by debferret

Update on Ferret Nation Shelving and Scrappy

First off I should mention that Scrappy is still eating and drinking but will not move around at all. The shoulder is still useless. Our vet told us it could take up to a month for the nerves to heal so I have my fingers crossed. We may have to consider amputation if things don’t change. I am just so grateful this little girl hasn’t given up.

This is Scrappy before her injury

Now, about the shelf. I want to say that the company has been very helpful. From the information I gleaned on line, I assumed that the shelf and plastic insert was the shelf that I was reading about. My shelf as posted is the company’s 2nd design in response to the injuries. They were very surprised and upset to hear that my ferret had injured herself with the 2nd designed shelf. So, all those injuries and deaths were NOT related to the shelf/plastic insert I posted. They immediately offered shelf covers at no cost. I know the covers are not expensive and I could have tried to make my own, but I have ferrets to care for and that is where my time and focus needs to be. The shelf covers will help and come in handy until we can purchase the more efficient(in my personal opinion) third design shelf pan.

Ferret Nation shelf with plastic insert- 2nd design

Now, they have a 3rd design which is the plastic pan with a lip. This design came about because of concerns for food and litter spilling off the shelf. Now I personally really like the idea of a plastic pan with a lip that fits over the shelf. Much easier to clean for someone with 5 Ferret Nation cages in the house. The soft shelf covers is a nice touch, but I have lots of bedding to wash every week as is and having to strip, wash and put the covers back on immediately is too labor intensive for a shelter long term. We were able to get a good price for the plastic pan with the lip, so we have ordered them. Ferret.com has them on sale right now.

3rd shelf design with a lip to catch crumbs and litter

So, I apologize for not having the full picture when I posted. I was so upset about my little girl and worrying about having to maybe put her down that I put 2 and 2 together and came up with 5! So in summary, if you have the pan with the plastic insert and it fits snugly to the edge of the frame, it is the second design not the original design.

3rd shelf design with a lip to catch crumbs and litter

So, I hope I have made things a little more clear. The second design should not have caused any issues and I hope Scrappy’s injury was a fluke. Please keep her in your prayers. There are 2 short videos on U-Tube of ferrets with a shoulder amputation; running around playing so that keeps me hopeful!

12.30.14

by debferret

FERRET NATION CAGE-DANGEROUS SHELVING

I can’t tell you yet if this story will have a happy ending but I am very optimistic because my vet has told me that Scrappy did not need to be put down. I am hoping the degree of her handicap will be minimal. Scrappy caught her left front paw in the shelf of her Ferret Nation cage.

I was not home when this happened so I do not know how long she struggled but the end result was that she freed herself. However in order to free herself, she literally pulled her shoulder out of its socket and even stretched the tendon. The left front shoulder and paw are now completely useless and fold in on her body. We have her on Pred. to help reduce the swelling. She is confined to a small cage to keep her from moving around. My first thought is yeah right, keep a healthy 4 year old girl” named Scrappy for a reason” immobile!! Well, she is in enough pain that she is not moving/trying to use the shoulder.

Before you jump all over me for not giving her pain medication, the reason as explained by my vet is this; she will stay off the limb, stay quiet and let the nerves heal. If she was numbed of the pain, she would try to play like she is used to. Crappy is not biting at me, not grinding her teeth or whimpering when handled. I feel she is coping very well with her situation.

I have tried water therapy and she lay in my hand looking up at me totally unimpressed, not doing anything. I am going to try again but for some ferrets, the water therapy is a bust!

Now, back to my reason for telling you all this! This accident did not need to happen. I take full responsibility. The MFA has 4 Ferret Nation cages. These cages were donated along with a surrendered ferret(s). I personally think the Ferret Nation cage is the Cadillac of cages. The large double doors make cage cleaning a breeze. The plastic floor pans are easy to slide out and clean. The shelves are nice and wide.

There is one problem. The older model #142 had a plastic insert instead of a plastic tray on the shelving. The plastic insert has a tiny gap and this is where ferrets were getting their front or back paws caught.

plastic insert

wire shelf without the plastic insert

Now after several ferrets actually died and many more were injured, the Ferret Nation shelf was modified. Anyone with the original shelf could contact the company and the replacement shelf would be sent out. My understanding is that the cage owner had to contact the company. I had read about this problem but at that time we did not have any Ferret Nation cages in the shelter. So, in one ear and out the other as the saying goes!

By the time we started getting Ferret Nation cages donated with ferrets I had completely forgotten about the shelving issue. In the last seven years we have received 4 Ferret Nation cages and until December 23rd we had never had a problem. I wish that I had contacted the company and requested the replacement pan even though I wasn’t the original owner. I previously had no time to go on line to Ferret.com to order treats(my friend looked after that for us) and so I did not see that they sold the replacement pan!

replacement shelf from Ferret.com

I have contacted the company, sent pictures at their request and now I am waiting to see if they will replace them free of charge because we are a shelter. If not, then I will be ordering the shelves and bite the bullet at the $200.00 cost.

I am grateful that Scrappy did not die from her injury. I don’t know how I would have coped with that guilt.

So, if you have a Ferret Nation #142 check your shelving. If you have the plastic insert, please don’t wait till something happens! Learn from my mistake!

12.19.14

by debferret

Nail Clipping Gross Bonus

So yesterday was a fun day! I posted that I cleaned a gazillion litter boxes, changed bedding and clipped toe nails. I even bathed 4 naughty ferrets.

This was an all day adventure and I had a continuous cup of coffee going. I would simply top up my cup when it go low or too cold.

