Only Ferrets

[katt]

So, as many of you know, I have been through the whole gambit with Koda and his trouble making since I brought him home. I know there are a lot of people out there who have single ferrets, and/or are considering getting single ferrets, so I decided to start a..journal thread so to say, about the "joys" of owning a single ferret. Hopefully this will help someone, even just one person. I'm mainly bookmarking this now so that I don't forget to do this, but I will keep adding to it and such until it is complete, and then add any new updates and suggestions.

Let me start with some advice for anyone considering a single ferret. If you think you want a ferret, GET TWO!

When you own an only ferret, YOU are EVERYTHING that ferret has. Ferrets are very high energy, intelligent, and demanding creatures. Having an only ferret means twice the work and time you will need to put in! Seems counter intuitive, but it it 100% true! When you own an only ferret YOU are responsible for ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of its: entertainment, friendship, exercise, play time, socialization, stimulation, cuddling, grooming, mental enrichment, safety, etc. These animals are incredibly intelligent, and thus get bored very easily if they are not constantly stimulated and challenged. And a Bored Ferret is a Destructive Ferret!

If you do decide to get an only ferret, be prepared to put in a lot of time, energy, and money!

[katt]

Ok, now where to start....

Msot of my categories will run into each other as it is all related, so sorry about any repetition, mixing and matching. Also, I do NOT take credit for all of these ideas, much of this is what was recommended to me by other forum members and what I found did or did not work.

Entertainment
Ferrets are INTELLIGENT. Imagine being stuck in a small cage (Even a big cage is "small" when you have the energy of a ferret!) Ok, so start over...imagine yourself being trapped in your bathroom ALL day long, with nothing but a blanket, toilet, a little food, and a toy. Not very exciting...in fact, you would probably go mad, become extremely depressed, you would be unhealthy physically due to lack of exercise and fresh air...etc. Now you know how ferret feels trapped in a cage all day! Having a second ferret give them a friend to burn their energy off with. They can play and wrestle and snuggle together, and will not be lonely and faar less bored! Plus, they will be less destructive, and they will distract each other from trouble (in theory) when they are out, as well as burning off energy together so that they can snuggle with you.

IF you have an only ferret, you MUST provide a large play area. A BIG cage with plenty of areas to snuggle, a dark sleep box, and lots of new toys (see where the money part comes in?). The cage being big is especially important if you are gone often during the day. This gives the ferret room to explore and play while you are gone. Be sure to have lots of sleeping places and fun things like hanging tunnels, an attached dig box (I'm working on this for Koda), etc. You can even (esp if you have a FN 142 BEST cage ever!) have one level cleared and keep the toys on that level so that there is room to play, and all sleeping devices elsewhere in the cage.

Imagine you are stuck in your bathroom, and the only toy you have is a single book (or ball, or whatever). You can only read it so many times in one day before you have it memorized and are bored by just the thought of reading it again! If your ferret has the same toys in the cage all of the time, they will get bored of them quickly. You should have a large collection of SAFE (will get to this later) toys that you can swap out. The best toys are toys that are HARD plastic, NO rubber, NO small pieces, etc. Have 2-4 toys in the cage at a time. Hide them in different places of the cage. Change the toys out for new toys every 2-3 days. Have enough toys so that you can wait a week or so before putting the old toys in again. During this time, the ferret will [hopefully] forget the old toys, and they will seem like brand new toys again when you put them back in.
Now if your ferret is Einstein Reincarnated like Koda, then you might notice like I have that after so many rotations, even after being "gone" for weeks to months, your ferret will not forget a toy and will be bored with it. Period. If that happens, it sucks! haha You can help that by having a LOT of toys to rotate through, and being consistent with the rotation. I notice that the toys Koda "remembers" are often the toys that I forgot to rotate out soon enough - so he had a loong time to get thoroughly acquainted with all of the play possibilities that toy offers, and became completely bored with the toy! I take those toys out of rotation entirely for a long time - a few months at least - and provide new new toys to rotate through, before putting the old "boring" ones back in. That usually works. However, regardless, I find that the longer I own a particular toy, even if it is well rotated, that Koda will get bored of it faster and faster each time. Eventually he finds a way to destroy it which is why I now have a HUGE box of toys that Koda can't even play with! He is only allowed to have hard plastic toys that he can't chew, and a few select others. Good toys are ones that have different shapes and textures, toys that make noise (these are good to leave in the cage while you are gone), and toys that have some challenge associated with them (see foraging cups). I can go more into good toys later.

