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Post by wmella85 on Jul 7, 2008 16:58:36 GMT -5
I would like to see a video of a ferret hunting a mouse or some other live prey to see how i feel about it. does anyone have one?
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jul 7, 2008 17:46:44 GMT -5
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Post by josiesmom on Jul 8, 2008 14:49:18 GMT -5
Keep in mind that a ferret "hunting" a mouse isn't going to be like watching National Geographic's video of say a tiger hunting or a lion hunting. Ferrets don't so much lie in wait and stalk their prey. No they make a mad dash for the victim and usually its a really quick catch. The videos here are not at all bloody or gore filled but if you have a soft spot in your heart for rodents and rabbits I suggest you do NOT click on the links! However if you realize the importance of offering your ferret natural enrichment and nutrition then these links will put your mind at ease that the ferret IS a natural born predator and doing what comes naturally is best for your pet! Here's a video of my 5 year old Fozzy catching his third mouse only two weeks after coming to my house! media.putfile.com/Fozzy-Kills-3 here's a video of a ferret being used to hunt rabbits in the UK: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gga3MerR6noand here's a video of a lucky ferret that has a large outdoor enclosure hunting a wild rat: ( I do NOT recommend offering your ferret wild caught whole prey OR found dead animals or roadkill), but this video shows the tenacity of the ferret: **language warning**www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UHtvze9r1Y here is a great video of a ferret cousin ( a stoat) taking down a much larger rabbit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBkh7uz_h98Cheers, Kim
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Post by wmella85 on Jul 8, 2008 21:45:25 GMT -5
okay, so i was fine watching it until i heard the mouses cries. i think that i could wear ear plugs. it was really cool looking though. just didnt like the crying. made me cringe.
i particularly liked the stoat dancing, i am going to have the kids watch the video and have a stoat dancing seminar. lol. i also liked the outdoor enclosure. that seems very enriching without the possibility of a mouse being loose in my house. which i would NOT be cool with.
thanks for the videos!
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Post by Heather on Jul 8, 2008 22:57:48 GMT -5
You can always put the mouse in the bathtub...canned hunt. The fuzzbutts usually dispatch their prey in record time (less squeeking). They're not like a cat they don't play with their food. I finally resorted to feeding frozen (most of the time I feed rats). My guys do hunt, but it's not part of the diet, it's part of the entertainment and enrichment. They hunt the silly mice that make their way into my house thinking it's a great place to hang out and stay warm. Very foolish mice. The whole business hunts, and some are more efficient than others. All enjoy eating their prey. ciao
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Post by nwheather on Jul 11, 2008 10:32:40 GMT -5
Yeah, I don't like the crying, & I wouldn't want to have to kill it if my ferrets didn't kill it. I might try it one of these days when hubby is at work...what he doesn't know, won't hurt him, right? LOL
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Post by Heather on Jul 11, 2008 13:35:59 GMT -5
I originally allowed them to hunt young rats, which was ok, until one day the rats that my supplier gave me were rather large....my guys couldn't make a clean kill. It was not nice. I then had to dispatch the rats...sorry...I do many things for my furbabies but after that one time never again. I felt horrible. Afterwards I realized that my brute of a boy (5 lbs), Attila couldn't get his mouth around the rats neck to go into a death hold. So they tore it to pieces. Even then they're effective but it's not for the faint of heart and I will never let them do it again. I leave them to hunt the local mouse population. ciao
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Post by josiesmom on Jul 11, 2008 20:43:34 GMT -5
My hardest kill to watch was Josie on a young Guinea pig. Probably because I've had guinea pigs as pets. One a brown self agouti "Brownie" a companion when I was a child, and another Peruvian -Harry" a friend to sing with back in '99.
Josie went right in for the kill, but the guinea pig's short thick neck and squat body gave her a tough time. The objections from the victim were tough to listen to.
She did eat the first one, the second one was dispatched much more swiftly but she let me know she didn't really care for them.
Josie was an awesome hunter and even knew exactly what to do with live chicks! A caution for live chicks being offered though, let the chicks hang out in a box for 24 hours with no food before becoming prey. Bird poop goes everywhere when they are scared!
Rats can be VERY tough to kill. THey are incredible survivalists. I would caution anyone offering their ferrets rats to ONLY offer pinkies, pups or juveniles. Small, Medium and large rats can put a real hurting on your ferret, especially if the ferret is a novice hunter!
Josie had been hunting for a year before I offered her the "strange new prey".
For those ferrets that don't kill right off the bat, try offering younger prey next time. Bolster their ego with easy kills and build up to larger prey. Similar to what many predator moms do in the wild.
First they offer pieces of the carcass, then partial carcasses, then whole dead carcasses, then maimed animals, then they take the youngsters for hunts on young prey.
