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Post by katt on Nov 24, 2010 6:30:15 GMT -5
So already Kenai is into trouble! EATING THINGS Trouble! If he continues to eat things, he will -unfortunately- have to go back to the store. I can deal with 2 ferrets. I cannot deal with 2 ferrets that eat everything in sight - especially because what he ate - was his "bedding!" I do not want to deprive poor Koda of his nice warm bedding. Koda is my baby, he comes first! They haven't bonded yet. *glares at Kenai* I had to get the 2 of them home somehow, so I stuck them both in Koda's kennel. There was some minor scuffling going on, and I know it wasn't a huge issue, but Koda has had a big day and I wanted him to have a little peace. So, I put Koda in his bag carrier and held him in my lap on the way home like I always do. And I put Kenai in the kennel - but he needed some bedding to keep him warm. So, I threw my scarves in there with him to keep him warm. My two, favorite scarves. When I got home, I discovered that Kenai had eaten several holes in my Favorite scarf! LARGE ones! I LOVED that scarf! I would say that he ate 7 quarter sized holes worth of the material. Luckily it is really thin material. I am sure Koda ate much more than that out of my gloves when he was a kit...Not all at once though! I left for the bathroom for a few minutes and got back and he was happily eating his soupies...with a litter box full of slime! I am pretty sure it is throw up, because he didn't have enough time to digest it. But I fed him a little soupies and baby food and stuff before I went to the bathroom, and I didn't see any of that in the vomit-slime. He had chicken veggie baby food, a teeny tiny piece of raw chicken, and a few finger fulls of soupie. The soupie was the baby food, some freeze dried chicken and beef Stella and Chewey's patty, boiled chicken, raw chicken, a little ferretvite, and Vaseline - to help with the whole fabric-eating thing. Here is a picture... I think it must be throw up, but I mean why is there no babyfood or soupies or chicken in it? It looks like mucous and fibers (hopefully most of my scarf!). And it smelled terrible.
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Post by shilohismygirl on Nov 24, 2010 9:00:58 GMT -5
Katt, babies often chew-I would say it's really normal behavior, especially of an 8 week old baby that was probably weaned too early. Oz got a little of the chewing bug, and he couldn't have blankets for months-but he did grow out of it for the most part (the occasional chewing in the corner is pretty manageable)Now he does not chew his bedding, but when he came round, he chewed it heavily and taught the other ferrets, because we all had to go in to check for blockages, as I was a new ferrent and freaked out. However, we made nest boxes for him out of boxes and igloos and he didn't seem to chew at the hammocks much, so he had those. It may be as simple as taking the bedding away for a few weeks and reintroducing it until he doesn't chew it, and making sure there is no cloth where he can chew it at playtime. Does he sleep apart from Koda right now? If so, that's what you could do. It's not cruel to take his blankies for awhile, so don't feel bad if you do. Babies can unlearn bad behavior
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Post by mustelidmusk on Nov 24, 2010 9:17:37 GMT -5
the stuff in the box looks like poop. Could easily be stress poop. could easily be stress chewing. I know - it does freak the "poopies" out of you when brats eat stuff the shouldn't. My brats will very, very rarely eat a very small amout of fabric. It's a blanket. I suspect I have one "chewer" - don't know who it is. It seems like blankets are chewed on more than actual bedding items. It sounds like Koda and Kenai are doing well together, which is really super important. Sorry the little guy nailed your favorite scarves. But give the little guy a little time to settle in. I'm sure he's at least as freaked out as you are -jennfer
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Post by katt on Nov 24, 2010 10:57:49 GMT -5
Oh don't worry I'm not bringing him Back yet! If he's going to be a problem though I'll have to do Something. Lol 2 huge poopies this morning so that's good. No blockage. I can't believe how much he poops! I don't even remember Koda pooping that much when he first came home... Shilohsmygirl - that is good to know. Thank you.
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Post by jacksmomma on Nov 24, 2010 11:58:19 GMT -5
Yay, you got the silver baby! Since I just went through this stage with getting Brady, I know how you feel. Brady wasn't chewing things he shouldn't but he was making potties anywhere he felt like it. And instead of pooping in his litter box he was eating out of it (and trying to eat the wood pellets). The first night he was home I had to wash him 3 times because he kept walking right through his own poop (and Jack's poop). I was so stressed out about thinking he would never be a great ferret like Jack and I made a huge mistake and 2 ferrets would be too much. But he settled in fast (kenai will too) and now it's easier with the two. Jack doesn't need me for playtime (i of course still play with them both) and they entertain each other. I know it feels over-whelming now but stick it out and give Kenai a chance to learn what he should and shouldn't do.