Since your only ferret relies on YOU for entertainment, you had better provide it or they will find their own. Caged ferrets with boring toys will find things near their cage to reach and pull closer/scratch/chew/destroy/knock over. They will also potentially destroy their cage, chew bedding (I have luckily *knocks on wood* not had this issue), destroy and chew/eat toys, throw poop tantrums around the cage...you get the idea. If you tire your ferret out when you are home, then they will sleep nice and sound back in the cage and be much much much more well behaved!

If you can't watch your ferret closely, a play pen, or a ferret safe (getting to that later) room are great things to have to provide more room to play and explore. Take your ferret out and snuggle them and let them get some energy out in the morning before you leave (if you have work or school and such). You are its playmate, so it will adjust its sleep schedule around you....for the most part. Then, when you are home, before trying to do anything take 30-60 minutes to play HARD. Play chase, use teasers and other interactive toys, wrestle with stuffies, and spend a few minutes training even. A good thing to do is to go on daily walks. Hills are your friend! We got Koda used to walks up and down the hill where my bf (Shane) lives. It took time and persistence, but he learned to stay with us and follow along the leash pretty well. We walk down the hill at Koda's pace letting him play and romp and sniff. Then on the way back we race! This means that Koda runs all the way back up the hill to get home! Good exercise, and entertainment.

Another fun game is the stair game. If you have a good set of stairs this is a great spot for entertainment and exercise. One way to go about it is to have a favorite teaser and drag the teaser up and down the stairs for the ferret to chase. You can run with him to get exercise yourself, or stand on a step and just fling the end of the teaser up and down the stairs. The other thing to do is to put your ferret on the leash. Don't allow them up the stairs without your close supervision, so that exploring "upstairs" becomes a treat. On the leash, release your ferret and let him/her run up the stairs. Chase after him (good exercise for you!) to keep him running and keep it a fun game. It is tag. At the top of the stairs, let him sniff for a second, and then run back down with him. Release him again to chase back up the stairs...and repeat until he gets bored! Be sure to let him explore the upstairs on the leash after making it up there at least a few times so that it doesn't become a lesson of "I can't play upstairs."

Towel Chase games are fun too. Anything that gets your ferret moving, interacting with you and other people, and seeing new things. Take him with you to the pet store on a leash, on walks, on car rides...anywhere that he can see, explore, or sniff new things. Tire him out and he will be MUCH more well behaved after play time!

Because ferrets - especially only ferrets - get bored so easily it can be fun for them if you change things in their cage and room. Rearrange shelves and hammocks, wash the bedding with a new detergent, or leave it outside overnight before putting it in the cage, etc. They will have all kinds of fun exploring their "new" cage and smelling the new smells!

Safety
Ferret Proofing
Things to Look Out For
Attention
Exercise
Enrichment

[katt]

Toy Safety

Hard plastic toys are the best toys. They are a lot harder to destroy and non-chewable...for the most part. Good toys are baby toys that do not have rubber pieces, noise making toys, and foraging toys. Toys should have no small parts for the ferret to chew or tear off, and ABSOLUTELY NO RUBBER!!!! If you have any rubber toy, it MUST be HARD rubber and inspected Daily for any signs of chewing or missing pieces! This is VERY VERY important! I had to pay $800 to have rubber removed from Koda's stomach. You do NOT want your ferret to chew on rubber toys! Period. It can be life threatening.

Toys should not have small places that the ferret could get tangled or stuck. Long strings are strangling dangers, ropes can be eaten and (if enough is eaten) cause blockages. Tennis balls can be chewed up and usually have rubber lines that are tasty to nibble. Paper towel or Tp tubes are ok but there is a very definite risk of getting the fert's head stuck in the tube so you should supervise these toys. A toy that Koda really liked was a TP tube with a cat jingle ball stuck inside. The ends of the tube were smooshed so that the ball could not fall out, but Koda could see it and hear it. haha Jungle balls by the way, can be bitten and broken, at which point the bell can be eaten. If it fits in their mouth, it can be eaten. If it doesn't, it can probably still be eaten, but will be a lot harder to eat. Tunnels and mazes are GREAT for outside of the cage. You can collect and connect boxes (soda boxes, anything works) to make mazes, and rearrange them to make new mazes. Hide treats in the mazes for even more fun!

