by debferret

Molly update

Molly is my 6 year old surrender who has very much bonded with me. Two recent changes in his place at the shelter sent him into a tail spin. I not only changed his cage, I also moved him out of the shelter room. His reaction was a complete depression – he stopped eating!

I moved him into his familiar cage and moved the cage beside my bed; adding my used nightgown to his hammock so he knew his new Mommy was still with him.

Molly’s cage

I then started him on duck soup as he was rapidly loosing weight! Molly had not eaten for 48 hours and it showed! Molly had never had duck soup and oh boy oh boy, what a fight I had with him. The first few feedings saw me covered in the stuff as he gagged, shook his head, wiped himself all over my face and hair and fought me tooth and nail. I had to resort to syringe feeding him and he thanked me by peeing on me! Molly slowly accepted the duck soup. We graduated from syringe, to finger to baby spoon and last night when I offered him the dish of duck soup he stuck him tongue in and went to town! My little man had come around.

The weight loss is gone, the diarrhea is gone and he is once again doing his walkabouts! Yes he is still beside my bed! I can’t help it; I have to spoil him a little.

Molly loves his Mom

10.28.14

by debferret

The Long Way Home

As a shelter mom, I hope that every adoption is perfect and that the ferret(s) are going into their forever home.

In reality, life can throw us curve balls and the adoption breaks down. The MFA has a clause in the adoption form which states in part that the ferret(s) must be returned to the shelter if the person can no longer look after them. I check out Kijiji regularly for ferrets up for sale, I am checking to see if one of my adopted ferrets has shown up on Kijiji.

Approximately 2 years ago, two very special girls that I had adopted to a good home showed up on Kijiji.

Numerous attempts were made to the ferret owner to get him to comply with the legal adoption form he had signed. I was finally told the ferrets were going to a family member. Even my offer of a full refund fell on deaf ears. I was heartbroken and dearly hoped that they were in fact going to a family member and would be well cared for. I confess that it ate at me and I kept my eye open for them on Kijiji but I am not on the site every day.

About two weeks ago I was on Kijiji and I noticed two ferrets for sale. The ad caught my attention because these two girls were described as spayed but not descented! The pictures took my breath away. They were my two special girls and they were back on Kijiji again! My heart broke to think how many times they had been passed from hand to hand.

To make a long story short, I contacted the ad and through e-mails I was able to prove that these special girls had come from my shelter and that I in fact had their mothers, these two girls were replicas of their mothers. The couple had acquired them off of Kijiji but the girls had not settled in as they had hoped and they were looking to re-home them. This wonderful couple was gracious enough to give them back to me. I made a donation in their name and purchased them to show that I would never re-home them. These special girls were going to live out their lives with me and their mothers. This couple was rewarded with two year free membership for their kindness, for being true ferret people and saying what was best for the girls was the most important thing!

There seemed to be some recognition when the mothers and daughters met. However, one of the daughter’s Rico was not in good health. I suspected Cardiomyopathy and started her on Lasix. The other ferret Yippy was a plump girl, bright eyes, good coat but she would come out and do the “flat” ferret. Clearly all this re-homing over the last month had taken it’s toll on her.

Today Yippy is back to being a normal ferret in that she will run through the tubes and hide the stuffies. She will not go far from Rico and when Rico puts herself to bed, Yippy will drop everything to go and cuddle up next to her. Because of Rico’s heart issue I could not follow through with my plan to have the mothers and daughters in the same cage. That is my long range plan once I have Rico stable. I do let them all out together for short periods of time to interact. I am very worried that should I loose Rico to heart failure, Yippy may follow with a broken heart! I really want her to have a strong connection with her Mom and Aunty.

As of today Rico is holding her own. The fluid is gone from her abdomen but she is not eating much. I have started her on duck soup and that is not going well. I have to balance forcing the duck soup with her heart issue! Fortunately Rico loves Ferretvite and I am hoping the Ferretvite will stimulate her appetite. Rico is really not doing well so folks, please send your prayers her way.

Sadly, my Rico lost her battle before I could finish this post, rest in peace sweet baby. I got to hold you and love you – you came home.

