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Post by Heather on Sept 17, 2009 12:26:28 GMT -5
How scary. I think that's one of my greatest fears as my furbabies roam free and people come and go out of the house all the time. I'm glad that there was a happy ending to your little ones adventure. You're little kitty needs to be fed similar to your ferrets. Multiple small meals during the day. Is there someplace that you could put the kitty's food that the dog can't get at...table, counter...something like that. I know a couple of people who created cat doors into a cupboard or closet so that the cat could eat without being disturbed. Just a thought  ciao |
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Post by AnimalFarm2006 on Sept 21, 2009 6:58:25 GMT -5
At the moment, not realy, but I am working on it. We simply put a baby gate up between the rooms for when i am not home.
Ferrets are doing great. The second to last of the "big" babys was like......shreded. Yum Yum.
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Post by Heather on Sept 22, 2009 1:43:01 GMT -5
Sounds like things are working. Good luck
ciao
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Post by AnimalFarm2006 on Sept 29, 2009 8:02:31 GMT -5
My little skinny ferret turned into a very dark, fluffy, PRETTY ferret overnight! or atleast it seems. Ripply is so pretty, and soft! I love winter coats. She also finaly exepted a N-bone from me last night. Took her forever to acualy know what they were. I have a little male mouse that i need to rehome.  He has a white tail, and is far too cute. |
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Post by Heather on Sept 29, 2009 14:16:05 GMT -5
That's the heartbreaker isn't it....I've got a whole bunch of little mice that have spots of various colours...I'm actually trying to figure out how not to feed them to the ferrets   Did she put on weight as well as coat? Winter does bring out the gorgeous coats doesn't it. The extra fat seems to do wonderful things to them  ciao |
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Post by AnimalFarm2006 on Oct 1, 2009 9:58:40 GMT -5
oh yes. Riply got all fat and pretty. Though, everyone else got all non fluffy. Reverse roles from a summer of Ac? I am most likely going to just let them eat the mousie because no one wants to take him. |
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Post by Heather on Oct 1, 2009 12:30:21 GMT -5
Use your little male mousie to start up your next colony or are you going out of mice? I'm going to use some of my spotted ones to create a new colony. From observation, they then throw solids for the most part and it makes it much easier to tell the breeding adults from the mice brats. AC does seem to do weird things to them  but then I've got one Nicodemus who has his seasons switched around and it looks like Napoleon is going to try the same thing. I"m feeling sorry for poor Max and Pooka both are becoming very naked (adrenal) and are much too old for surgeries (9 and 8) and the melatonin isn't working any more....one of my other students offered some deslorin that her vet brought in for one of her guys (he passed on before they could use it). Maybe I will take a couple of socks and make them little sweaters ciao |
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Post by AnimalFarm2006 on Oct 27, 2009 9:14:11 GMT -5
I think i have an addiction. lol I went to petsmart taking monster for the first time. He had a blast, and we even met a nother little ferret. The thing is I came home with an extra ferret. The lady was trying to find her a new place because she lost her job. While chatting about Fn's and food, She asked me to take her. How could i say no to a tiny, silver, white blaze, white pawed, red eyedfemale? By the way, What kind of color would she be. |
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Post by Heather on Oct 27, 2009 23:02:22 GMT -5
Congratulations, that's great. Another little one who isn't going into rescue ;D I'm not very good with colours That's a question that you can put to in the general posting section There are some show people and breeders on the board that can help nail down the colour. Do you have pics?? That would go a long way to helping Now I do have a question for you. A silver blaze with white feet....is she deaf? A lot of them are. It doesn't make any difference but you should be aware if she is, for her safety. What's her name? Are you going to work at getting her switched over? How old is she? Enjoy her ciao |
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Post by AnimalFarm2006 on Nov 2, 2009 8:02:45 GMT -5
That is the first thing i thought when i first got her home, but after checking her over she didn't seem to be death.
I am not sure what i am going to do with mice anymore. College has been rather intense and so I don't realy have much time to have mice. I may downsize a colony and just deal with having one breeding colony of four females, one male.
Vet updates: One of my cats ended up getting hurt, and had to have a leg amuputated. He's back with his mama ( my sister ) in virginia beach.
A nother thing that has been freaking me out is that monster has been having some REALY weird poops. Like liquid, green, thick stuff that is projectile at times, and to make things worse, I think he's the one with the weird random tar poops ( not good at all, but could never find the source ). He's going to the vet as well as my cat is going to get fixed.
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Post by Heather on Nov 2, 2009 23:51:41 GMT -5
I'm sorry to hear about your kitty, I hope that she recovers ok. I will light a healing candle for her. Poor thing.
I would definitely be getting monster to the vets....ECE or IBD or ulcers are a couple of things that come to mind. A bacterial infection could also be an issue to consider as well. The green poops is food going through the system too quickly. Dietary changes will sometimes cause this as well. Too many "what if's". A vet visit would be my thought on this too. Is Monster loosing weight? lethargic? How's his hydration levels?
I will light a healing candle for your little boy. Please keep me posted.
ciao
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Post by AnimalFarm2006 on Nov 9, 2009 8:46:38 GMT -5
So heres the update.
Mice- I downsized to five females, one male, 13 good sized pinkies. I also located someone that breeds mice, rats, and i think bugs. Coolio! tis where the mice went.