Stuffed animals should NOT have ANY hard plastic eyes or noses! Stuffing is important too. Ferrets can rip open the stuffies and eat the stuffing. There is a thread around here somewhere about a type of stuffing in children's stuffed toys that turns to gel in animals' stomachs and kill them.
Scrivenger's Retreat makes THE best ferret stuffies. They are adorable, high quality, and a very good price!
www.etsy.com/shop/scrivenerferret?ref=seller_info

Small stashable stuffies are great toys too, like McDondalds toys and such.

Here are a few toy suggestions...
Hard plastic balls
Babble Balls
Very Well Rinsed Medicine Bottles filled with rice and beans and other rattling objects
baby rattles
McDonald's Toys (NO small parts)
Crinkle Tunnels
Yadda yadda
I want something like this...
www.google.com/products/catalog?q=baby+toys&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=V1T&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&prmd=ivsn&resnum=3&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=16486816984136002817&ei=-JSnTIeJFJSmsQPszMjTDA&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CGwQ8wIwAA#

Hard Plastic Blocks that are a good size to be carried...
www.walmart.com/ip/Fisher-Price-Brilliant-Basics-Baby-s-First-Blocks/6006715?sourceid=1500000000000003260330&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=6006715

www.ferret.com/Search.aspx?PageNo=1&query=&path=cFERRETp891&sort=descending

www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-H5703-Activity-Tunnel/dp/B0007WWZKO

www.ferret.com/item/marshall-pet-octo-play-ferret-interactive-toy/650847/

www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_9990000066660511P?vName=Baby&cName=BabyToys&sName=Educational%20Toys&sid=KDx20070926x00003a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=9990000066660511P

Foraging Toys:
www.petco.com/product/109703/Super-Pet-Ferret-Roller-Basket.aspx?CoreCat=FerretHPToys

www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3039779&utm_source=googleproduct&utm_campaign=3039779&utm_medium=cse&mr:trackingCode=38D12C64-C881-DE11-B712-001422107090&mr:referralID=NA

www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=21013&cmpid=04csegb&ref=3312&subref=AA&CAWELAID=525384414

Foraging Toys

These are a great way to keep only ferrets out of trouble when you are busy or not at home. Have several types of foraging toys. Put treats in some of them, and hide them in different places. The next day, put treats in different ones, and hide them all in new places. That way they have to check every toy every day because they never know which one will have a treat in it! and they have to figure it out to get to it!

[katt]

Problems


Destructive Behavior
As I mentioned above, bored ferrets can be - and usually are - extraordinarily destructive. They live to dig (carpets, bedding, doors, you name it), chew, rip, tear, stash, and just generally destroy. Some of these behaviors are very much instinctual to ferrets and, as I have learned the hard way, difficult if not impossible to stop completely (not that I am not still trying! haha). For example, digging is in their nature, as is being exploitative, inquisitive, and crafty. Once they see a door open, they know there is something behind it, and will probably never give up trying to dig a hole to get under the door. They are natural burrowers, this is instinct and normal ferret behavior. However, the more bored they are, the more likely they are to exhibit destructive behavior. The key is to focus their energy and re-channel it on something else.

Digging
Ok, I don't want to be too redundant so just remember digging is an instinct and you will probably never be able to completely prevent your ferret from digging - esp an only ferret with lots of extra energy! If you can, replacing the carpet with linoleum or tile, or having a carpet-free play area is a good idea. If you do have carpet that cannot be replaced, there are a few options. The first is to buy plastic covers that office chairs roll on: www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&source=hp&q=office+chair+plastic+roll+sheet&btnG=Google+Search#q=plastic+office+mat&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=Gtv&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&prmd=ivs&source=univ&tbs=shop:1&tbo=u&ei=xS-6TJToL4q-sAOkqNS1Dw&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CD8QrQQwAA&fp=24caab9999a5d8d0

The second option is to get a few sturdy, berber rugs. Get enough to cover a little over the space that you have so that they can overlap, and cover the entire area with them. Tape them down - from underneath! If you put the tape on top, the ferret will have all kinds of fun tearing up the tape (and eventually getting under the rugs and digging anyways), and even chewing the tape! Tape the overlaps together underneath if you can, and use rolls of duct tape (like you would for taping a present) under the mats to stick it to the carpet below all along the edges and corners. It helps of areas - esp the edges/corners - are weighed down by heavy furniture - the bed, the ferret cage, the dresser, etc.