Ginger & Snip, the moms

Yippy

10.27.14

by debferret

Lost Ferret Protocol! What to do when your ferret goes missing!

You can’t find your ferret! You have just spent the last hour or two looking in every nook and cranny in your house or apartment! Your ferret was asleep behind the TV or so you thought when your company was leaving! Your ferret was asleep in the bedroom when you took out the garbageor when you opened the door for just a second!

Before starting your search outdoors, you will need the following:

Pictures of your ferret: the more recent the better it and who doesn’t have tons of pictures of their fur babies on their phone or laptop
Squeaky toy: that you have used to train your ferret to come to you with.
Treat bag: that you normally shake and he comes running for his treat
Flashlight: if it is after dark

Step One:

Leave the front door ajar slightly – in the off chance that your ferret will come home while you are out looking. Do this only if you have someone home to watch the door. I have gone looking outside; positive the ferret had escaped only to be greeted by said ferret at the door when I came home. You don’t want your ferret leaving the house while you are out looking! Stranger things have happened!
Call your ferret, squeak that toy, shake that bag of treats. Your neighbours will hear you even if your ferret doesn’t and you can alert them to the fact that you are looking for your lost ferret.
Check the perimeter of the house/apartment block. Ferrets instinctively avoid being out in the open
Check under bushes and shrubs.
Ask permission to check out garages that have their doors open
Check under decks, asking permission if you must go on someone else’s property.
Check in woodpiles, asking permission if you must go on someone else’s property.
Alert all your neighbours in a two or three block radius, north, east, south and west.
Enlist the neighbourhood children ages 7 or 8 and up to help you look. Show them a picture of your ferret. Tell them not to try and pick up the ferret but to call for help. Offer a small reward. Children know all the best hiding spots from playing hide and seek.
If you have multiple ferrets, take the lost ferret’s cage mate out on a leash and walk the neighbourhood. The scent of the cage mate you are walking may guide your lost ferret home.

Step Two:

Print up lost ferret notices and drop them in every mail box for 4 or 8 blocks in every direction. Yes, ferrets can travel that far!
Drop off a poster of your lost ferret to every pet store in the area
Drop off a poster of your lost ferret to every vet clinic in the area.
Call the Humane Society and alert them to your lost ferret
Call the MFA and alert them to your lost ferret (didn’t think I should have to put this one in, but, for those who were to upset to think, just a gentle reminder that folks will often call us to come capture or pick up a lost ferret.)
Call the local radio station that does lost alerts
Use social media to alert them of your lost ferret. Lost Dog Alert will post regarding lost ferrets. use every lost alert facebook page you can reach

Step Three:

Take your ferret’s carrier (with food, water and blanket) or cage if possible and set it outside by the door. The smell of food and his blanket just might help guide him home.
Some folks will offer a reward and this is something to consider
Retrace your steps, checking the same areas several times. A friend of mine was following her ferret’s paw prints in the snow. They went around the house and back and around again. She stopped and looked behind her to see her ferret had been following her. So, your ferret may be following your scent.

10.27.14

by debferret

Making your ferret a home

Ferrets do need daily playtime outside of their cages, but they usually still spend a fair amount of time in their cage. A large, well designed cage is a necessity.

Some features to look for are; solid floors and shelves (wire mesh is hard on the feet, although you can cover with a towel), balconies, and ideally solid ladders. Multi-level cages are nice, but depending on the arrangement of the levels, falls are possible. Get extra shelves or use hammocks to make cages safer as needed.

You should purchase and set up your ferret’s cage prior to bringing them home, the cage will serve as “home base” for your new pet and should be ready and waiting upon his arrival. Below are some pointers for setting up your pet’s new domain.

Comfort Counts – There are many options out there in terms of the type of material from which your cage will be built. Metal, plastic, and various forms of wire or mesh are a few that come to mind (wood is not recommended).

**Manitoba Ferret Association has used cages for sale**

In choosing the best type of cage for your ferret, consider how easy it will be to clean. Will urine and food odors seep into the material and be impossible to scrub away? Does the cage offer easy dismantling or removal and replacing of each level so that you can clean all the nooks and crannies?

