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Post by Heather on Mar 14, 2010 0:03:29 GMT -5
Sounds like progress to me keep it up ciao
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glynus
Going Natural
RAW FEEDER
Posts: 143
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Post by glynus on Apr 3, 2010 8:10:12 GMT -5
I love the sound of bones crunching in the morning! Breakfast was chicken back pieces with just a little duck mixed in to get them interested. Even Bastien crunched a little and actually chewed a few pieces of meat! I'm so proud of my little monsters. teri
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Post by Heather on Apr 3, 2010 20:13:31 GMT -5
So where are you at in the grand scheme of things? Bastien eating well or is he still being difficult. Have you managed to get them to eat something else without the assistance of duck?? You should be proud of your little furmonsters they're doing great ciao
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glynus
Going Natural
RAW FEEDER
Posts: 143
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Post by glynus on Apr 12, 2010 20:34:13 GMT -5
We are definitely making progress! The fur monsters are eating turkey and pork WITHOUT duck! Beef still has to be mixed with at least 1/3 duck. Bastien still takes a little coaxing but once he gets started he manages to eat most of his meals on his own. Meals are now rotated between pork, turkey, beef/duck, and CGH with a little bone. ( I don't want to give them too much bone and scare them off!) Hey, it's only taken a year and a half but we're getting there Thanks for all the patience!! teri
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Post by Heather on Apr 12, 2010 22:43:56 GMT -5
Sounds fantastic to me. So what if it takes longer, anything thats worth doing sometimes takes time. Your little ones may gripe a little about the switch and at times dragged their heels but they will be healthier for it and it's all worth it in the long run ciao
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glynus
Going Natural
RAW FEEDER
Posts: 143
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Post by glynus on Apr 24, 2010 21:22:13 GMT -5
Bastien and Melinda are doing good. No real changes. They are doing really well with turkey and pork and CGH. Have decided that they really don't like beef, though, unless its mixed with duck. Now for the real news: I'm about to give in to ferret math! I help out with a feline rescue group that adopts out of Petco (when my allergies aren't trying to kill me). Last weekend I fell in love with one of the ferret babies - nothing new, I fall in love with at least one every weekend! Unfortunately, she was still there this weekend and I can no longer resist. She actually fell asleep in my lap and cuddled with me for about an hour (yeah, I wasn't much help with the kittens today!) How could I not fall in love? Anyway, if she is still there tomorrow, I think I will be bringing home a little sister for Bastien and Melinda. I know that I should quarantine her but that's going to be difficult if not impossible. I am sure that she is as healthy as possible - the girls that take care of the ferrets at this petco are ferrents and really protective and concerned with "their" little ones. What's the best way to introduce the new baby to Melinda and Bastien? Should I expect trouble? How fast should I start switching her diet? Am I totally out of my mind??? HELP?
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Post by Heather on Apr 25, 2010 1:01:32 GMT -5
Of course you're crazy Just like the rest of us She's just a baby? Tiny, tiny or older? Have you a play pen? When Napoleon was introduced to my business, he was in the playpen. They got to sniff him and he them through the bars. Within a day or so, the bolder of the bunch had climbed the pen and were sniffing him from top to bottom. By the end of the week, everyone was coming and going at will and by the end of the second week they had shown the baby how to get out of the pen . He got scruffed a couple of times by his aunts and uncles to put him in his place and sometimes the discipline seemed a bit harsh but there was no poops nor blood. There was some squeeking and hissing (Napoleon doing most of the hissing considering despite his diminutive size he wouldn't back down from anyone). Many ferrets allow the babies privileges, they're allowed sniffs and bites that wouldn't be allowed in the normal introductions. I would keep a close eye on them, and just let them go. Do you have a space that has never been played in before or a special dig box, or swimming pool that is really new. Distractions work very well when introducing new ferrets too. Babies smell different, so adults often allow them to be introduced. Only the most timid don't get readily accepted. You can only try . I'm sorry that I don't have much to offer. I'm rather careless when introducing as the more I hover the more trouble I seem to get. I often find it's easier to just allow them to meet. Just be careful that the whole meet and greet isn't overwhelming for the baby. Don't be surprised if they're all over her to begin with and don't be surprised if one or both don't try and hidey....babies are prizes that you stash Napoleon was Mischief's baby (he picked him) and he was forever looking for him because Lady "B" or Porthos would have stashed him up a tube. Mayhem was terrible for hiding him under the bed. I would hear some squeeking and look down the hall and there would be poor little Napoleon with his feet in the air being hauled down the hallway by his scruff by one of the adults. He was never any the worse for wear and he appeared to accept this as part of his lot in life. Please you have to post pics if you get her . ciao
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glynus
Going Natural
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Posts: 143
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Post by glynus on Apr 25, 2010 7:36:14 GMT -5
Thanks, Heather. I do feel a little better now! I had just thought of the play pen idea a few minutes before I read your post. Glad you mentioned it and confirmed my idea. Melinda and Bastien have the run of my condo as long as I'm home. The only place they are not allowed without strict supervision is the "guest" bathroom because there is a hole that allowed a coupe of hamsters to escape into the wall several years ago. Don't know that the ferrets could fit but haven't wanted to give them too much chance to try. The new baby is about 3 months old, I think. She's about 1/2 the size of Bastien and Melinda right now. These are pics I took at Petco... How could I resist?
