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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2014 20:04:57 GMT -5
Hello! My name is Leni, and I am new to the forum. I just registered but have been utilizing the posts in the past 7 weeks for training/handling my young ferret (thanks!!). I come to you regarding a ferret I adopted from a shelter on Saturday. Backstory: My young ferret was purchased at Petco about 7 weeks ago. He is about 6 months old (their paperwork was really unclear as to his actual birthdate) and his name is Domino. He's settled in pretty well but for about a month he'd been seeming bored more often, and I honestly couldn't keep him entertained enough. I thought it'd be a good idea to get him a companion, especially considering he was housed with 7 other ferrets at the store. The ferret I adopted is a female, she is about 2.5 years old. Her name at the shelter was Tai, but I'm calling her Trixie. She had been at the shelter since April, and was housed with the 2 other female ferrets that she arrived there with. There was not a lot of information available regarding their previous home, only that their owners had moved without them. Being that she'd been at the shelter for so long, I was prepared for her to be nervous/timid/etc. coming home with me. Plus, she'd been used to girls, and now she got stuck with a big old boy. She and Domino did meet at the shelter prior to bringing her home, and they seemed cool with each other. I really just need help trying to figure her out, and advice on how I can help her settle in. Here are some of the things going on: - She isn't playing much (if at all), which I'm attributing to her being uncomfortable still
- She isn't eating much (I actually had to force her to eat earlier by placing the kibble in her mouth, she was given Totally Ferret at the shelter and they gave me some to take home for her... I also tricked her into eating some raw egg by mixing a little Ferretone into it)
- Due to the not eating much, she doesn't poop much either. Today, it's been greenish diarrhea (this really concerns me due to ECE, she appears to have other symptoms [lethargic, not eating] of it as well, but my boy is completely fine/it was normal until now... I've also read that the diarrhea can be caused by stress, which moving to a new home with a new ferret could certainly cause)
- I'm also concerned that maybe she has insulinoma (even though she's lethargic, eating doesn't give her that boost immediately after that is generally seen)?
I'm gonna be taking her to the vet next Saturday for an exam. They're housed in a wire cage measuring 32"x32"x18". It has 3 levels (plus the bottom), 2 hammocks, and an igloo. They're out as much as humanly possible when I'm home. If I'm preoccupied, I keep them in the playpen as a safety precaution. Another thought is that maybe she doesn't like Domino? When he tries to play with her, she does a lot of hissing/squealing and trying to get away (no fear pooping though). But then I've caught them sleeping together a couple of times, and from what I've read, that wouldn't happen if she hated him. I took a video to demonstrate their interaction. You'll see that he really wants to play but she isn't having it at all... she'd rather just lay there. I just wish I knew what was going on in that little head of hers.  |
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Post by racheld on Oct 22, 2014 20:14:46 GMT -5
How long ago did you adopt Trixie? It's very possible that she's lethargic and not playing because she's missing her former cage mates, especially if she lived with them before she came to the shelter.