The key places to get are under the door, along any edges (ie the edge of the dresser, and along the walls), and under things - for example I have a reptile cage that Koda can climb under. Because it is like a cozy den under the cage, he likes to try to dig cozy tunnels from his "den." For under doors, you can cut the plastic or rug to wrap around the door frame and outside of the door - otherwise the ferret can and will dig at the edge of the rug/plastic where it gets to the door. For along walls, it is good to set the rug/plastic up a bit so that it runs along the floor, then bends and goes up the wall an inch or so. Then tape it to the wall, or weigh it down. Otherwise, destructo-ferret will dig at the seam where carpet meets wall. Once the carpet is covered, let them dig the plastic or rugs to their little heart's content if you so please.

Another way to help with digging is to refocus it. Get dig boxes and lots of them. They are easy to make - get a cardboard box, or a plastic rubbermaid container. Cut a hole, or holes, on or near the top (be sure the ferret can reach it to get in) (you can even attach a tunnel!) and fill the box with stuff to dig in:
long grain rice (NOT the Instant kind - if your ferret eats instant rice it can expand in their stomachs and kill them and/or cause a blockage!)
balled up paper/newspaper
shredded paper
plastic Easter eggs (do a double dig-box/foraging toy by hiding treats in some of the eggs!)
ping pong balls
dried beans
Starch peanuts (NOT the Styrofoam ones, Starch only!)
in the fall, dead leaves work well
organic soil (bake in the oven at 400 degrees F for an hour to kill any residual germs/parasites))
blankets/fabric scraps
water
anything you can think of!
If you can, attach a tunnel to a dig box to the cage. Have multiple dig boxes around the room with different materials in each. Move them around and swap them out periodically. If your ferret is getting bored with them, take them away for a week or two and then put them back out - it is like a whole new toy!

If they are digging in the cage, make sure they have fresh toys, get more time out of the cage to play and burn off destructive energy,

Chewing
Chewing is...well...a PAIN in the butt let me tell you! I have a world Champion chewer. Unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot to do about chewing habits other than to make things SUPER safe. I only buy hard plastic toys, and toys with small parts. Stuffed animals must not have eyeballs or noses as they will be chewed off. Rubber will be chewed, small parts will be eaten. Anything and everything is moved out of reach. I check toys for damage, and I toss out any that begin to show wear. Other toys are only for supervised play time. Around the cage I make sure that everything is out of reach by a good distance. Otherwise, Koda will reach out and pull things into the cage, or at the least, close enough to reach. He will then - you guessed it! - CHEW on them! I have tired a variety of sprays and hated them all. Honestly? Vinegar worked the best by FAR! Don;t bother wasting time or money on the bitter sprays, You will end up tasting them for weeks, unable to eat food without it tasting terrible, but it won't phase the ferrets. Anytime you touch the sprayed item, your will then taste it for hours to days after - regardless of how much you wash your hands. Been there hated that! I found that of the sprays I tried, the Marshalls ferret no-chew spay tend to linger in my own mouth for a much shorter time, and I could ACTUALLY wash it off of my hands. The vinegar was the only thing that had any kind of effect on the ferrets though. I used Very concentrated vinegar - more like 60-80% rather than a 50% dilution. 50% didn't do much, 80% got a good Icky face and the cords were left alone...temporarily. It has to be sprayed on with a LOT of spray, and refreshed constantly as it wears off rather quickly. I gave up and hid all of my cords that I could in a box. I will try to get a picture if I can remember. As I said, anything and everything else has been discovered via the ferret proofing and re-proofing process and moved out of reach. And then of course, when he finds new ways to new spots - moved to a new out of reach. And repeat.


