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Post by konotashi on Sept 23, 2009 23:21:01 GMT -5
I made the mush for Tesla a bit chunkier, and he won't actually eat it. He licks at it a little bit, but no eating. I took out the egg - so should I put some liquified egg to see if he'd eat it that way?
I'm going to try giving him some chicken legs tomorrow....
Should I offer him some kibble by itself? I don't want him to not eat anything at all, and I don't think he's eating ANYTHING. I tried making it a game by tying a chunk on a string, but he showed no interest in it.
What do I do now? Do I just keep doing what I'm doing until he eats it?
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Post by ccretarolo on Sept 24, 2009 1:08:57 GMT -5
Have you tried hand feeding? That really helped Mogli get started plus it was a great bonding tool.
Also, you might as well put an egg in if that helps him eat. At this point, your goal is to get him to eat.
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Post by Heather on Sept 24, 2009 1:16:50 GMT -5
Are you attempting a switch? Give him back his kibbles and make sure that he's eating it. I take it you've tried some mush or soupy and he did eat it but you've changed it up? Made it more chunky?? Go back to your original menu. Let him eat that for a couple of days, then add small chunks...no bigger than your fingernail tip. Go too fast and you're little one will go on a hunger strike. When that happens you have to go back a step or two to get him eating again, and when he's comfortable you move forward again. You have to remember they don't recognise this as food. It's got a different flavour, texture...you're throwing a lot of different things at him all at once. Think of ferrets as 2 and 3 yr old children....they hate change, except in their environment, then it's fun and interesting. They like their foods to remain the same...hate change and will dig their heels in deep and refuse to eat. Some believe in tough love switching...your ferret will eventually eat what has been placed before him. I don't, but then I do rescue...ferrets sometimes look healthy until you stress them, so I don't believe in starving. Neither way is right or wrong, only what's right for you and your furbaby. Good luck and keep us posted  ciao |
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Post by konotashi on Sept 24, 2009 17:36:51 GMT -5
He'll eat it from my hand, but when I put it back in his bowl, he loses interest in it. I don't want him to get used to eating it just from my hand though - I want him to know he's supposed to eat it out of his bowl, too; or will it not matter?
I'll make it more soupy and try a do-over, but slower this time. He seemed to like it when it was just a soup.
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Post by konotashi on Sept 24, 2009 18:11:21 GMT -5
Okay - I just made him some soup and crushed the kibble and put it on top like a spice. He's lapping it up now!  So I think I just introduced the chunks too fast - he seems to appreciate the food! I put some kibble in for him before I left for school, but not very much. I got home and the bowl was empty, so I'm sure he was hungry by the time I got home.  His face was all scrunched up when he ate it. I had to give him some off of my finger before he'd eat it out of the bowl. I guess that's the trick - make it a soup, feed it to him off my finger, then he's good! He just sort of sniffed it until I offered it to him via hand. So - he's eating now, and that's good. |
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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 24, 2009 18:55:06 GMT -5
One of mine still has to have some from my finger first, before he'll take his soups(this is a year later  ). Every so often, I'll pick one up and spoon feed the soupies, just for the bonding. |
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Post by Heather on Sept 24, 2009 23:18:15 GMT -5
Looking good . Eventually, you will succeed in weaning him off the dip the finger or spoon, but sometimes it takes time. Rather like young children and their dummies, or whatever people call those silly corks that they put in babies mouths ciao |
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Post by konotashi on Sept 25, 2009 9:58:35 GMT -5
I think I started adding the chunks too fast, and the chunks were too big. I put some mush with kibble in his bowl last night before I went to bed (around midnight - I didn't have to go to school today since I have to go to the doctor.) I looked in his bowl about twenty minutes ago, and it's all gone! I'm so excited! Now I just have to get him eating it without kibble.  |
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Post by Heather on Sept 25, 2009 10:55:44 GMT -5
Now, you start cutting back on the amount of kibble that you add, adding more small amounts of meat. Again, go at this relatively slowly, so that the taste and texture doesn't change too quickly ciao |
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Post by konotashi on Sept 25, 2009 16:01:58 GMT -5
I put less kibble with it this morning. He eats around it first, so I'm guessing he likes it more than the kibble? I'm still going to go gradually with it, because I don't want to start over again, but I think it'll be pretty easy this point on. One question... again. How do I get him used to eating bones? |
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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 25, 2009 23:28:04 GMT -5
Once he's eating some chunks, you can start introducing wing tips. They're a good starter bone.  |
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