Ferrets aren’t known for their neatness, and will make messes in places you have only imagined.

If you choose a wire or mesh cage, be sure to provide adequate bedding, old blankets, towels and clothing work fine. The goal is to make sure that the pads of your ferret’s feet are not injured or sore as a result of walking around on wires or mesh all the time. Wire or mesh-type cages do have the advantage of allowing you to purchase the types of litter boxes and food dishes that can be hooked to the side of the cage, making it harder for your ferret to overturn them.

Arrange your ferret’s cage so that each “function” has a designated place. Setting up a safe and comfortable home for your new companion will help him feel right at home. You wouldn’t want to live in an unclean house, and neither does your ferret! A clean cage is essential to your ferret’s overall well-being.

Accessorize – Equip your ferret’s cage with the following:

1. Litter pan, or pans, depending upon the number of ferrets in the cage and how stubborn your pet is regarding “potty training.”

2. Dish that holds a good amount of food and is difficult for your ferret to overturn. Heavy dishes or those that can somehow be hooked to the side of the cage work best.

3. Large bottle or second dish that holds plenty of fresh water, keep the water near the food.

4. Area designed especially for sleeping, with either extra bedding or a hammock or two. Ferrets love to curl up in hammocks to sleep, but will also enjoy comfy hideaways such as the leg of an old pair of your sweatpants.

5. Do not keep toys in the cage. Your ferret may chew the toy & cause itself a life threatening blockage

Part of responsible ferret ownership is cleaning your ferret’s cage regularly. This includes scooping litter, wiping down the cage, washing bedding, and other daily or weekly tasks. Because your ferret’s cage is a relatively small living area, it’s very important to make sure that any mess is cleaned up promptly.

09.12.14

by debferret

You know you are a crazy ferret mom when……..

I have my grandson Holden every other Sunday for 6 hours, which is always cherished time, I admit to spoiling him (a bit)!

As last time I had to cancel it had been a whole month since his last visit, Holden bounced into the house, gave me a hug and went straight to the kitchen. As I get him from 11:30 to 6:00 pm, he always arrives hungry.

In that month between his last; visit oops something happened in Grandma’s kitchen, much to my grandson’s surprise he couldn’t find any fruit, “what’s all this stuff Grandma?” As I will never pass up to a chance to tease I promptly replied that I thought he might like to try something different for a snack.

Holden gave a very puzzled and worried look because in front him lay an assortment of Bandits Ferret Treats that had recently taken over my fruit bowl. I did have fruit in the bowl, on the bottom and at the back – 2 oranges, 2 bananas and one wrinkly apple, but all Holden saw were bags of different flavored treats. I offered him; Bacon, Chicken, Raisin or Banana flavor – but my silly grin gave it away and he knew I was teasing him (we shared the bananas).

Now I do have to clear up why I have ferret treats in my fruit bowl; you see I also have a whippet named Riley, this little guy will eat anything on the counter his paw can drag off. The Bandits treats are yummy, but the resulting bout of diarehea is something I get to clean up, so all the treats have to be as far back on the counter as possible to help keep them out of reach. Before you suggest the ferret cupboard (yes they have a whole cupboard devoted to all their bucket of food and grooming supplies) Riley can easily open that cupboard (by the way, his other name is “No No Bad Dog”). I am sure my ferrets in their cages were holding their collective breaths when they heard me offering up their prized treats!

At the main shelter all the ferrets are offered Ferretone, Bandits treats, the occasional bite of cooked chicken or beef and the odd container of cat treats (such as pounce chicken) but the furries seem to prefer the Bandits treats. Once a week, usually on the weekend, they all get “duck soup”. I give them the duck soup so that when they are sick I will have a high protein, easy to swallow food to help them pull through.

I never give my ferrets anything with sugar, I have had to nurse far too many ferrets with Insulinoma to knowingly put them at risk. Many of the shelter ferrets come in with a craving for sweets and sooner or later they will develop a tumor on their pancreas (Insulinoma). Because I can, in my house the fruit bowl will always have Banditt treats, my family have already figured out I’m crazy – crazy for ferrets!