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Post by Heather on Nov 24, 2010 12:14:30 GMT -5
I agree with Jennifer....that's poopies. Probably stress. Ferret babies eat everything....everything. Don't you remember Koda? I think there are a couple of threads (at least a couple ) of where you were asking how to stop him from eating everything . They are just furry tummies with teeth. Look, most breeders kits would still be with momma at this point, learning how to eat solids. Look at the stress load your little one has been on. He's been taken from his momma, subjected to the pain of a spay (he's been descented so it's classified as a spay). He's been shipped with hundreds of other kits to a holding center and then shipped all the way to Alaska, and then shipped again to the pet store. He's got more mileage in the first part of his lifetime than most people collect in years (he should apply for an aeroplan ). His digestion and all the rest is going to be up and down for the next couple of weeks. He probably didn't mean to eat your scarf, he probably was suckling it. Napoleon did. I just supplied him with heavier blankies. He's scared, stressed to the max and only 8 weeks...come to think of it, I might resort to sucking on blankies if that was the beginning of my life too Everything is going to go into that little mouth. Give him things that he can chew on in his cage...bones, wing tips. This will help him get over the chewing of cloth (hopefully). He's teething too. Do you have rescue remedy? He and Koda could probably use a shot. Keep us posted. Good luck, have patience...he's only a baby. ciao
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Post by cj on Nov 24, 2010 13:58:44 GMT -5
Is there anything you can give a baby ferret to chew/suck on? A frozen piece of meat maybe? I know babies like cold teething rings.
Anyways good luck with your new addition! I hope things work out and calm down after a few days.
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Post by horse656 on Nov 24, 2010 15:58:29 GMT -5
i hope things settle down.
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Post by katt on Nov 24, 2010 18:32:06 GMT -5
I was so stressed out about thinking he would never be a great ferret like Jack and I made a huge mistake and 2 ferrets would be too much. Yup, that is about how I felt last night! I feel better this morning now that he has pooped though. Several times! I am still mad about my scarf though. lol And Heather, I remember Koda all to well. The problem is, Koda Never grew out of the chewing things stage - I just got better at ferret proofing! I am just worried Kenai will not grow out of it either and I will have TWO mouth-monsters! He is eating like a champ this morning, so I will try giving him some frozen meats. I need to go to the store and get more chicken pieces. I stopped buying it after Koda got sick, and I only have a little frozen chicken left. And a bunch of frozen I don't know what meats... I didn't bother keeping track of what was what before Koda got sick. I just bought lots of meat and randomly stuck it into bags.
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Post by katt on Nov 24, 2010 18:35:32 GMT -5
On the bright side, he seems to be doing relatively well with potty training so far *crosses fingers* I think I would rather deal with a chewer than a pooper...just because I know how to deal with a chewer! lmao Shane and I have already majorly ferret proofed our room, but I want him to be able to have nice bedding...
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Post by Heather on Nov 24, 2010 23:17:35 GMT -5
I've had a number of ferrets (various ages, not kits) who have come in eating, sucking and chewing on bedding. I've usually (note the usually) found that most of these bedding suckers stop once they get on a stable diet with plenty of exercise. I would like to think that most ferrets are unlike your Koda in his penchant for eating inedible objects. In all the ferrets that have called my house home, only 1, Mayhem seemed to continue eating sheets and bedding. This was something that he kept up until he passed away from heart disease at 9 yrs of age. I don't think pika is any more common in ferrets than any other species. Kits (so I understand) are in a very dangerous position for this type of behaviour for the first year of their life. Ferrets for some reason always find some objects (soft plastics, erasers, foam rubber) more enticing and should always be watched when such substances are available. I have no furbrats who have chewed on the computer, tv and electric cables. Napoleon did love the heavy cable that attached the CPU to the DVD, but it's thick and rubbery. After about 6 months of age he never looked at the cable again. Hopefully, your little one will also learn not to eat his blankies (I'm sure he will, once he starts eating real food) Good luck, give the brats a big hug from me. ciao
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Post by katt on Nov 25, 2010 1:21:04 GMT -5
Thanks Heather. That is good to know! So far we have kept him busy or tired, but when I go to work on Friday it will be interesting...
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Post by snowbunnie on Nov 25, 2010 1:33:02 GMT -5
Yeah i agree with everyone.. i got my boys when they where about 8 weeks... i was crazy enought to get two at once... yes... but anyways they chewed there beautiful baby blanket i got them that was soooo soft and amazing, then they slept in their litter box for about a week, still wont use hammocks or bed, now they choose to sprawle out on the blankies on the bottom of the cage... they are poo monsters, im having a heck of a time litter trainning two at once :$ and now im trying to switch them to raw food since they still have the slipperies from the initial change from the marshals food they where on before. So good luck with your new baby, at least you have a older furt to show him the ropes ohh and im not sure if your new little rascal will do this but one of my guys does and i guess its normal, but he has started sucking on his brothers ear right before he falls asleep. im asumming its because he was taken away too young... ohh marshals ferrets
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Post by Heather on Nov 25, 2010 3:30:18 GMT -5
All the problems that you are encountering (snowbunnie too) are things that shouldn't happen, probably wouldn't happen if these babies were allowed to stay with momma even 2 weeks longer (at least if they're anything like cats). Kittens who have found themselves without their mommas before they're ready to be weaned (weaned too early) are notorious for being "woolsuckers". I'm going to guess so are ferrets....yes....thanks marshals ciao
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Post by goingpostal on Nov 25, 2010 10:32:50 GMT -5
Not just Marshall's the only bedding chewer I've had was a Petersen's, she's also the youngest we've ever got but thankfully grew out of it and would be fine as long as she didn't get a hole started, then she would chew it up but she left intact hammocks alone, we just had to check all the bedding constantly for signs of chewing for a while and toss quite a few pieces. I do think it's a being taken too young issue.
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