They can make wonderful gifts, but only if the owner has both the right temperament and enough time to devote to her new pet. Read a few books about ferrets, or visit some Web sites. Learn a bit about the animal before you consider buying one for your special someone. Consider giving a gift certificate for a ferret and letting the recipient pick out her own animal. Choose a ferret from a pet store, shelter or breeder.
Experts recommend going to a shelter, where there are hundreds of unwanted ferrets.
The shelters are also trained to match ferret personalities to prospective owners. Think about the recipient of your gift. Try to match up the owner to a similarly minded ferret. A ferret from a breeder will cost considerably more than one from a shelter. Since they love to explore, the owner's house will need to be animal-proofed.