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Post by pear2apple on Sept 23, 2008 7:50:00 GMT -5
Kiwi is too smart or fast-learning. She's getting bored too quickly and I don't know how to fix it. Its driving me crazy though because she's getting into some dangerous not ferret-proofed parts of my apartment! She keeps climbing into the kitchen, I have a gas stove (which is a scary thought by itself) and just tons of food on shelves in there that could easily fall on her, and ant traps! Its not at all safe, she's allowed pretty much everywhere else, except my bedroom, but she's bored constantly! I have 2 jobs, and one job is at home. So what do I do when she's bored at home?
I made a new dig box of crumpled up paper. I just made that last night, but is there anything thats more complicated and harder to figure out? Sometimes I stick her in boxes and close them up just to give her something to work out for like 15mins. Even then, it usually doesn't take too long for her to find a way out.
Oh, and I don't take her outside because she's just too skinny. And she wiggles too much, I am scared of her escaping. Though I know she would love the leaves!
Please, I need something difficult for her!! I have foraging cups. She's not always interested in them. I need something harder to figure out, and hopefully cheap to buy or make.
Thanks!
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Post by velvetfuzzbutt on Sept 23, 2008 8:23:43 GMT -5
Kiwi looks like a good sized girl I can't imagine a well adjusted harness not working.
My pistol gets bored easily too, she is constantly into everything trying to find something newer and more exciting. I think one of the best things that entertained her was a card board box maze I made. I didn't do a lot, and when/if I make another it will certainly be bigger and more inventive!
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Post by gizmo on Sept 23, 2008 8:27:46 GMT -5
You could bring the leaves inside. Fill a big tub full of leaves and let her go to town! You could hide some treats inside of the new dig box you made. Does she like the little jingle balls (cat toys)? Mine go crazy over them. Every once in a while I will fill up a casserole dish (9X11 baking pan) with water and place the balls in there and have them dig them out. It's great because all 3 of mine dislike getting wet, so they try to figure out how to get them out without getting wet!  |
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Post by pear2apple on Sept 23, 2008 8:46:28 GMT -5
Kiwi is actually really small. She's a little over 1lb and I can feel her rib cage. I'm about to buy some whipping cream for her because she just can't put on weight, no matter what I feed her!
Tho Apple's getting pretty fat again!
I think I will try to bring the leaves in, but I am so worried about bugs! Also, Kiwi hates getting wet and I've put her in the tub and put some water in there and she freaks out. I take her with me in the shower often to get her more used to water, but it doesn't really work. I can only imagine what it will be like when I finally need to give her a bath!
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Post by velvetfuzzbutt on Sept 23, 2008 10:09:12 GMT -5
Teencie was 1.3lbs last winter and 1lb even in the start of the year. I can feel her rib cage and nearly all her bones, yet she has a belly and has always been tiny. I use a hagan H harness and she's never, not once gotten out. I've had it for 4 years now?
I have a bright purple hagen harness, with leash, that I might be willing to sell. I don't think its ever been used. I bought it for my ferret I euthanized('04), and she never got to wear it. I have kept it because I didn't know what to do with it and didn't want tmy kids to wear it. If you are interested, let me know?