The coffee cup followed me from chore to chore. When I do the nails, I place a towel on my counter. I then place the ferret on the towel on its back, add the Ferretone (discontinued in 2020, substitute with Salmon Oil or Olive Oil or Flax Oil) to the tummy and clip away while he is licking the oil. This is easiest for me as I have a bad back and bending over a ferret sitting on my lap wouldn’t be to bad if I was only doing one or two, but, I have lots of fuzzbutts to do. The clipped toe nail ends accumulate in the towel and a few go flying here and there.

This morning I decided that I should do up my dishes from yesterday and today. Not much to do, a plate, bowl, a bit of cutlery and my coffee cup. I poured out the last dregs of coffee and just happened to look down. Yucky, Yucky, Yucky, I had ferret toe nail bits at the bottom of my cup! (do the mental picture here because I couldn’t get a good picture, the nail bits came out looking like bits of worms which looks even grosser). I guess I had my coffee cup just a tad too close on the counter. I am going to pretend that I didn’t swallow any yesterday!

I am known for letting my ferrets kiss my lips, nose, teeth and ear lobs. I have offered my ferrets a lick of yogurt from my spoon and then finished off the spoon. I have let my ferrets lick the smooth peanut butter off my toast and then finished the toast. I am sure I have more germs in my mouth then my furries do and besides these are my babies and tough nougies to those of you that are grossed out. My dogs give me cheek kisses too – so there. Having said all this, I admit the idea of those toe nails swimming around in my coffee cup does leave me a bit grossed out. We all know there those paws have been!

So, to my fellow ferret owners, when clipping your ferret’s toe nails, make sure to cover your beverage container or you may just have a “little extra” that you hadn’t counted on!

12.18.14

by debferret

Looking Good for Santa!

I need to take a break hence I stuff certain ferrets in a gift bag and leave them under the tree for Santa! I have spent the whole morning changing litter boxes and putting fresh hammocks and blankies in all the cages.

Next on the agenda was nail trimming time! Nail clipping is easy so long as you have your trusty bottle of Ferretone. I have a special Ferretone stained towel that I set on the counter. I dribble some Ferretone on the tummy area and while the ferret is busy taking care of his Ferretone addiction; I do the nails. I used to sit on the floor and do it until I got fed up chasing down the Ferretone bottle as it thumped down the hall behind a ferret; leaving an enticing trail that the other ferrets out playing were skidding through!

Now you would be thinking that bath time was next so that everyone would be sweet smelling for Santa. The first year I had ferrets, I bathed them every 3rd month. Then I smartened up and to the ferrets immense relief I only give them a bath in the Spring when they are shedding their winter coat and again in the late fall when they are shedding their Summer coat. The bedding gets changed every second day or third at the very latest. I stopped having itchy ferrets and my ferrets and home smelled much better. The ferrets were over compensating the oil production when I was stripping their coats every 3rd month. The oily residue from their coats is deposited on the blanket/hammock and that is changed often enough that the smell does not have a chance to make stinkies. ** To keep their bedding smelling fresh and clean always add one cup of Vinegar to the wash water. The vinegar sterilizes and deodorizes the bedding!

Back to wanting to let Santa have the brats. I figured I was all done, litter boxes washed and refilled, fresh hammocks and bedding and everyone had a manicure – time for a well deserved cup of coffee. I ran downstairs to put the washing into the dryer. Upon my return (sob) I discovered Dwight, Snip, Ginger and Peaches rolling, yes, rolling in honey!!! I do not know which one opened the pantry, I do not know which one pushed the honey off the second shelf or the little bugger that got the tuperware lid off; all I know is that I had four very sticky ferrets licking as fast as their little tongues could go before mommy took the honey away! Okay, I can understand licking the spilled honey, but weasel war dancing through it!!! That was done just to spite mommy!

So, I put all four in my soaker tub and let them play/get clean. Have you ever tried to towel dry your ferret? Do you know what wet ferrets do? I had four psycho ferrets jumping and bouncing and – nuts how can you stay mad when you are almost peeing yourself laughing.

So, I have four very tired, fluffy, clean fuzzbutts all ready for Santa. I hear whispering coming from the shelter room. I think the others want to get in on the fun – they honey is now on the top shelf and I am heading off to Wal Mart to buy baby cupboard locks!

here are the 4 brats (no, I was too busy grabbing ferrets to take a picture of them coated in honey, these portrait shots will have to do)

Ginger and Snip looking so innocent

Dwight – I live with 3 girls, who’s idea do you think this was?

I’m an old, old lady, I would never be naughty (tehe)

12.17.14

by debferret

BAD Toys for Ferrets!

I sometimes wish I could be in the head of my ferret to understand what the heck it is thinking as it runs down the hall with my shoe thumping along. Why does he want to play with my shoe when I have a whole box of great toys for him??? The rubber heels and insoles are sooo bad for him and I just know he’s going to start chewing as soon as he is hidden under my bed!

I am going to show you some of the bad toys that have come in to the shelter with a ferret just in the last couple of years. I have thrown out three times the amount at least but never thought to take pictures.

I’d like to give you all one very important piece of advice because for every bad toy I am displaying, there are 20 more not featured. How to make sure you are buying a safe toy irregardless if there is a cute ferret picture of the package? Simply ask yourself this question –

CAN MY FERRET CHEW OR INGEST ANY PART OF THIS TOY?

Watch for buttons or beads for eyes and noses. Check for beads used for stuffing. Never buy squeaky toys made of soft vinyl or soft rubber. Soft foam balls packaged for ferrets-NOT. Leave teething rings filled with liquid for your human babies. Make sure handles or cords can not wrap around your ferret’s neck. Don’t give a toy so small that the ferret can get stuck and suffocate such as used paper towel or toilet paper rolls?