Cage-Biting
Cage biting, ESPECIALLY in Only Ferrets, is typically an attention thing. If they do not get enough out time, they will tend to cage bite. With only ferrets, there is no such thing as enough out time - or enough attention. Making sure that your ferret is tired before going back in the cage, and gets a lot of time and attention - and exercise - out of the cage will make a big difference with this. Also, ensuring that you have a big enough cage, with a constant supply of new toys (a small number of toys rotated out regularly) will help as well. When the cage biting continues, as it inevitably will, there are many things you can do. You can yell, hiss, and make noisy distractions. Bang on the cage, and throw things at the cage to distract them. Take them out of the cage, give them kisses, and put them back in so they can start again.....and also in the process of all of these they will learn that they get what they want when they cage bite/rattle the cage - attention! Just like small children, even negative attention is still attention! Every time you reward them with screams, bangs, or taking them out, you are only reinforcing the habit and making it harder to train them not to do. I have tried it all. It is very difficult, but the BEST Thing that you can do? Ignore it until they stop. Yes, this can mean months of sleepless nights until they learn, it can mean leaving the room. It means frustration - and it means Them learning that cage biting will not get them any attention. Even when they learn, they will still do it from time to time. Koda now only cage bites when he has been cooped up more than usual however. Overall he has learned that - especially when lights are out (aka Mommy is SLEEPING) he will NOT get attention. How long does it take? Depends on how determined your ferret is, and how much you ensure that the other conditions (attention, time out of the cage, space, and interesting toys) are met. Days if you are lucky. For me it took months so be prepared!


Pooping
As with anything pooping out of the litter box can also be a cry for attention, as well as a method of revenge! There are a few methods to potty training, but this link explains, in detail, one of the best, most proven methods out there whether you have one ferret or many.
holisticferret.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=talking&action=display&thread=6448


Biting
There are many approaches to correcting biting, as well as many opinions of what is "ok." Some people have small children and are strictly NO mouthing or biting of any kind, others like me, allow mouthing in play as long as they do not bite too hard. It is possible to discipline for both. I'll get back to methods for that as well. (Note to self here)

Pica
Also will come back to this. I have observed in Koda, and it was mentioned to me by another forum member (Heather or Mustelidmusk I don't remember which) that she noticed it in her ferrets, that ferrets with IBD tend to have higher tendencies towards Pica.

Stress
Depression/Loneliness
Boredom
Lethargy
Had to add a new one to the list of to-adds: Carpet Chewing

[katt]

Ferret Proofing and Safety

This is a BIG one!
If you have an only ferret, you are going to need some sort of ferret proofed area for your ferret to play in. Even areas that the fert plays under close supervision should be ferret proofed as much as possible. Ferret proofing is Very much Trial and Error. Just when you think you have the most ferret proofed room in the world, your ferret will find a way to prove you wrong and show you just what you missed! haha
Only ferrets are worse because, without a playmate to wrestle with and chase and distract them from finding new things to get into, they manage to find every little thing you can imagine. lmao Koda is a pro at finding new impossible ways to reach impossible places. Ferrets can levitate, fly, climb walls and ceilings like spider man, push things much bigger and heavier than they are across a room to climb up to reach things, knock things over to create bridges, you name it! Many ferrets, like Koda, also have very accurate rubber detectors in their noses. If it is rubber, and it exists, it will be found eventually.
You should learn to become VERY alert and sensitive to the sound of chewing and smacking. It is usually an indication that the ferret has found something to eat that does not belong in its mouth (unless you have treats laying around, but better to check and be safe) or is chewing a toy - potentially to pieces. Shane and I are at the point now where we can hear Koda chewing across the room with the stereo on. Even studying or watching movies, we have a subconscious ear out for chewing. Excessive? No! I can't count the number of times that alertness/ability led to me keeping Koda from eating some random piece of rubber or plastic or foam...where he gets these things sometimes is beyond me. Oh the joys of ferrets,,,

Here are some things to watch out for...
Electrical Cords
- - ANYTHING rubber!!!!
- Anything with rubber feet ie tables, stools, reptile cages, alarm clocks, computers - esp lap tops...check the bottoms of every item in the room for rubber feet.

