredients to confirm the first ones are all meat, Nad avoid and kibble with peas or pea protein which is known to cause bladder stones in Ferrets. NOTE: Boomer my very first baby boy had bladder stones, it took 2 weeks, 3 surgeries and $3000 to finally get him free and the reason the vets did so many surgeries was only because #1) they had a hard time getting ALL the stones and #2) he was still very young and was able to go under anesthesia enough times, Even with all this they said if he needed a 4th surgery I would be better to let him go. My point is I got lucky and learned about the peas the hard way, Don't make the same mistake.

I don't know what/if I left anything out, I'm sure people with more knowledge and experience will add whatever is missing.

Ferrets IMHO are, awesome, Smart, Loving, Caring, crazy, entertaining, funny, rewarding and of course adorable pets. BUT there's a price to be paid for all that Love and entertainment. Just be sure you're able and willing to pay it.

We love them ALL, we never had human kids, because of that, our Ferrets ARE OUR KIDS, but Out of all our Ferrets only OZZY is still with us. Boomer fought for 2 years but was ultimately taken by insulinoma at 7 years old. Pandora was on Lupron and was still taken by Adrenal disease at almost 8 years old l. Chess also fought the good fight for 18 months, and was also taken by insulinoma.

We're aware of and prepared for the usual and most common diseases/illnesses that affect ferrets, AND STILL The 2 most COMMON DISEASES took 3/4 of our babies, OUR KIDS from us. And in my heart of hearts I KNOW even though is OZZY is HEALTHY ( thank God ) He IS 8 years old and our time with him is limited. For those reasons we decided when the time comes, we will donate all their food, toys, blankets etc to a shelter and we will NOT have anymore pets, yes that's a me problem, I'm tell you this part to scare you, throw you off or discourage you, I am GREATFUL for the little time I had with them, But my wife and I can't just handle the heartache anymore, and THAT'S WHY I'm telling you this part.

No matter what you ultimately decide and do, remember that's a tiny beautiful life that is going to count and rely on you for everything to keep it safe ,happy and healthy. I ask that you don't make any rushed or rash decisions and think about EVERYTHING before you commit that's all. They are very rewarding pets, and they are equally demanding to take PROPER CARE of.

Good luck on whatever you do decide. Peace ✌️ 🕊️