If you’re looking for a fun, active pet that’s fairly easy to care for, a ferret is an excellent choice. We’ve had several ferrets over the years, and they were definitely among my favorite pets. Even older ferrets can be excitable, curious creatures that will never cease entertaining you—or themselves.

Ferrets are cousins of the weasel family; they are also related to skunks and otters, which makes their unique, musky scent unsurprising. Domestic mammals, ferrets are long and furry critters that come in a range of colors, from white to brown to black to mixed colors. They weight less than five pounds and can live up to ten years.

Caring for a ferret is similar to caring for a cat, but requires a bit more attention. Ferrets simply aren’t as savvy as cats and can get into very dangerous predicaments—such as caught in bed springs, couches or even pipes. While they’ll sleep up to 18 hours a day, the other eight hours are spent in spirited, intense play and discovery—which is highly entertaining and fun, but can also require a lot of attention.

 While some people allow their ferrets free range, it’s not always possible to safety proof your house since ferrets can “weasel” into just about anything; think of your ferret as a toddler who can choke, drown, get stuck, and find danger just about anywhere—except in even smaller places! Our practice has always been to keep our ferrets in large, comfortable cages when they are asleep, and to let them out to play while we are home and can keep an eye on them.

Also like cats, ferrets can be litter trained—but not always. They are genetically wired to spread their scent on their territory. Still, having a few litter boxes available helps, as well as keeping them as clean as possible. Ferret litter often needs changing more frequently than cat litter as well.

While some people feed their ferrets fresh meat, like mice, we’ve always done well with commercial ferret food. It’s a good idea to ask your vet for recommendations, depending on your ferret’s individual needs. They’ll also need plenty of water (a large bottle, similar to that of a hamster, is available for ferrets), as well as toys to play with and chews to gnaw on. Most ferrets have quite a sweet tooth, but they should not be fed sweets to prevent sickness. That said, if your little weasel gets into your frosted flakes one day, you probably don’t need to panic.

If you choose to have a ferret house/cage—which is always a good thing to have, especially if you leave the house—you’ll need to fit it with some kind of bedding. We’ve always used bedding with a recycled cardboard base, which is very fluffy and comfortable, but others are also available. Our ferrets have also had fun in soft hammocks made especially for ferrets as well as tubing tunnels.

Ferrets do make great pets for kids, but require very gentle handling. They can bite—especially young ones—but with training they will typically grow out of nipping.