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Post by tommy on Jun 30, 2010 5:19:08 GMT -5
Ferry escaped this morning from her cage.
It was a tough night. She rattled her cage so much around 2 am I woke up to go upstairs to see what's wrong. I'm usually a deep sleeper. She does get annoyed with being in the cage and bite on the bars. But she falls asleep after a while.
Inweny upstairs to hold her for anlittle bit and noticed she hasn't done any pee or poo despite eating around 8 and 9 pm. I thought she might be wanting to be held to do her pee and poo as that's how she likes it recently but nothing came out after a while. I put her back since she looks calm and went back to sleep. But she continued rattling for a while and fell asleep.
Around 6 am, I woke up again to her noise and went upstairs to give her some chicken. I opened the kitchen window and skylight window to let in some air as she hasn't been taking to the summer so well.
I went back to bed and heard her rattling but it stopped after a while
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Post by tommy on Jun 30, 2010 5:27:03 GMT -5
I assumed she went back to sleep and I fell asleep too. My husband woke up shortly around this time and stayed in bed to use the computer.
Around 7 I woke up to clean her cage but my husband had just gone upstairs and said she was gone. The top latch to the cage is open. Her cage is placed On a stair landing just leading to living room and kitchen so we looked there first. We couldn't find her anywhere and I couldn't sense that she was there.
We looked elsewhere in the house but she's nowhere. We thought she might have gone behind the cabinets/fridge but the dust behind there doesn't look like anything has been through Recently. We thought we heard scratching, but it may well be pigeons as we had an infestation and they are always on our roof.
I laid out food ad water everywhere before I left around 8.
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Post by tommy on Jun 30, 2010 5:30:56 GMT -5
Sorry I meant left around 9.
We made a lot of noise when we were finding her and she would have cone out for her breakfast. She only managed to climb out of the cage because she managed to shift the water bowl to be below the latch door. There's no way she could have got out of either windows without intervention and if she had fallen off the stairs my husband would have heard while he was awake. It's a mystery!
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Post by Heather on Jun 30, 2010 13:01:57 GMT -5
Have you found the little truant yet? She probably escaped and went to sleep. Check in sofas, under cushions, behind drawers and possibly in cupboards. Check laundry hampers, stacks of clothing.....they can get in and out of anywhere. She's a determined little thing and with her health issues you are going to have to find her soon. I've tried turning off everything that makes a noise, turn off the lights (this heightens your sense of hearing and raises her comfort level). Listen for scratching, snoring (yes the brats snore) anything that might indicate where your little escape artist has gone. Don't limit yourself to the indoors either. I don't know how big your little girl is but I've got a couple that where a mouse could get in they can get out. I've got 3 little girls who can actually flatten themselves and slide under the doors to the various rooms (doors are raised slightly to allow for better airflow through the house). Please keep us posted, we will have our fingers crossed ciao
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Post by rarnold18 on Jun 30, 2010 14:17:11 GMT -5
I agree check everywhere.... when checking sofas and loveseats make sure to check the black dust cover underneath the furniture, if there is a hole they will climb up inside the sofa it's self. Dresser drawers, laundry hampers, and linen closets are also good places to look!
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Post by tommy on Jun 30, 2010 18:37:13 GMT -5
We found her!
I was very dejected when I came home because none of the food left by the main door, bathroom door, in the bathroom and bedroom had been touched. But when we went upstairs to the living/kitchen area (weird house structure), the two piles of food left out were completely gone. We opened the plank concealing the gap between the kitchen cabinet and the floor and the pile of food there was gone too. So we figured she must have come out to get the food and settled back in there. It was where we thought she might have gone when we checked in the morning but the strange thing was she didn't leave a trail in the dust. The gap is also tiny. I noticed dehydrated liver crumbles on the other end of the kitchen cabinet and found a hole we never noticed before! It is big enough for Ferry to get through! My husband then spotted Ferry from the bit where we took the plank out. She disappeared again behind some pipes. I took pieces of meat and a plastic bag to rustle to lure her out and she did! She was covered in dust and seemed quite shocked to be caught. We thought she might have ingested some poison left for the mouse (2 years ago) as she seemed a little slow but she's back to normal now. I think she was just shook up by the experience.
I really thought I wouldn't find her alive when I got back because I was so sure she wasn't in the house as there wasn't a trace and it was so quiet. But I guess she went quite far behind the kitchen cabinets!
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Post by katt on Jun 30, 2010 19:32:31 GMT -5
Wow! Ho frightening! I am so glad you found her! That really makes me wonder if she escaped her old home...
