Ernie, Didjeridu and Ramona start the switch!

[animalsgetrevenge]

Thank you for the encouragement Giuli.

So I have been trying to find new ways to keep food IN the cage while still giving my three plenty of time out of their cages. Ramona and Didjeridu like to take meat out of the cage if I give them access.

Would it be okay to give the ferrets access to breakfast and dinner for only an hour at a time? Is this just way too much restriction for a ferrets digestive track?

[Forum Administrator]

Honestly I wouldnt give them access to it for just an hour, 2x per day. They just arent designed to sit down and tuck into a big meal, rather they graze. In the wild they would be hunting pretty much all dawn and dusk (polecats are crepescular). They'd probably catch several mice...so several small meals, plus snacking on whatever they cache. Some people will recommend that you give them access to the food for a short time, but I personally dont prefer to do that, especially when whole prey and bone-in raw foods can stay out for up to 24 hours without ill consequence.

As I just mentioned, whole raw foods and whole prey can stay out for 24 hours without going bad. To keep the food in the cage while the ferrets are out playing, simply close the cage That is what I do. When my guys are hungry during playtime they run to the cage (or the fridge) and look longingly at me. Thats how I know they want to eat. I put their food back in the fridge (but you dont HAVE to) while they are out playing, and when I put the ferrets back in the cage, I put the food in there too. The ferrets still run to the cage to show me they are hungry because they dont realize when they are out of cage the food isnt in there

It actually works out quite well. For me anyway. Hopefully it can work for you too. If not, just let me know and we can come up with something

[animalsgetrevenge]

Hmm... That is a good idea but I don't know if it will work in my situation.

I have been waking up a lot later now that my man has been out of work... he is making me lazy. He is an idea of my day:

between 9am-10am: wake up
11:15 Leave home for work/other
between 2:30pm-5:00pm get home
between 10pm-1am go to bed

Some days I leave earlier and some days I don't get home until later.

I guess I could feed like this:
between 9am/10am: Take out last nights dinner and let ferrets out to play
11am: Feed ferrets and lock in cage
2:30-5:00pm: take away breakfast and let ferrets out to play
10pm-11pm: Feed ferrets dinner and lock in cage for the night

Would this work out? They would have access to one meal for about 5 hours and the second meal for about 10 hours. They could be without food for about 8 hours a day (about 1.5 and 6.5 for playtimes). Would that still be too much time without food?

[Forum Administrator]

That works out just fine

BTW when you take out "last night's dinner" just throw away any remaining bits because by then they will have been out for 24 hours

They can be OKAY without food for around 8 hours a day as long as they are getting plenty of food each day at other times.

[animalsgetrevenge]

I always throw away the leftovers when I put in the next meal.

For breakfast I fed Ern tiny chopped up pork and chicken meat with some ferretone... he finally ate it but only while I held him and hand fed him.

I bought more pork today and bought beef too. They have never had beef before. I cut some up into small pieces and offered them. No one would try it. I put a little ferretone on the chunks and Ramona went at it! She liked it! Ernie ate a few TINY pieces and Didje ate one little baby piece. I also bought more whipping cream for Ern with no Cara... blach blah, whatever its called

I fed Ern some lunch of tiny chopped up beef/pork with whipping cream. He ate it on the counter from a spoon.

[Forum Administrator]

Excellent! I'm happy to hear that they tried some new foods, that is really good How small were the pieces that you offered?

I think Ern might have you wrapped around his little finger What a nut! Hopefully he'll come 'round and start eating like a big boy.

[animalsgetrevenge]

The pieces were about 3/4 inch cubes. I pulled off a few little pieces about the size of my pinky nail and thats the size Ernie and Didje tried.

If Ernie has it his way, by the end of the month I will be feeding him with a baby bottle and burping him over my shoulder after each meal. I should probably start dressing him with a bonnet and diapers. Going potty IS a lot of work... Ernie really doesn't need the challenge! BIG BABY!