They will be found, and chewed off and most likely eaten and cause a potential blockage. I thought that I had cleared out every rubber item in my room. Koda was chewing on the leg of a hard plastic stool I had. Thinking that he was just being a brat, I ignored it. I checked the stool and didn't see any signs of teeth marks or pieces coming off, so I let him chew. I then noticed that he had something in his mouth. I rushed over to discover a little unknown rubber piece...I checked the stool again and saw on each leg was a small rubber piece to keep it from scratching the floor and give it grip. Well, Koda had one piece, one was on the stool, and 2 were missing! This of course sent me into a panic (thinking he had eaten it) until I found them.

The other night Koda was playing in a series of cardboard boxes I set up as tunnels and caves. I heard a chewing noise and looked up to see him on top of the box trying to bite the box. I realized what he was doing and went over there to stop him - the ox had some superglue on it. It was flat, and well attached to the box from packaging or whatever. He managed to slip his teeth under the thin layer of glue and pull it off the chew on right as I got to him!

Also, check all toys and boxes for superglue! Some toys use superglue to hold pieces on (such as these cheap cat toys that are caged in jungle balls with feathers on each end, the feathers are super glued onto the plastic toy).

- Superglue on toys and boxes
- Small plastic pieces such as the tag holders from new toys or clothes
- Stuffed toys with hard plastic eyes or noses
- PENCILS
- anything non-ferret toy that is sitting on something that can be bumped (Koda will bump my table to make it wiggle so things fall off)
- Box Spring Mattresses, Couches, etc - they can get inside and dig, which rips up the lining and foam on the inside, which can then be eaten
- anything that is shorter than 3 feet tall can be jumped on or climbed
- anything (Point A) within a 3 foot distance of something else (Point B) can be used as a jumping board to reach Point B.
- anything that is not 100% sheer and vertical can be climbed
- most things that are tall, sheer, and vertical can be climbed
- drawers can be used as ladders, even if they are almsot flush with the dresser or cabinet they are on.
- drawers can also be used from behind (to get inside) as a fun network to get to other drawers, things in the drawers (drawstings, socks, etc) and things on top of the dresser/cabinet
- drawstrings (and shoe strings), esp with knots or plastic shoestring ends they can eat the ends of the drawstrings, and the knotted or plastic tipped ones are especially tasty
- socks and gloves (Koda's personal favorite) can be chewed and eaten. Koda had a fun stash of his favorite toys - my gloves - and I found them all with holes in them and fingers chewed off.
- zipper pulls - if they are not the metal ones that are very firmly attached (ie plastic, decorative, rubber pulls) they can be pulled off eventually and eaten
- laptop cases are fun to play inside of and dig/chew holes in
- lap top cases, back packs, briefcases, etc are also fun to play in and have many straps, strings, and other fun pieces that can be chewed on
- leather is fun to dig holes in until you can chew it and eat it
- velcro is crunchy and feels good to massage ferret gums with. It tastes good and can be eaten. If you have anything attached by velcro beware - the sticky back is rubbery, and that plus the velcro itself makes for a sticky, rubbery, chewy, crunchy chewing sensation that can be eaten and cause a blockage (velcro is probably Koda's favorite chew toy of all time - he will ignore anything else in the room if velcro is present)
- Zippers! If something is in a zippered case/bag it is NOT SAFE from the ferret! It does not take long for a persistent, bored ferret (this is where having a second ferret as a distraction is very nice) to figure out how to open a zipper from the inside and the outside

FACT: Ferrets have opposable thumbs that are invisible to the human eye If you think they can't open it or climb it, think again!

