Lack of Enthusiasm

[Jakk]

Ludwig is not a particularly playful ferret and it worries me a bit. He dances and shows playfulness with me and my partner only about once a day just after we take him out of his bedroom in the mornings. He seems to just wander around, nap, and sometimes attempts to stash his biggest toy in his den but gives up after 5 minutes or so. He constantly digs in his water dish and seems to love water but when presented with a larger amount he ignores it. Ludwig is my first ferret so I don't really have anything to compare his behavior to, I just have a feeling that it isn't typical... but i don't know. Any advice?

[weloveourweasels]

He could be sick, bored or lonely. Or all three. I would take him in to the vet for a check up and if that is all clear then hes probably just bored and lonely. Most ferrets love friends as you can see by most of our signature banners not many of us if any only have 1 ferret.

[Jakk]

I agree with the lonely idea....I want to get him a buddy by my partner doesn't like the idea of having two furry ones. He says that "two animal household are complicated because you have to spread out your love and attention."

As far as being possibly sick, he was at the vet just two weeks ago and she said he was looking good for where he started.

[ferretdroogies]

He sounds bored. Most ferrets do better with partners to play with since humans can only do so much. Most of us do have more than one, and people with just one soon come down with ferret math (1+1=3 ).

If he is a bowl digger, you can get a water bottle instead. That will solve one problem

Sometimes ferrets that have been in a cage for a long time have to learn how to be a ferret. Sari, the one that was in a similar situation as Ludwig, didn't know how to sleep in beds (she would sleep on the bottom of the cage in the litter even when you would put her in a bed :, didn't know how to wrestle (she would just sit in one spot when we would let them out even when the other ferrets and us would play with her), didn't know how to stash or play with toys, and didn't know how to explore! She quickly learned how to be a ferret because the others definately taught her. Now she's a terror

It could also be that even though he's on a high-quality kibble (I'm guessing by the way you made it sound), he might not have as much energy as he would on a natural diet. Mine started off on "the best ferret kibble", but it still wasn't good enough for them or me. As soon as I switched them to commercial raw, they are almost always up and wanting to play! Ferrets are still ferrets, and they sleep quite a bit compared to other animals, but mine went from sleeping 18-20 hours a day, to 14-15 hours a day after the switch.

Hope this helps!

[sherrylynne]

He's been in an aquarium for the first 6 months of his life. He has no idea how to be a ferret, so you have to teach him! Check out the ideas in this section. Make a box maze, a dig box, get a leash and halter, and take him for a walk! Get his nose and mind working the way they were meant to. Get him used to some sort of supplemental oil(most here use salmon oil for supplementation, and keep ferretone for training). Put the oil in bottle caps, and float them in a basin of water, so he has to work for them.
Anything you can think of to get him exercising his body and mind will help a lot.

[Jakk]

I just remembered when I gave Ludwig a water bottle (when he came home) and cracked up laughing! He gnawed on it, hissed at it, and otherwise got extremely frustrated before turning to me all fluffed up and glaring at me until I removed it from his presence I gave him his bowl back. He then aggressively dug in his water, getting his whole body in it, making sure not a drop was left before walking away looking rather satisfied.

I am going to set up a "pond" for him to play in tomorrow and I am going to start sketching out a play center for him that will have a dig box, a hammock, and other fun stuff. I'll post photo's of the final product if it works out.

Thank you for all the tips and input!

[sherrylynne]

That sounds great! I'd love to see the pics of it when it's done.
Don't you just love those "There! I showed you" tantrums

[vierireamourferret]

...I just wrote a long message about how I went through the same thing with my first ferret and now have 4 more and how it's so worth it because they love and play and snuggle with each other and they're such social animals that I would never have just one ever again for their sake. Also it's not more work at all because they are able to love and play with each other so it actually takes more stress off of you because if you're tired you can just watch them be insane with each other. It's not much more clean up either, and even if it was it'd still be worth it because they're so social and it just brings such adorableness out of them when there's another one of their species to love and snuggle.

Anyway, that was the jist of it. good luck and either way have a blast with your furbaby, the first one is always the most special.

[allyx]

i remember before i got milo, id always spend my time playing with otis and keeping him company, and now ever since i brought milo home, im boring to him every time i try to play with him he jumps aorund abit and then goes to play with milo haha.

im only good for food now