I believe stress and new foods can also cause greenish poop...I think the volunteers at the shelter would know if they had an ECE outbreak, but it's hard to be sure.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2014 20:19:43 GMT -5
It looks like domino is trying to assert dominence on her. She's laying their submittting. Usually introductions take awhile if they are sleeping together is a good sign. I know when it was just pepper and I brought home jr they did the same thing she had no intrest in him and he wanted to play. It took a week for them to sleep together and it took a month for them to actually play. Do you know if she was bonded to another ferret at the shelter? My Casper suffered severe depression when he was given to me. His bonded pair died just a few days before. He lost weight I ended up having to force feed him for a few days before he would eat on his own. He did have gross stools and slept a lot it took 2 months before he played but he is also 4+ with me being the 3rd owner. Take poo pics and post them the members will be able to help if their is an underlying health issue.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2014 20:32:41 GMT -5
How long ago did you adopt Trixie? It's very possible that she's lethargic and not playing because she's missing her former cage mates, especially if she lived with them before she came to the shelter. I believe stress and new foods can also cause greenish poop...I think the volunteers at the shelter would know if they had an ECE outbreak, but it's hard to be sure. Just on Saturday, so it's only been a few days (which is understandably too soon for her to be used to us) but she just seems to be getting worse as time goes on, and not any better. I wasn't sure if maybe I brought home the ECE? I've read that you can, and I do encounter friends' dogs and cats quite often. :/ |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2014 20:33:18 GMT -5
Hi and Welcome to the HFF  Congratulations of Ferrenthood and bringing Trixie and Domino home. Ferrets take their time giving their Friendship, Trust and Love. Racheld was right, she may be missing her friends. Ferrets will bond to each other, and she may have bonded to one or both of the girls. Stress can cause green poops. She sounds like she is doing pretty well with Domino, though. If they are sleeping together, they are well on their way to being friends. Hissing and squealing are just her way of warning Domino to give her some space. Is she by any chance Deaf? You want to build a bond with her also. Sit on the floor with both of them and waggle a blanket. Ferrets love blanket rides and playing the "Under" game. Wiggle a teaser toy, pick her up and show her things, and include Domino, of course. Put some boxes down on the floor or paper bags and let them play around and in them. It's a big scarey new world for her and she needs time and attention to settle in. Before you know it, she will be dooking, war dancing and playing. Ferrets are just so smart and so much fun. They are complicated little ones, more like a small toddler than a pet. They do need alot of time out of the cage to explore. We call it Border Patrol. Exploring will help show you places that need to be Ferret Proofed and is also a good bonding time. Let's see what the Vet says. She is young for Insulinoma, so I really wouldn't worry too much about that. She will eat better as she becomes more secure and comfortable. Females only eat about 2oz a day, and barely that. It can be scarey how little they eat. If you get a chance, get a pet scale and weigh them both weekly or monthly. That can alert you to any possible health issues. Ferrets gain weight in the Winter and lose weight in the Spring. Don't hesitate to ask questions, look around the Forum and share stories. Have Fun and see you around the Forum. (dance) |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2014 20:40:28 GMT -5
It looks like domino is trying to assert dominence on her. She's laying their submittting. Usually introductions take awhile if they are sleeping together is a good sign. I know when it was just pepper and I brought home jr they did the same thing she had no intrest in him and he wanted to play. It took a week for them to sleep together and it took a month for them to actually play. Do you know if she was bonded to another ferret at the shelter? My Casper suffered severe depression when he was given to me. His bonded pair died just a few days before. He lost weight I ended up having to force feed him for a few days before he would eat on his own. He did have gross stools and slept a lot it took 2 months before he played but he is also 4+ with me being the 3rd owner. Take poo pics and post them the members will be able to help if their is an underlying health issue. Lol I had no idea that in the dominance fight one might actually just submit!  Everything I read made it seem like they'd both be fighting for it... that makes me feel better. The shelter said that the trio she was a part of could separate, as long as the one leaving would go to a home with another ferret. Trixie also apparently was not the dominant one in the group. Your story does make me feel better though, I wasn't expecting them to be BFFs immediately but she just seemed to be getting worse so I was worried. I did just clean their litterbox, but I'll definitely post a picture if it is continuing (but hopefully not!!). |
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Post by Blue on Oct 22, 2014 20:52:11 GMT -5