[Forum Administrator]

Oh Ernie

3/4 inch cubes is pretty good. So Ramona went to town on that size and the boys needed smaller pieces?

[animalsgetrevenge]

Yes, but I just tried that size so they could sample the beef. This morning Didj and Ramona ate chicken and pork chunks that were about 1 inch cubes!

[animalsgetrevenge]

Okay, I am headed to bed. I fed Didj and Mona chicken drumstick chunks (about 1x1x1.5inches) and they only took a few bites each, but Mona ate quite a bit of beef around 2pm so I am not suprised about her not being hungry). I hand fed Ernie tiny beef and pork pieces with heavy whipping cream and he swallowed all of it. I say "swallowed" because I just spooned it in until it was gone! Haha... baby. I picked up the ferret room and put them to bed- SEPERATED -for the first time ever. Ernie is in the bottom half of the FN a small bowl of his meal and Didj and Ramona are upstairs with their drumstick chunks...

I put them away about 7 minutes ago and came into the living room to type this... I can hear SOMEONE digging at the bars and messing with the litterbox... SOMEONE is upset about not having access to the entire cage. I feel like a mother listening to her infact cry itself to sleep in another room! Haha. I feel bad to have seperated them. Do you think it will be really upsetting for them? This seems like the best way to give them all access to the food they are able to eat...

[Forum Administrator]

Its up to you if you feel comfortable seperating. Might it upset them a little? Possibly, but I am one of those ferrents that is like "ya know what if its for their own good they can suck it up". I know not all ferrents are like that and I may seem a bit harsh. If you feel better about keeping them all together you can do that and then work out a way to feed them each the appropriate food. Its totally up to you. I personally think its important for ferrets to learn to be seperated from each other, even if it makes them upset. What happens if you have to seperate them because one is sick? I'd rather them throw a tantrum and get used to it now then go through that stress of adjusting to the change when they are sick. Just my $0.02

[animalsgetrevenge]

I'm usually a tough love mama but I don't want to be MEAN, thats why I asked just to reassure myself I wasn't being to rough on them. In the morning Didj and Ramona had ate everything but a few tiny pieces of bone. Ernie had licked up all the cream, moved 3 tiny pieces of meat to the corner of the cage and may have or may have not actually eaten any.

[Forum Administrator]

I think as long as they have playtime together, and the seperate sleeping isn't permanant they should be fine. Absence makes the heart grow fonder Just my opinion.

Sounds like everyone did very good! Most ferrets wont eat ALL the bone, but they will eat most of it. and even Ernie is showing progress. Stashing the meat is a GREAT sign. If he didnt like it, it wouldn't be worth stashing to him Even if he doesnt eat it and just stashes it, its still progress, believe it or not. It won't be long before he's grabbing meat to stash and eat in private

[animalsgetrevenge]

Yes, Ramona and Didj are doing great!!!

I'm not sure if Ernie is stashing food... He started doing this when we very first started to get off ground raw... about a month and a half ago? Maybe a month ago.

Here is what he does: If he is standing, eating out of the bowl on his own, he will take a bite, stop eating, run to the corner, and spit out the piece. It seems like the bigger the piece, the more likely he will do this. He gets this look on his face like "oh god, oh god, I'm going to throw up!"... at least from a human point of view. He RARELY eats these pieces... It's as if he is making a "too big" pile and will eat the pieces he likes... he thinks he is Goldie-Locks choosing his porraige!
If I am holding him and hand feeding or letting him eat from the bowl, he will do the same thing. When he gets a certain piece he will stop all movement for 1-2 seconds, then flail his arms and legs to get out of my grip. If I let go he runs away to set it down. If I hold on, he will either eat it or drop it.

He is so goofy. I am so baffled by this behavior. Any ideas about what is happening and how to fix it?

[Forum Administrator]

Ernie certainly is an oddball. His behavior has me baffled. I'm going to bring in Jennifer real quick to see what she thinks. I might have her work WITH me to help you switch your kids. I'll help you focus on Didj and Mona and she'll help you with your "problem child"

Let me go grab her....