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Post by Forum Administrator on Nov 17, 2008 1:33:25 GMT -5
Hang in there dear, you'll get your munchkins onto raw. It takes time and patience, dont feel down or beat yourself up. If anyone can help you, its Jaycee. She really went through hell and back getting her kids onto raw. If she did it I'm confident ANYONE can do it, and with her to guide you along the way I have absolute faith you are in good hands. In fact, Jaycee can probably help you more then I can! Shes got more experience then me when it comes to switching tough ferrets.
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Post by Jaycee on Nov 17, 2008 20:58:36 GMT -5
Wow, Guili....those are some mighty big words for me to live up to! No pressure now!  Anyhow, I know your fear when it comes down to switching and the wonder if they are hungry. Your concerns are natural, but I know you and they can do it. My concern with leaving the kibble in the cage is this. If you were fed lettuce every day of you life, and then one day someone threw you an apple, you would probably look at the apple. Smell the apple. Feel the apple.....but you would probably go back to the lettuce because to you that is the food, and the apple is just....something else. If the salad is always there, that is probably what you will always eat. Now, take that apple, and cut it into tiny little slivers and add it to the salad. Wow, now that is something good. And the bigger the slices of apple, the more you can taste how sweet it is, and how good it is. And before you know it, you want only the apple....because now you know what the apple is...and boy is it good. Same for the ferrets. You need to ween from the salad to the apple....so to speak, of course. If you are wanting to keep the kibble in the cage, I would soak it down with broth, and keep adding tiny, tiny pieces of chicken to it (for the overnight hours). In the morning, I would remove it, and continue on with the switch. Try that, for now. But I would continue to limit the amount of kibble. Small amounts in the cage at night so that in the morning they might be tempted to try the new food you offer. Hang in there! |
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Post by silverphoenix69 on Nov 17, 2008 23:01:32 GMT -5
Thanks Guili,  . Its just that a lots going on right now and all of it added up is just *arrgh!*. Jaycee is doing a great job, and I know with her help my guys will be switched over in no time! Well I took the kibble away and went to defost a wing for them (all I have at the moment) and a mouse for my snake. And I thought, why not try a mouse for the ferrets? It was a huge hit for Bandit and Gloria...And Drake smelled it. Gloria ate the head *ick* so now I have a headless mouse in the cage! I locked them up cuz my cats went nuts with the smell of the mouse *sigh*. See what happens to it in an hour LOL. Thanks Jaycee. That honestly made the most sence to me from the start of this switch LOL. So talking a cup of kibble. If I use a cup of kibble (or even half a cup), how much broth (and where do I get broth? *sigh* I usually use water) do I add to it? And how much tiny pieces of chicken. And to get the tiny pieces of chicken, do I grind it? Or just cut it? Would using maybe a little over half a cup of kibble with the half chicken wing meat work? And just grind it all together? |
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Post by silverphoenix69 on Nov 18, 2008 2:20:11 GMT -5
LOL Bandit LOVED the mouse! After Gloria ate the head, she didn't want to touch it anymore....So Bandit ate off his back legs and his tail! As well as riped open his back. It was interesting to watch. I threw out the rest of the mouse and offered watered down kibble with chicken bits in it. And they all ate it this time. Before passing out that is. I'll see how much is gone by morning. I was fine with watching the dead mouse being eatten. But how different is it if its live? Does the mouse scream? Or would the ferrets kill it fast enough? I'm thinking that once their fully on raw/whole that I'll try a live mouse. If thats ok and I do it a few times, I "might" start a mice colony. If I can convince my mom that none will get away (she's scared of mice, can't even look at the dead ones). Bandit ate a piece of chicken bone as well from the chicken wing (I took all the meat off it for the food). Hopefully the mousey legs and tail will help him switch I even got Laura to pick up the mouse! LOL. I kind of bugged her with it until she took it from me, but thats progress hmm? Is it ok to take off all the meat and give them the bone to chew down on? I wasn't sure so I didn't leave them in the cage. Sorry if things are jumbled, its 2:20am and I'm dead tired. |
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Post by Jaycee on Nov 18, 2008 19:03:30 GMT -5
Sounds like you have had quite the day! To me it sounds like you will be switched in no time....eating mice and all!
Ok. Chicken broth can either be made by you (which is the healthiest version) by boiling water and chicken. Or, you can go to the grocery and look in the soup section for Swanson low sodium chicken broth. It will come in either a box or a can (I prefer the box for refridgeration).
I would soak the kibble and broth together....even microwave for 30 sec to get the kibble soft. Then, blend it with the chicken.
You can leave the bones in the cage for them to eat. They are a good source of calcium for them....mine love the marrow. Don't ever cook the bone and give it to them, though. It causes the bone to shard which is dangerous. HOnestly, I would leave the meat on the bone so that they learn to eat the meat off.
You are making wonderful progress!
