You want a sweet, funny, furry ferret, but you just can't find one. Where do people find these amazing creatures? Glad you asked! There are actually several places where you might find the ferret that was meant for you.Before you visit your local pet store, check to see if there are any ferret clubs in your area. If there are, you will most likely find that they aid in sheltering homeless ferrets and in finding good homes for them. Even if they don't do this, they will most likely know where you can get a ferret, and may even know good breeders. If you can get a ferret through a ferret club, or directly from a reputable breeder, this is the best option.
Check out your local humane society. If they don't have any ferrets, they may know of another humane society nearby that does. Learn as much about the ferret that you get from the humane society as you can. You need to know why and how the ferret ended up here. It could be that the ferret was abused or not cared for properly.
The next option is your local pet store. Even if they do not carry ferrets, they may know of someone who has a ferret for sale, or know of a breeder that you can contact. If you don't get anywhere through your local pet shop, call your local veterinarians. If they don't know of anyone with ferrets for sale, you may have to resort to the newspaper classified, or start searching farther away from home.
Pay attention to the place where you get your ferret from. First, look at the conditions of the place where the ferret has lived. Is it clean? Do other ferrets appear to be happy and well cared for. Are there signs of any abuse?
Meet your ferret's parents, if possible. Just as humans inherit traits from their parents, ferrets inherit traits from their parents. If the mother or father is ill tempered, you may want to consider a different ferret farm.
Check the ferrets overall appearance. Are his eyes clear? Are his teeth in good shape? Does he have a healthy looking coat? Are his whiskers strong? Is he active and curious? If not, the ferret probably has health issues that you may not want to have to deal with. Pay attention to his personality as well. Does he seem to like being held and cuddled? If so, he won't be overly active, he's a gentle creature. If he doesn't seem to want to sit still for cuddling, he is most likely extremely active, and will be into everything.
Humane societies and many ferret breeding farms will spay or neuter ferrets before they are sold. Breeding farms may also de-scent the ferrets. While your ferret will still need to be checked out by your own veterinarian, this will save you quite a bit of money. You won't have to pay a veterinarian for these services. At the same time, however, ferrets that have already been altered and de-scented are often more expensive than those that have not been.