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Post by Forum Administrator on May 23, 2008 2:45:39 GMT -5
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Post by jojodancer on May 23, 2008 11:14:57 GMT -5
I disagree with one of her statements:
"You can’t have a schedule for novelty – it needs to happen at different times and in different places every day to be effective. For example, take them out in the morning one day, allowing them access to a different room or a different toy. Then take them out in the evening the next day into an entirely different environment. "
I actually feel that having a psuedo-set schedule is more beneficial and less stressful than letting them out in the morning one day, and the evening the next. Our ferrets know that they are let out for an hour in the morning as we get ready and an hour or so once I get home from work. And then a little bit later on in the evening if they wake up. They get very stressed if either my husband or I are at the house during the day (if we take a vacation day, sick day, or even on the weekends) They are let out of their cage more often on those days, but they pace around, constantly jumping at sounds, and not able to calm down...
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Post by Forum Administrator on May 23, 2008 11:19:10 GMT -5
I guess it must depend on the ferret. My ferrets werent raised on a particular schedule, so they are troopers when it comes to "flying by the seat of their pants". I work overnight and I dont sleep at the same time everyday. I work 10:30pm-6am and sometimes I will sleep from 7am-2pm and other times I will sleep from 2pm-10pm. They might be out of their cage in the morning, afternoon, or night it just depends. They also go outside (almost) everyday for 1 hour. Sometimes we go out at sunrise, other times we go out in the afternoon, sometimes at sunset, other times in the middle of the night!
I think for that suggestion you just have to play it by ear. See what would be best for your ferts. I think if I tried to put my guys on a schedule they wouldnt be having it lol. The author should have said that some ferrets prefer routine, while other ferts wilt under a routine and instead love chaos. I dont like how she made it seem like "you MUST NOT have a schedule". Every ferret is different.
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Post by jennifer5799 on May 23, 2008 13:11:01 GMT -5
I think it all depends on what they're used to and how they're raised. I would DIE if I had to keep a set schedule everyday  My family doesn't eat at the same time, the animals don't eat at the same time. Whenever we wake up, the dogs go outside, the ferrets come out of the cage and the day starts - or at least that's how it was when we were back home. It will be slightly different when we get home, since the ferts will have their own room they'll get more out of cage time. The only thing I'm going to try hard to keep "scheduled" is the day/night cycle. And also - if you're looking at it from a "trying to be more like nature" view - wild animals don't eat on a set schedule, they eat when they find food, and I'd imagine that applies to other areas as well... |
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Post by meli on May 23, 2008 13:44:54 GMT -5
During the summer my dogs are outside from morning till the sun starts going down..then they're in til we go to bed. My puppy doesn't get the run of the house yet because he's still not 100% on potty training so he gets kenneled for bed. He knows his schedule already and knows that once he's let outside before bed time its right into the crate. They have set schedule everyday because I'm not use to flying by ear lol Once I get my babes I'll be on a set schedule with them to.  |
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Post by buzzonesbirdie on May 24, 2008 9:16:16 GMT -5
whats a schedule??? the joke at my house is that they only two things that get done the same time everyday (unless its the weekend or summer) is the girls getting up for school and going to bed at night. other then that your guess is as good as mine my ferrets love getting out of their cage no matter what time of the day it is or how many times they have already been out. but i agree that it has to do with how you are raised. |
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