Hi Leni, and welcome  The ferret I adopted is a female, she is about 2.5 years old. Her name at the shelter was Tai, but I'm calling her Trixie. She had been at the shelter since April, and was housed with the 2 other female ferrets that she arrived there with. There was not a lot of information available regarding their previous home, only that their owners had moved without them. I'd be a little concerned that she was strongly bonded with her cagemates. If they came to the shelter together, they might have lived their entire lives together, and she could get pretty depressed. I wonder what her reaction would be if she saw her friends again? In any case, a vet visit is always a good idea when you bring a new pet home. And poor Domino, he obviously wants to play. It looks like getting him a ferret friend was the right thing to do. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2014 20:52:50 GMT -5
Hi and Welcome to the HFF Congratulations of Ferrenthood and bringing Trixie and Domino home. Ferrets take their time giving their Friendship, Trust and Love. Racheld was right, she may be missing her friends. Ferrets will bond to each other, and she may have bonded to one or both of the girls. Stress can cause green poops. She sounds like she is doing pretty well with Domino, though. If they are sleeping together, they are well on their way to being friends. Hissing and squealing are just her way of warning Domino to give her some space. Is she by any chance Deaf? You want to build a bond with her also. Sit on the floor with both of them and waggle a blanket. Ferrets love blanket rides and playing the "Under" game. Wiggle a teaser toy, pick her up and show her things, and include Domino, of course. Put some boxes down on the floor or paper bags and let them play around and in them. It's a big scarey new world for her and she needs time and attention to settle in. Before you know it, she will be dooking, war dancing and playing. Ferrets are just so smart and so much fun. They are complicated little ones, more like a small toddler than a pet. They do need alot of time out of the cage to explore. We call it Border Patrol. Exploring will help show you places that need to be Ferret Proofed and is also a good bonding time. Let's see what the Vet says. She is young for Insulinoma, so I really wouldn't worry too much about that. She will eat better as she becomes more secure and comfortable. Females only eat about 2oz a day, and barely that. It can be scarey how little they eat. If you get a chance, get a pet scale and weigh them both weekly or monthly. That can alert you to any possible health issues. Ferrets gain weight in the Winter and lose weight in the Spring. Don't hesitate to ask questions, look around the Forum and share stories. Have Fun and see you around the Forum. (dance) Thank you!!  I did have a deaf girl named Leather when I was younger... I don't think Trixie is because she'll pop up when I get home and whatnot. My girl Leather wouldn't wake up til I picked her up, and even then, sometimes she would look at me like, "forget it, I'm staying asleep!" lol. I've been trying to just give Trixie her space to wander and get to know my condo, but I'll definitely try to engage her in play more though to see if it helps her any. She's such a sweetie, I wish I could just make her feel all better somehow. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2014 21:11:58 GMT -5
Hi Leni, and welcome The ferret I adopted is a female, she is about 2.5 years old. Her name at the shelter was Tai, but I'm calling her Trixie. She had been at the shelter since April, and was housed with the 2 other female ferrets that she arrived there with. There was not a lot of information available regarding their previous home, only that their owners had moved without them. I'd be a little concerned that she was strongly bonded with her cagemates. If they came to the shelter together, they might have lived their entire lives together, and she could get pretty depressed. I wonder what her reaction would be if she saw her friends again? In any case, a vet visit is always a good idea when you bring a new pet home. And poor Domino, he obviously wants to play. It looks like getting him a ferret friend was the right thing to do. Thank you! I really hope it wasn't a mistake to separate her from them. They were really good about knowing which ferrets were bonded and had to leave together. I did just catch them like this:  So hopefully it's a sign that they're going in the right direction. |
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Post by racheld on Oct 22, 2014 21:14:52 GMT -5
Snuggling up together is DEFINITELY a good sign! What a cute pic!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2014 21:44:50 GMT -5
Hi and welcome! My first thought was she might be dead too. I would try the vacuum test.... That seems to be the best way to tell lol she does seem maybe a little lethargic in her movement but that could certainly be from stress of moving. Try wetting her food for a few days, sometimes this soupy is taken a bit more freely. It is a good sigh that they are sleeping together though! Hopefully she will find companionship with domino and be happy again
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Post by Heather on Oct 23, 2014 0:42:14 GMT -5
I've just watched the video. ....your little girl is depressed. When Domino comes up to her and asks her to play she rejects him (turns her head away but doesn't lift it off the bedding and sighs). What you see him doing is trying to get her to show something to him, annoyance, fun, he's just trying to get her to acknowledge him but she shows nothing. His actions are of a ferret who's really concerned because he knows she's depressed, perhaps dangerously so. He isn't showing dominance, he's upset by her non-communication.