- anything that can be pushed across the room (even if it is way heavier than the ferret) will be used as a ladder to reach things
- if it is in the room long enough they will find it
- if you think they have it out of reach, they will reach it
- if they try enough times, they will jump that extra 3 feet, or climb that slick, sheer, vertical object.
- thin plastic objects can be cracked by teeth (think of what they do to bones!) and cut up the mouth, or be eaten (even tiny shards that break off when it cracks may be swallowed on accident) and cause a blockage and possible internal bleeding as it cuts all of the organs it passes through
- hair ties and headbands (and anything elastic) - they have rubber on the inside
- tinfoil is crunchy and nice to chew on don't ask why - it is a top secret method of psychic radio communication between ferrets around the world to achieve world domination
- phone cases are chewy
- it is a good idea to put down tile, hardwood, or cheap linoleum flooring. I use cheap, huge berber (indestructible!) rugs to cover my carpet because Koda digs at the carpet.
- any spaces under doors, behind or under shelves/dressers, under the bed, etc should be checked - even if it seems too small - a 1" gap is all that they need to get their head through, and when the head fits, so does the body usually. They will stash secret "chew toys" in these places, use them as escape routes (under the door!), or potentially get stuck (so block it off entirely, or make the hole/gap bigger)
- holes or cracks in the walls where plumbing goes in/out in bathrooms, windows, gaps under cabinets, anything like that can be an escape route or a get-stuck place
- litter boxes in every corner, toys and blankets in any corner not occupied by a litter box.
...I think I covered most of the basics, but I am sure I'll remember more (Koda will remind me) or Koda will show me any new things that pop up...

[katt]

...to be continued...

Please feel free to add input, experiences w/ only vs multiple ferrets, questions, suggestions, etc.

[maddiesmom]

Good thread!

I couldn't agree more. When I had Izzy, she was an only ferret for a while. And can you say, demanding? She's a deafie, so her way of getting my attentions.... crying... LOUDLY!! My roommates said "I thought you said ferrets were quiet pets!!" She cried for attention, to be let out of her cage, to be put down, to be picked up, and mostly to be fed (treats included). It was very much like having a newborn in the house
But she did bond very closely to me. And when I introduced a second ferret, she still is bonded closely to me. They can play together while I am busy, though which is a nice break!!

[sherrylynne]

What a good idea! Thanks for doing this

[katt]

*yaaay I have a stickiedthread!*
No problem! I figure maybe everything Koda has taught me could help someone else. I mean Koda can't be the only monster trouble maker only ferret out there! I'll keep adding to it I made a list up there to remind me of the other things I wanted to type up.

[bluecoyote]

So far my little girl is a perfect little angel - except for the time she tried to staff a severed bunny head under the couch.....- BUT!!! yeah she's pretty well behaved but i know she's lonesome.
because i have two small children my house is ferret/puppy/childproofed to the hilt.... even my house plants are out of reach to anyone shorter than five feet lol ((why do pretty house plants always have to be TOXIC!?!))

But..... yeah i'm seriously on the lookout for a sibling for her. i'm not sure what happened the other day but i did find poop six inches from her cage :/
and today when i woke her up from her nap to play she leaned over and groomed my fingers for a few seconds.
we do outside walks, lots of runaround time inside the house - as long as the doors arent opening and closing constantly..... usually she's loose at night when the kids and dogs arent in and out. I am planning an outdoor run for her but not sure on a design yet. it would have to be super safe...... so right now i'm just sticking with leashes and harnesses.
one of her favourite games is to chase a fake toy mouse tied to a string. anyone seen those little rubber mice wrapped in fur? they're typically cat toys... but my cat is a lazy bum and doesnt even chase LIVE mice, let alone a fake one.
I had a clever idea to tie string to one of those toys and Sookie goes WILD for it! one day i'll tape her chasing this thing on the wood floors lol lots of running in place, sliding, slipping, circling....
she's getting to be a good catch though!
BUT because its rubber....... once she catches it and tries to run away with it i'll distract her with some of that tasty ferret paste. she only gets a couple of licks when she releases the mouse... i figure thats better than making her mad because i took her "kill" and didnt give anything in return after all that work.

seriously though..... i want her to have a buddy. i am just a little concerned about gender, age, and attitude. plus it will be a rescue/rehome/or adoption.... i'm not willing to go to a pet store.. and even if i was i dont think there are any around here with ferts.
I'll have to do that research as we go along. right now i'm sticking to this blog so i can be a better friend for her!
btw..... i put this in stumble there is a whole world of lonely ferrets out there!