While an adult mouse may look miniscule to us, they DO have formidable teeth and claws that WILL be engaged to defend themselves. I don't want to discourage hunting live prey at all, quite the contrary - it is a wonderful enrichment for "natural" ferrets and a practice I am convinced that allows an outlet for frustrations and stresses encountered for our domestic friends.
Here is a place and time when they CAN engage their teeth fully! They WON'T get scolded for biting hard and drawing blood! They CAN rip and shred and tear and chew!
Just match the prey age and size to your predator's skill and age. then sit back and watch your own "wild Kingdom"!If you really really cannot bear to watch, I advise shutting the ferret in your bathroom with the prey( toilet seat lid closed) and go back in an hour. Usually by then the remains are cleaned up and only a small bloody smear needs wiping up.
Only offer the whole prey when you know your ferret is hungry if you want them to eat the kill directly. Otherwise ferrets are quite happy to massacre an entire village of animals (which is why they were used extensively for ratting and rodent control). This can be nice if you want to dispatch a lot of mice for training hunters as well as freezing the kills.
Give them time and experience, soon the prey will hardly get out a squeak, it will all be over in a split second!
Cheers! Kim
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Post by wmella85 on Jul 15, 2008 20:45:22 GMT -5
i really want to end up feeding live prey for enrichment. the other day i told my mom this and she said that she would be really disapointed in me if i did this to another living creature. i dunno. i think i just might not tell her. though i dont keep much from her. however, i am an adult and i live in my own house and im sure that 2/3 will have a blast killing their own prey. it is better for them and that is what i am doing this for. lol. the first time however, i am going to need someone here holding my hand. lol.
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Post by Heather on Jul 16, 2008 10:48:18 GMT -5
I would use mice, if I was going to use live prey. They're small, fast and relatively easy kill for a ferret. Make sure your guys are hungry. They're quick efficient hunters. Does your mother have a cat? Does it hunt? Not all cats hunt, I have a siamese that thinks there's nothing more disgusting than a mouse. Cats, when not particularly hungry are cruel hunters. They love to play with their food. Merlyn, who will most times eat his kill (though he has been known to bring it upstairs for the fuzzbutts) will play a mouse for hours if I let him. I usually go grab Lady B or Attila and let them finish off the mouse. Of course then Merlyn's feelings are hurt but at least the poor little creature met a timely end without long drawn out torture. Most ferrets seem to know instinctively what they have to do. They're sometimes a little clumsy when they first start but even little Sprite who never saw the outside of a cage was quite the little hunter and knew how to effectively grab her prey and kill it. She was such a proud little thing but hadn't a clue what to do with it at first. Now, she not only kills but eats and steals other furbabies kills. ciao
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Post by meli on Jul 16, 2008 12:54:56 GMT -5
My hubby and I were talking about this. Buying one feeder mouse and watching them. Is a bathtub the best means for this should I not have a fishtank around?
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jul 16, 2008 16:32:53 GMT -5
My hubby and I were talking about this. Buying one feeder mouse and watching them. Is a bathtub the best means for this should I not have a fishtank around? Tub can work but be sure to plug up the drain Trust me, been there, done that, will NEVER go there again! You dont want a dead mouse plugging up your shower drain
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Post by josiesmom on Jul 17, 2008 14:21:22 GMT -5
OMG Giuli! ROFLMAO! Plugged up drain..... eeewwww! Those of you that have tubs are lucky. Ionly have a shower stall and it only has a curtain. Not much to contain a mouse in there. But I've also started hunters out in large rubbermaid tubs. Yes, it puts the mouse at a disadvantage, but the idea is to encourage and empower your ferret to utilize its innate skills. If you have a shower curtain around your tub - pull it up, way up the mouse could climb up it and escape! I just ignore remarks from people that don't understand the benefits of offering live prey. No matter what you eat - plants or animals, SOMEthing had to die in order to provide nourishment. We'll eventually all end up worm or plant food too - so what's the big deal? Say thank you to the great spirit for the prey's benefits to your tiny predator and give the gift of optimum health to your ferrets with a clear conscience! Cheers, Kim
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Post by dalamar on Jul 17, 2008 14:47:19 GMT -5
Two of my babies just started mouse hunting today. It went far better than I expected. Not only did they handle themselves like the professionals they are, they came back for more! I only had 4 mice though so now Bandit keeps coming to the 'kill box' waiting for me to add more. If they keep up this pace, I may end up having to breed the nasty things just to keep the babies happy.
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Post by Heather on Jul 17, 2008 23:28:35 GMT -5
Now look what you've started Poor little furbaby to be so deprived I have to admit I have thought about breeding mice for the fuzzies....note I said thought about it...I quickly decided that I will let someone else deal with the hassle. I have two reliable suppliers who have clean, healthy stock so I will stick with them. I can't imagine how many of the tiny furries one would need to feed a fuzzbutt I usually feed 1 large rat per 2 ferrets as an evening munchies. Mice are offered as snacks and of course range wars. ciao
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