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Post by pear2apple on Sept 23, 2008 12:35:02 GMT -5
Kiwi doesn't have a belly. She is stick thin and I can't stand it. Perhaps if she had a belly she couldn't climb on everything...  I have an H harness for Apple. It was custom made for him, but now I have to make it smaller just to use it on him. Does anyone have any other ideas for tough toys for Kiwi? Anything that could hold her attention and be almost impossible to open or play with? That would be great. |
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Post by suds on Sept 23, 2008 19:21:01 GMT -5
if she likes to chase things you can try a few cheap battery toys I have few cars and trucks that they love to chase around . Hershy gets bored easy to so I always try and rotate her toys and dig boxes frequently as well as the foreging cups . if your worried about bugs with leaves you can put them in the oven 200 F for 20 to 30 minutes It will kill any unwanted crawlers
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Post by pear2apple on Sept 24, 2008 9:28:28 GMT -5
if your worried about bugs with leaves you can put them in the oven 200 F for 20 to 30 minutes It will kill any unwanted crawlers Are you sure that won't set the leaves on fire? I mean, they're dry leaves! LOL Also, I'm hoping to move in January, and if I do I'm moving to a 2 bedroom apartment, so that extra bedroom will be their room! When that happens, they will get more toys and be open cage living of that room most likely 24/7. Not to mention, when I go out of town I won't have to worry anymore because they will be fine for a day or 2 in there by themselves with room to play! |
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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 30, 2008 20:50:42 GMT -5
Try the foraging cup called the Snack Rack ----they have it at petsmart. Do you have a Ferret super highway tunnel - I thing ferret.com has the best price on this. My kids love to chase eachother through this. Shaman is putting on his winter weight,so when he runs at the tunnel too fast, it compresses since he has to squeeze in now. He hates that, so he gabs one end of the tunnel and runs backwwards with it as fast as he can, Then he runs around to the other side and stretchs the tunnel out from that side too. Then he squeezes himself in more slowly. During mid -winter, neither of my boys can fit in the tunnel   My brats love to snorkel around in dirty clothes piles. Just don't put anything delicate in the pile or anything that they may chew oon (like eating the buttons off a shirt, or something with that rubbery paint on it. Good things are old plain T-shirts, sweat shirts/sweat pants, jeans, socks (NO foamy runbber thinks like shoulder pads, etc.) dirty linens. blankets, etc. MAKE SURE your "count noses" before putting the laundry in the wash - this is a classic accident with ferrets! They'll fall aasleep in the laundry or crawl into an open dryer that has dry clothes in it. (try putting the leaves in a tighly closed plastic bag in the freezer over night to kill bugs - I'd burn down the house with the oven! ) OK, I confess to this - it sounds mean, but it's not the way I did it. When Shaman was a "hobnoxious", huge kit, he kept smashing the girls by jumping on them. SO, when he'd get outta control, I'd put him in one of the huge hamster balls for time out . The other 3 brats LOVED it - they'd check him out in the ball, and he was so curious about being INSIDE the ball. I'd keep him in there no longer than 5 minutes. Then I'd swap another ferret into the ball. It got everybody's mind off of the fighting. They all learned to let themselves out of the ball too. It's still a fun play toy for them, but they'll only go backwards in it . Oviously you do not want to use the ball in a sunny room where sunlight can fall on it from a window and heat it up. Don't use this on a hot day. and obviously don't use this near stairs, fireplaces, etc. -jennifer |
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Post by pear2apple on Oct 1, 2008 8:17:21 GMT -5
Thanks, I will have to check out this Highway tube, I have not heard of it.
I plan on moving out into a 2 bedroom apartment in January and will have to save the bigger toys for then. And I cannot wait until they get their own room! They will go nuts and I won't have to worry about going out of town anymore! Just a few more months!
I will check out that foraging cup though, and freezing the leaves. Kiwi is just such a troublemaker! She definitely fits her spunky name!
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Post by mustelidmusk on Oct 2, 2008 1:19:39 GMT -5
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Post by pear2apple on Oct 2, 2008 7:10:21 GMT -5
It's nice having a ferret room - it's best if it has no carpeting It will have carpeting, however I have an ugly rug I'm going to stick in there! And they're getting much better at only going in the litter boxes outside of the cage, or on the puppy pads. |
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Post by mustelidmusk on Oct 2, 2008 8:55:41 GMT -5
My Tonto is th WORST potty monster - he keeps private "poop stashes". If I put something down for him to poop on (pupy pads, etc. - he'll move it out of the way!!! What a flaming spoiled BRAT. But, the carpet needed replacement over 10 years ago (the house was rental property before we bought it.) So, just call me "Cinderella" - scrubbing my life away... Hugs & kisses to your kids  -jennifer |
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