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Post by Heather on Apr 25, 2010 23:50:25 GMT -5
She's adorable and I certainly would have had great difficulty putting her back Her markings remind of Lady "B" Itchy and Lady Natasha. Both girls had a dark stripe down their spine and a black or gray tail. Both my girls are deaf.... If you look very closely at either of my girls you will see just the barest outline of a blaze. You have to use your imagination a bit and you can't see it on Lady "B" any more, she's basically a DEW now (the final choice of all our exotically marked fuzzies) but you can still see it on Lady Natasha. Are you going to get her?? ciao
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glynus
Going Natural
RAW FEEDER
Posts: 143
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Post by glynus on Apr 26, 2010 6:41:56 GMT -5
I did get her. So far we are doing ok. I let Melinda and Bastien meet her last night and everything went well for a while. Then Melinda started getting too rough so I separated them. I put baby in the cage for the night and let the other two have the run of their room. I had forgotten how much mess caged ferts can make and how nasty that kibble smells. This morning I put them in the playpen for a while. Again, Melinda was much too rough and had to be separated. Bastien and the baby seem to be fine together. Unfortunately, baby did manage to get her head through the bars of the playpen so I am going to have to be extra watchful of her. Will be out for the day today so little bit is back in the cage and Melinda and Bastien get locked in their room again. I don't think any of them are going to be very happy but I guess they will have to deal with it. Still working on a name for the little one. Maybe Flower...
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Post by Heather on Apr 26, 2010 23:09:33 GMT -5
Congratulations. Give your newest little one a big hug from me. I miss the little babies . You're feeding her raw, yes? She will be a peach to switch. Ahhh, now why am I not surprised that it's your little girl who's being too rough . Now, only you can tell if she's being too rough, but be slow at moving in. The more often you interfere the harder it is to get them to play together. Try time outs and see if that works...distractions...things like that, keep putting them back together and or at least back in the same general area. Another thing that I also found that little girls aren't particularly fond of each other. Sounds like Melinda has plans at being the martriarch and she wants that point to come across strong and clear. Take an easy hand with her and try and support her. I think it will work out but she wants to play it by her rules and in her own time. I know all about trying to look out for the baby... and that it's really difficult for anyone to watch them get roughed up. I understand.....really Good luck, keep me posted ciao
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glynus
Going Natural
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Posts: 143
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Post by glynus on Apr 27, 2010 8:35:22 GMT -5
Baby's name, at least for now, is "Flower". My daughter seems to think that since Melinda and Bastien were named for characters from her favorite TV show and a book, that this one should also have a "character name". (I was calling her Flower just as a joke..hope she doesn't mind being named after a skunk! ) We seem to be doing a little better this morning. Melinda was a little rough for a while but seems to be settling down now. I had to let Flower out of the playpen - actually, didn't have a lot of choice after she managed to squeeze through the bars a couple of times! More room to run seems to have helped. It's funny that you mentioned your fuzzies being deaf. I'm pretty sure that Flower can hear but I have been wondering about Melinda for quite a while. She has never cared about squeaky toys and doesn't come running at the sound of treat bags like Bastien. She doesn't stay still long enough to sneak up on her unless she's asleep and then I don't know if it's just ferret "sleeping not dead" or if she can't hear me. I've wondered, too, if her being so rough with the baby is because she doesn't hear the noises and doesn't realize that she's hurting? Flower's switch to raw starts today! Can't stand the smell of that nasty stuff she's eating. I plan to crush up some kibble and coat some ground meat for her this afternoon. I've already taken the kibble up so she will be hungry later. Hopefully, switching her will be easier than Bastien teri
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Post by Heather on Apr 27, 2010 23:35:16 GMT -5
I think "Flower" is a wonderful name for a "stinkmink" You may be right about Melinda. My deafies are often rougher and don't sometimes respond properly to queues given by the other ferrets because they don't hear. Now, not all deaf ferrets can't hear at all. Some hear certain levels or pitches. Fun-Go is one of my profoundly deaf ferrets. He even gives the wrong body signals which gets him into trouble with some of my older ones who have little patience for him. He's rather funny really....he dooks when he should be screaming and screams when he should be dooking and hissing is part of his normal conversation. He's loud, really loud and spooks oh so easily poor wee fellow. I'm sure her switching to raw should be really simple, the little ones have really no idea what food is and everything seems to go in the mouth. Keep me posted ciao
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glynus
Going Natural
RAW FEEDER
Posts: 143
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Post by glynus on Apr 28, 2010 23:37:14 GMT -5
Things are starting to settle down now. Baby's name has been changed to Damia (from a series by Anne McCaffery - my favorite author). Melinda is still getting rough at times but Damia doesn't seem to be as intimidated now and fights back. I even found all three of them asleep together today Damia wasn't at all interested in raw chicken or duck yesterday. I scruffed her a few times and got a little in her mouth when she yawned (gotta love that involuntary response!) This afternoon, I made some chicken soupie but she wouldn't touch it. I put some kibble in it which she ate and then she actually ate a little of the chicken soup. I'm a little worried that she isn't eating enough right now. Is she too little to eat only twice a day or should I feed her more often? Bastien and Melinda are getting back on track. The stress of a new family member had them a little off but they both ate more today. teri
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Post by Heather on Apr 28, 2010 23:52:29 GMT -5
Your little one should be getting fed at least 3 or 4 times a day. She should be ravenously hungry. Go figure, that she would give you some trouble. I think it's just going to be a matter of getting her to recognise that it's food and that it will make her feel really good. Keep offering it, persistance will pay off I love the name Damia...it really works for her I'm glad that they're starting to settle into their order in life. ciao
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