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Post by silverphoenix69 on Nov 18, 2008 19:44:34 GMT -5
I asked about the bones because the only meat I have right now is the chicken wings *sigh* oh and chicken thighs. I'll see if I can find some money to get some chicken for tomorrow, borrow from my dad or something. I know not to give boiled, I was just worried that the same thing would happen if I gave them the bone with out meat  I'm to nervous about things lol. They didn't eat to much from bowl. I'm thinking that I'll give them kibble at night (for now) and the chicken/kibble during the day, because I don't think they eat much at night. Could I give them another mouse tonight? Or is that to much? I just need to get Drake to try the mouse now...Or at least pick it up, and Laura need to try a bite! Edit: Sorry! I got 3 hours sleep so I'm a bit in "la la land" Thanks for the info on the broth. I think I'll buy it, at least for now because I have no use for boiled chicken. |
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Post by silverphoenix69 on Nov 19, 2008 1:17:40 GMT -5
I figured that if they get kibble EVERY day. That having two mice in a row once or twice wont hurt to much (correct me if I'm wrong). Ya I won't be ready for a live mouse for a VERY long time *shudders*. And mice feedings will be done in the bathroom *another shudder*. I got them all to try some, though Bandit I don't think ate much if at all... Handed them the mouse, and I tried to get Laura or Drake to grab it. But they were having none of that. So Gloria and Bandit were all "Me!!! Meee!!!" and giving puppy eyes with begging. So they go for it. Bandit gets it first and shakes the HECK out of it! Then Gloria steals it from him and Bandit tries to get it back HA. She took it and ran!. She ate the head and front paws of this mouse this time. By this time she leaves for a second and Bandit takes it and shakes it again!!! *arrgh* guts go everywhere (good thing I was in the bathroom *grins*). He didn't eat anything really other then what ever he did in the "box" (litter box container I'm using to teach them to eat in there, not working so well). No legs for him today. Laura and Drake still wouldn't touch it so I called in the big guns. The big "F" (Ferretone). Laura took it and ran off, ate a bit of the guts but not much, still good though! Saw here eating some...fat maybe. To small to tell but she was chewing it. Thought she was going to eat a foot, but she decided not to after a chomp. Drake licked it, got a piece of "guts" and acted like he was going to die LOL. He did end up eating it, but...not very happy about it. Still ate a piece though! Even small is good right now lol. So this time I only threw out a half eaten mouse! Not just a headless, footless, tailless mouse . Hopefully will buy chicken tomorrow Gonna see if I can borrow $20 and get some. Edit: Hey! I'm not a Newbie anymore! I'm "Gnawing on bones"! AND I have a mouse now LOL the small things amuse me  |
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Post by Jaycee on Nov 20, 2008 18:08:32 GMT -5
Yay! You've graduated to a gnawer! Congrats on the mousie! Little things like that excited me too! So, how is the chicken today? Any more mice? Just remember and keep in mind that kibble and raw digest at different rates. Kibble digests faster, and raw slower, so the combination of the two can lead to an upset stomach. You might want to make sure to keep the kibble feedings a few hours away from the mouse feedings. |
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Post by silverphoenix69 on Nov 20, 2008 18:17:37 GMT -5
I do keep the raw and kibble a few hours apart at least (usually 3-4).
*sigh* no chicken. I'm going to thaw a chicken thigh or wing tonight and cut that up and put it in the kibble tonight (only time I don't do kibble and raw apart, when I combind it).
Could I give another mouse tonight? Or should I wait a bit?
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Post by Jaycee on Nov 21, 2008 16:59:48 GMT -5
Go for the mouse if they like it. The good thing about feeding whole prey is that all the nutrition ferrets need comes in one neat package.  |
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Post by silverphoenix69 on Nov 25, 2008 2:25:58 GMT -5
My computer is acting up again *sigh* so I'll be MIA for a bit. Bandit and Gloria will still eat the mouse, Laura and Drake get licks in with help of ferretone. I'm only giving them a mouse every other day to every 3 days right now. And no chicken. I might pick up a rap pup or what ever the next size of that is for different "flavour". No chicken until I get my job back hopefully by this week or next week. Lightning getting sick took the last of my money *sigh*. If anything else exciting happens I'll force my computer to work somehow to update, if not I'll find a computer I can use somehow. Don't be took worried if I don't post for a few days. Sorry  |
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Post by Jaycee on Nov 27, 2008 11:18:45 GMT -5
How is everything going? Hope your computer gets well soon! |
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Post by silverphoenix69 on Dec 5, 2008 10:00:27 GMT -5
Sorry for the long reply...I don't get on much and when I do it usually just to check my mail. With the computer acting up again, and me not feeling well (also wanting me to through it through the window). Nothings really changed with the kids. They are on a little bit of a hold for now. I'm going today to see if I can get my job back at the vets, if not its his loss. I've tried a few times already and he keeps saying that he can't give me the hours I can do, but then tells a friend of mine that he can. Which is Pi**ing me right off *sigh*. If I can't get my job back, I'll be looking somewhere else at least for now. I'm sorry Jaycee I'm being a stick in the mud. I feel horrible about not going anywhere right now. Everything just seems to be against me. Though I do have one question about feeding whole (if you can help). If you feed raw on say a Monday night, and you clean ferret bedding on a Monday morning. Will the bedding still be "ok" if you feed a mouse and they drag it around the cage? They wont touch the mouse in the bathroom anymore. Its just a new place for them to play, and I can't leave them in the bathroom unsupervised, but they wont eat it with me their...and the have to be "locked" up because my cats will eat the mouse...arrgh. Sorry |
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Post by silverphoenix69 on Dec 6, 2008 5:05:42 GMT -5
Well...Got my job back LOL..someone quit two days ago...So not only am I getting my job back, its the hours I wanted, AND all be asking for a raise, sicne I've never asked for one before and I've benn there almost 2 years..*sigh* Stupid me I no.
Thats some good news about this, is I'll have money again to buy everything for my kids! Again, I'm really sorry Jaycee
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Post by Jaycee on Dec 6, 2008 13:41:59 GMT -5
Oh, there is nothing for you to be sorry about! I think everyone has been through a bad patch every now and then. Soon, it will all be a distant memory and you will wonder why you were so worked up in the first place.
About the mouse thing....is the mouse leaving yuck in the bedding, or are you just talking about bones and such? I would probably spray the floors of the cage to disinfect (I also put newspaper to help keep the cage clean). Hang in there!
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