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Post by sherrylynne on Jun 30, 2010 21:17:52 GMT -5
Oh, thank the gods!!!!! I was almost in tears reading this!I swear- these little ones go out of their way to give us heart attacks. When mine were in a superpet cage, they could pop the door open, so I just did it up with a very large winged paper clip. It always held.
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Post by Heather on Jun 30, 2010 22:00:28 GMT -5
Oh, wow.....what a scare {gives huge sigh of relief ) You are going to have to do something about your little escape artist Sounds like your little girl has had lots of experience at this. I've got a couple of escape artists...I use a clasp lock on the cage doors. Until you find something that fits for you, I would use just about anything including a twist tie. These little ones can turn your stomach into knots so fast. The relief when you find them is physical. I"m glad your little one is ok and none the worse for wear. ciao
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Post by rarnold18 on Jun 30, 2010 22:30:47 GMT -5
YEAH! I'm glad to hear she is safe and sound.... Our Ping is very good at disappering for hours, and Slink and Slither could open their old cage within moments of it being locked. We solved that problem with a small 2 inch Carabeaner, those oval shaped clips used for rock climbing. You need opposable thumbs to operate them!
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Post by tommy on Jul 1, 2010 14:56:06 GMT -5
Ferry lives in the bathroom now until I have time to sort out the cage situation this weekend. Thank you for all the concerned messages and advice! A lock is definitely required on the new one. I'd like to get her something bigger but a multi-storey is not advised as she is still not able to climb and may fall...
I have a question about biting though. She bit me really hard and wouldn't let go today. It's on the very same spot as she bit the first time, on the fleshy bit of my lower arm near the elbow. Is there any reason for this? She doesn't bite usually. What can I do to let her know that I am upset? I shouted really loudly as I was in pain and had to pry her off. I feel bad, but I don't want her to become a vicious biter!
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Post by sherrylynne on Jul 1, 2010 19:49:32 GMT -5
She's letting you know she's displeased about something. Are you working with her when this happens? Or is it out of the blue? She could be having some pain, or she could simply want down. For me, I found time outs worked the best. I use a travel cage, with no blanket, toys, food, nothing. They go in for a max of 3-5 minutes, then come back out. Sometimes mine would tantrum when I brought them out. Right back in the time out cage as often as is needed. I used to scruff and hiss at them, but for some, that doesn't work too well. The time outs, however, always have an effect, even if it takes a while. It seemed with Willow that at some points, she spent most of her time in the carrier If the reason she's biting is because of pain, however, that isn't the solution. It's finding what's causing the pain.
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Post by Heather on Jul 1, 2010 22:19:41 GMT -5
Did she by any chance give a couple of licks first or did she just chomp you? There are 2 places that I never allow a ferret to rest their heads, one the inside of my upper arm, on the bicep, and the other the inside of my forearm, near my elbow. Why? Because if I'm going to get bitten, and I mean bitten...it's there. It's just too tasty to pass up. I've got a couple who are polite and will lick first, but Lady "B", Thor even Napoleon will nip or bite the inside of my arm. It's like allowing them the privilege of going up your pant leg. I've not got a single ferret out of 14 ferrets who will pass up a good nip on a bare calf. They are what they are. If I have a ferret draped over my forearm (back legs and front legs draped on either side of my arm), their head is in my hand, not snuggled into my arm. Just a thought It could very well be what sherrylynne has pointed out as well, she may have some twitchy pain that caused her to bite. See if there is any consistency to her biting. I find that most ferrets have a pattern to their biting. ciao
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Post by tommy on Jul 2, 2010 3:46:46 GMT -5
The very first time she bit on that spot might be due to pain or feeling threatened as I was adjusting her belly. The second time, last night, was not as she was very comfortable and happy from physio and had been giving my hands and arms licks and play-nipping but when she got to my inner forearm near the elbow she gave a straight chomp!
I think she had a taste of it the first time which might be triggered by pain but she decides she likes it too much now! I think she might have nipped my inner thigh once when I was crouching down to clean the floor.
I will remember to keep irresistable fleshy bits away from ferrets now.
I shouted really loudly because I was in pain and blew at her nose as I remembered reading it somewhere. Then I put her back in the bathroom where she went straight into a sulk and ignored me. I felt bad very soon and took her out for a stroke and cuddle...
So many new things she's learning and I'm learning everyday!
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Post by sherrylynne on Jul 2, 2010 15:55:04 GMT -5
Not too surprising she went into a sulk Mine generally tantrum! But a small carrier might be a good idea anyway, just for traveling back and forth in a car. I do use the same carrier for the car, and for time outs, but they do seem to know the difference. Going to the car, they have a blankie and toys in there. Being naughty? Not one blessed thing!
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