A Dog is Man's Best Friend

There are several places where you can buy a ferret.  This article highlights some of the pro's and con's of these

You may consider going to a pet shop to buy your new ferret.  This is ideal if you are looking for a baby, but if you want an older one it's not so good.  Ferrets from pet stores should also have had their initial shots and you should be able to get a health certificate showing you what fuzzy has already had.

Before buying from a pet store it would be advisable to check with your local and state authorities that you can legally own a ferret.  Just because a pet store has them for sale doesn't mean that you  are home and dry.  In some states, Hawaii and California for example, it is illegal to keep ferrets at all.  Others like Illinois and Rhode Island may require you to purchase a license to own them.

Buying from a breeder will pretty much ensure that you are able to get exactly what you are looking for in your baby' but be careful.  As with all animal breeders some are in it purely to make money and are not particularly interested in the welfare of the animal.  I'm sure you have seen animal welfare programs on TV where hundreds of dogs are rescued from puppy farms and the majority, if not all, have to be humanely euthanized because of their condition.  Well it's not only puppies.  There are also ferret farms out there existing solely to make money for the owner.  They don't particularly care about the animals they are breeding and many may have been taken from their mother far too early and not even had their initial vaccinations.

That being said there are responsible breeders out there who do care about their animals.  You may find these more expensive to buy from but the breeders will have a wealth of experience and knowledge and will be able to give you a complete history of the ferret's life to date.

Perhaps one of the best ways of getting a new ferret is to look at animal rescue shelters or specialist ferret rescue associations.  Many ferrets find their way to these every year through no fault of their own and they will require re-homing.  Getting a ferret this way is not quite the same as buying one as you are effectively adopting and re-homing him, so you may be asked to pay an adoption fee but you may also be given additional food and toys so that he has something familiar in his new surroundings.  This is an ideal way to find an older ferret and the shelter staff will be able to match you to your ideal fuzzy.  Some of the pets that find their way into the shelters may have been mistreated by a previous owner and may have behavioral issues which you will be made aware of together with any specialist advice you may need to keep fuzzy happy.