ETA also wanted to point out that i HAVE been locked in a bathroom my husband had just left to visit a friend, i had said goodbye to him and was on my way to the loo, shut the door.. locked it out of habit ... he had just pulled out of the driveway when i realised the doorknob had broken.....
i was stuck in that windowless SMALL guest bathroom for three hours!! all i had for company was a sales mag and my cat that kept pawing at me from under the door.. and even she got bored and wandered off.
so yeah..... speaking from personal experience lol after i finished reading every bit of that magazine i moved on to shampoo labels, bathroom cleaners, and then started kicking the door to no avail.
i only managed to escape when my husband got home. he couldnt even get the door open. but..... i remembered an old trick and had him slip me a screw driver under the door where i soon took the doorknob apart lol

all i can say is ...... it only took me an hour to go bananas! i cant imagine what a ferret must go through

[katt]

Oct 4, 2010 1:24:25 GMT -5 @bluecoyote said:

So far my little girl is a perfect little angel - except for the time she tried to staff a severed bunny head under the couch.....- BUT!!! yeah she's pretty well behaved but i know she's lonesome.
because i have two small children my house is ferret/puppy/childproofed to the hilt.... even my house plants are out of reach to anyone shorter than five feet lol ((why do pretty house plants always have to be TOXIC!?!))

But..... yeah i'm seriously on the lookout for a sibling for her. i'm not sure what happened the other day but i did find poop six inches from her cage :/
and today when i woke her up from her nap to play she leaned over and groomed my fingers for a few seconds.
we do outside walks, lots of runaround time inside the house - as long as the doors arent opening and closing constantly..... usually she's loose at night when the kids and dogs arent in and out. I am planning an outdoor run for her but not sure on a design yet. it would have to be super safe...... so right now i'm just sticking with leashes and harnesses.
one of her favourite games is to chase a fake toy mouse tied to a string. anyone seen those little rubber mice wrapped in fur? they're typically cat toys... but my cat is a lazy bum and doesnt even chase LIVE mice, let alone a fake one.
I had a clever idea to tie string to one of those toys and Sookie goes WILD for it! one day i'll tape her chasing this thing on the wood floors lol lots of running in place, sliding, slipping, circling....
she's getting to be a good catch though!
BUT because its rubber....... once she catches it and tries to run away with it i'll distract her with some of that tasty ferret paste. she only gets a couple of licks when she releases the mouse... i figure thats better than making her mad because i took her "kill" and didnt give anything in return after all that work.

seriously though..... i want her to have a buddy. i am just a little concerned about gender, age, and attitude. plus it will be a rescue/rehome/or adoption.... i'm not willing to go to a pet store.. and even if i was i dont think there are any around here with ferts.
I'll have to do that research as we go along. right now i'm sticking to this blog so i can be a better friend for her!
btw..... i put this in stumble there is a whole world of lonely ferrets out there!


ETA also wanted to point out that i HAVE been locked in a bathroom my husband had just left to visit a friend, i had said goodbye to him and was on my way to the loo, shut the door.. locked it out of habit ... he had just pulled out of the driveway when i realised the doorknob had broken.....
i was stuck in that windowless SMALL guest bathroom for three hours!! all i had for company was a sales mag and my cat that kept pawing at me from under the door.. and even she got bored and wandered off.
so yeah..... speaking from personal experience lol after i finished reading every bit of that magazine i moved on to shampoo labels, bathroom cleaners, and then started kicking the door to no avail.
i only managed to escape when my husband got home. he couldnt even get the door open. but..... i remembered an old trick and had him slip me a screw driver under the door where i soon took the doorknob apart lol

all i can say is ...... it only took me an hour to go bananas! i cant imagine what a ferret must go through

Oh I can just imagine that! It sounds like something I would do! hahaha

[bluemoose]

Oct 4, 2010 1:24:25 GMT -5 @bluecoyote said:

I am planning an outdoor run for her but not sure on a design yet.

This is the design I followed:
holisticferret.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=cage&action=display&thread=4071

[jesslough]

Rascal was backwards
I find that now that I have more than just him, he needs more attention from me than when he was a lone ferret (first 3 years I had him). And he is more destructive now

Oh ferrets

[Jackie]

I too have suffered from having an only ferret. Pixie is so needy, always wanting to be around me, following me, climbing on me. After having her for almost a year, I got Trixie, who was supposed to replace me. Haha, unfortunately, although she loves her "sister," she'd still much rather be around me. Now I just have two trouble makers.

[eschimpf]

I'm interested in knowing about the chewing... Bean has a habit of letting me know he is not happy about being put back in his cage by chewing on his bars... Which I'm so afraid he'll break a tooth on.