I'm concerned that she was bonded to one or more of the ferrets she's been removed from. I know that sometimes it appears that a ferret isn't bonded and because shelters really want that forever home and they often don't see the subtle links of friendship because they've got so many little ones in their care. I found myself in just this type of scenario a few times as I would often take home ferrets when the shelter I helped out became too full or had severe biters. They tried to match up ferrets and sometimes ferrets don't appear to be well matched but they are.
You need to get some food into this little girl. Food is your primary concern. If you have to make up a liquid soupy and syringe feed. Her messed up stools signify a possible stomach issue in the making probably caused by her stress levels and lack of nutrients. First things first, food and by making soupy liquid thus keeping her hydrated.
The picture shows that she joined your boy after he laid down and this is a good sign. A totally depressed ferret will seek solitude and remove themselves when another ferret joins them while they're sleeping.
Good luck, she's adorable. I hope you can reach her and make her understand that you're her friend and hopefully your wee boy will be able to make her understand that this is a much better place to be than the shelter
ciao
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Post by nancyl on Oct 23, 2014 1:21:29 GMT -5
I agree with Heather. I see "shelter shock". I also agree that the main thing right now is getting food in her belly. I'm a big believer in baby food at times like these. Chicken or turkey, meat only. It can be thinned with water and syringed in her mouth. Though I've had better luck with spending however long dipping a finger in and rubbing on the gums and into the mouth. I can also sub-q fluids if I have to so I have less fear of dehydration. But she needs one-on-one attention and care. Good luck with her.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2014 9:51:33 GMT -5
I've just watched the video. ....your little girl is depressed. When Domino comes up to her and asks her to play she rejects him (turns her head away but doesn't lift it off the bedding and sighs). What you see him doing is trying to get her to show something to him, annoyance, fun, he's just trying to get her to acknowledge him but she shows nothing. His actions are of a ferret who's really concerned because he knows she's depressed, perhaps dangerously so. He isn't showing dominance, he's upset by her non-communication. I'm concerned that she was bonded to one or more of the ferrets she's been removed from. I know that sometimes it appears that a ferret isn't bonded and because shelters really want that forever home and they often don't see the subtle links of friendship because they've got so many little ones in their care. I found myself in just this type of scenario a few times as I would often take home ferrets when the shelter I helped out became too full or had severe biters. They tried to match up ferrets and sometimes ferrets don't appear to be well matched but they are. You need to get some food into this little girl. Food is your primary concern. If you have to make up a liquid soupy and syringe feed. Her messed up stools signify a possible stomach issue in the making probably caused by her stress levels and lack of nutrients. First things first, food and by making soupy liquid thus keeping her hydrated. The picture shows that she joined your boy after he laid down and this is a good sign. A totally depressed ferret will seek solitude and remove themselves when another ferret joins them while they're sleeping. Good luck, she's adorable. I hope you can reach her and make her understand that you're her friend and hopefully your wee boy will be able to make her understand that this is a much better place to be than the shelter ciao Could this also be why she tenses up and trembles when being held? I thought maybe it was due to not being handled ever by her original owner(s), but could it perhaps be another instance of her separation anxiety? The good news is that the bowl was nearly empty this morning after I filled it before bed; I also saw her eating and having water for about 5 minutes this morning after I refilled it. Once she was done eating, she went down to the lower level to join Dom in the igloo... usually she just goes to the hammock so this is a positive development. Thank you all for the advice - even though she appears to have an appetite today I'm going to stop at the store and get some supplies to make her some liquid food anyway. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2014 11:34:21 GMT -5
I think of Heather as a Ferret Whisperer. She watched the video and saw signs of depression. She also stressed the importance of getting food into Trixie. Both very important points. I don't know if it's possible or if you would entertain the thought, but is there any chance that her two little friends could come home with you? Four isn't that much more work or trouble than two, especially if everyone is Happy. (dance) |
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