Finacial buisness: Ran out of money. :crys: My pay check was a mere 235.67 for two weeks. I have to put down 75, and 51 for bills. Leaving me 110. I had to use 60 for ferret munchies, guinea pig food, etc etc, and the rest for gass to and from school.
Monster:
He is doing better. The poops hardened, and he never realy changed his additude in the first place. I did not take my cat, nor him to the vet because of my crappy paycheck, and too make things worse, my next is going to be worse.
I am going to list what monster acts like so you can tell me if he is normal or not.
Mice- He loves them. Does not do well at the killing part, but atleast he doesn't try to hide them under the pet bed, or the covers on my levels like the other two.
Activity- He plays, eats, runs around. He acts like the rest of the bunch, and even plays with me as if i am another ferret.
Sleep- He deep sleeps.
Eating- He is fat, fluffy, but has never had the best coat. Both my boys have kind of wimpy coats. Rough, but thick.
He does grind his teeth. Which makes me think of ulcers, but than idk.
What are ulcers and how do you treat them, how are they made. etc I have had him for a couple months, and he hasn't had any changs. No one beats him up, etc.
Also! Is it okay for ferrets to fight over mice? Lelloo and Jack will hiss, yell, and just basicaly try to take the mouse from each other.
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Post by AnimalFarm2006 on Nov 9, 2009 10:08:54 GMT -5
I wanted to list the chart from my two weeks feeding. Sorry it took so long.
Day one- All three ate two pinkies and shared two hoppers. PM
Day Two- I don't even take the kibble up anymore. All three shares three hoppers.
Day three- Running low of mice so they had a couple pinkies, and some soupie.
Day Four- Took a break from mice, and gave them mostly bits of chicken and some soupie. They don't take on to meat as well as they like the mice.
Day Five- Lelloo ate left over mice, plus her own mouse while the boys nibbled and walked away.
Day Six- Lelloo took on a semi adult. Ate about...80%, leaving the head and hind quarts. The boys finished up the rest.
Day Seven- Monster tried killing a hopper. Failed, had to send in reinforcements. Jack tried to kill all three hoppers.
Week Two
Day One- Everyone shared the stage up from hoppers. Two.
Day Two- Lots of pinkies, and a stage up hopper.
Day three- Bits of chicken, and Soup. Didn't finish.
Day Four- Nothing. Got home late, slept in, went to work.
Day Five- Gave them a semi adult. Jack and lelloo faught over it. Monster kind of just realy wanted to have his own share without getting yelled at by lelloo.
Day Six- Everyone got a stage up hopper.
Day Seven- Soup, Tiny bits of chicken, never any bone or skin, pinkies and stage up hoppers.
As you can see, I am over run by hopper type babys, and pinkies. My guys can not kill semi adults too well, and usualy don't finish them.
How big do they have to go in order for them to acualy graduate?
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Post by Heather on Nov 10, 2009 0:43:53 GMT -5
Ok, your first post regarding Monster.....it sounds to me like he has an ulcer. The cause is the heliobacter bacteria. All ferrets carry it, but during time of stress it gets the better of some ferrets. Stress....you may not even be aware, it may be something really simple that you're not aware of. Having to kill his own dinner....it's fun, he likes doing it but it's stressful. I've got 2 right now with ulcer problems. Both are seniors, Loki had a viral infection (flu) that stressed him and he was unable to recover properly. Babushka is very old and had a run in with one of the younger ferts. She wasn't hurt but it scared her. Her age, and frail health caused this problem. The treatment is simple but will cost a vet visit. Monster will need some antibiotics, without them the ulcer will probably progress and will eventually cause him to stop eating and maybe even cause the ulcer to perforate and he will bleed out. It's serious, it's not something that can go untreated. I understand that money is tight, but he needs a vet's intervention with this. See if your vet will allow you to pay in installments or work something out.
To graduate....you need to feed and the ferret will eat 3 different types of protein. Usually, Giuli requests that they be off kibble all together but she's been working with others who either feel they are more comfortable feeding raw with kibbles to back up their diet or cannot afford to feed totally raw. Put forward a weeks menu showing exactly what they're eating and what's available to them (very similar to what you've just done), outlining the different proteins that are available to them and when you're feeding them along with 1 day of organ meats. So basically, you would have 3 or 4 days of bone in meat, or different prey of various ages (baby through to adult) and one day of organ meats. You need to show a minimum of 3 types of protein, wether it be prey or store meat (chicken, beef, pork....) At the bottom also outline when they have access to kibbles, freeze dried or whatever else is in their diet and when it's available. If you have any questions just ask, I will help you through it.
ciao
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Post by AnimalFarm2006 on Nov 11, 2009 8:02:56 GMT -5
My vet is pretty nice. He does the whole payment thing, though I realy try to refrain from that.
This coming monday is my next paycheck so I will take him to the vet with some money and get his looked at for ulcers. What kind tests will they do to my man? My vet doesn't treat a lot of ferrets.
Update- I don't know if it is her sleeping deep, or part of her being death but Dakota is the last one to be found when its time to put her up.
How do i tell if she is death?
Alrightie so mice are one meat, and I should work on chicken now. ^.^ I will try to feed some chicken if i have some.
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