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Post by RedSky on Nov 15, 2014 16:43:07 GMT -5
So I did it, I emailed the rescue that I would really like to get my ferrets from. I choose them right from the start, originally because I didn't really know how else to get one other than the RSPCA but then they seem to have great reviews and really care about the animals they have. Plus they always seem to have lots and lots and lots, so hopefully they can find us a perfect match.
Anyway no more ramble (which is hard at the best of times for me but now I'm extra excited!)
What things are vital to have before bringing ferrets home? (eg food, cage, water bowls)
What things are important but not vital?
What things are a good idea but not necessary?
Anything that you would else you would recommend to have before and in the first couple of months of bringing home ferrets?
I'm hoping to be able to make a checklist and while I have a rough idea (from having been hanging around for over a year) I would like to make sure I have everything and don't have things that are pointless.
Cage wise, as long as the rescue okays it I'm planning on buying a Critter Nation for the time being, then building (in the nicer weather) a shed/run outside that links into the house. I can't find a Ferret Nation and like the idea of smaller bar spacing just incase I end up with some tiny jills.
As always thanks for your help in learning how to be a good ferrent for my hopefully soon to be furbabies!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2014 16:59:08 GMT -5
Emergency kit: Vaseline, canned plain pumpkin, nail clippers, the stuff to stop the toes from bleeding if you accidentally cut their quick. Bedding which can be anything from blankets to old shirts hammocks. Theirs more but I'm about to burn dinner ha!
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Post by RedSky on Nov 15, 2014 17:05:27 GMT -5
Emergency kit! Of course, it is something that I was well aware of but didn't think to have an actual kit somewhere. I had pumpkin and vaseline down and think I can actually get american tinned pumpkin from a supermarket not too far away, just need to check it's 100%.
Never thought about them having their own nail clippers, do you just use the normal ones for people? I keep meaning to get one of those pens and the powder stuff to stop bleeding but always forget. I shall order that ASAP, should have it anyway with me and my pets.
I need to look into and make some covers for the shelves and ladders once I get the okay on the cage. No point getting it if the rescue thinks it's too small or something.
Thank you for your reply. Hope tea wasn't burnt!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2014 17:30:05 GMT -5
RedSky I use the human ones and I've not had a problem. I like them bc they are small, less cumbersome and I feel as if I have more control. I'm always super careful but I feel more confident with human clippers. I know that some prefer the ones for pets. I think it's preference really what makes you feel comfortable. Lol it was saved just in time nearly all the water evaporated from the pot! . I'm making cream of potato soup. It's cold here which means it's soup time.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2014 17:36:36 GMT -5
You've been very patient and waited quite awhile. I'm so excited for you. I looked at the Critter Nation, and it looks like quite a nice home for your little one (s). jerseygirl is right, you should have your emergency kit set up. You can buy small animal nail clippers. Emergencies happen at odd hours, so find a good vet that is ferret savvy and ask about emergency hours. You may want to find an After Hours emergency clinic and put the phone number in your kit. Other items for your emergency kit could be a syringe (for the pumpkin and vaseline), and some Bach's Rescue Remedy for stress. Ferrets like to be "under" things. So in your cage, I would have a sleep sack, a sleep cube and a hammock for just hanging out. They will need the obvious food bowl and water bowl. You want a nice big litter box, not the triangle kind. The best toy for a ferret is another ferret. It's alot of fun to pick up toys, but honestly they don't really play with them. Your ferret (s) will want to play with you. A new ferret can get overexcited and play rough, so a teaser toy is fun to wiggle in front of them. Blanket rides are a must! There is really no better game for mine than a blanket ride. Boxes make great toys, so do a pair of pajama bottoms. In the beginning, when your little one (s) come home, they will be all about exploring. So now is the time to ferret proof. Get on the floor and look up and under everything. Check behind the fridge and push it closer to the wall. Look at your dishwasher, can he get into it from below? Check for small holes and vents. Then open cabinets and drawers and stick everything that is rubber or foam away. Look at your closet, can he climb up to the top. Look at your windows, do you leave them open? Screens are easy to get thru. Then when he comes home, follow him around and he will show you everywhere that you missed. lol I hope you hear back from the Rescue soon. It will be so much fun hearing all about your Ferrenthood. (dance) |
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Post by RedSky on Nov 15, 2014 17:39:08 GMT -5
I have used human ones on small pets in the past and sometimes use them to clip little bits from our dogs nails, so I'm happy to use them. Plus they are pretty cheap to pick up, compared to the pet nail clippers that I've seen.
I'm glad your soup was okay. I do love homemade soup, but I'm too lazy to make it. I don't have as much interest in cooking for us as I do making things for my dog and other pets.
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Post by RedSky on Nov 15, 2014 17:56:17 GMT -5
You've been very patient and waited quite awhile. I'm so excited for you.
We were planning on waiting until after we came back from traveling, so in say 5 to 10 years. But after holding that little female I couldn't wait any longer and we are happy to push back our traveling until we are able to go.
I looked at the Critter Nation, and it looks like quite a nice home for your little one (s).
I'm glad you think so, hopefully it will just be until Spring/Summer anyway. I'm hoping to keep it as a back up or even put it out in the shed or maybe link tunnels up to it somewhere in the house. So many options.
JerseyGirl is right, you should have your emergency kit set up. You can buy small animal nail clippers. Emergencies happen at odd hours, so find a good vet that is ferret savvy and ask about emergency hours. You may want to find an After Hours emergency clinic and put the phone number in your kit.
Other items for your emergency kit could be a syringe (for the pumpkin and vaseline), and some Bach's Rescue Remedy for stress.
We know with our dog that if he is going to be really poorly it will be on a Saturday afternoon or late at night. Never midday when we are home and happy to take him to the vets. Our vets are fantastic and I believe they treat ferrets for the local RSPCA. They cover most of their own out of hours, but I will look to see if there is anywhere closer for weekends (they don't cover their own out of hours on a weekend, it's an extra 15-25 mins away depending on traffic). I prefer to have them programmed into my phone but having it written somewhere just incase is a good idea. Thanks.
Syringes and RR we already have but I could get some syringes just for the ferrets. The RR they can share with myself and our dog.
Ferrets like to be "under" things. So in your cage, I would have a sleep sack, a sleep cube and a hammock for just hanging out. They will need the obvious food bowl and water bowl. You want a nice big litter box, not the triangle kind.
Brilliant, thank you. I will make sure I have a few of each of these on my list, so I can swap out for washes and interest. I've heard that the triangle kind are too small, thanks for the reminder.
The best toy for a ferret is another ferret. It's alot of fun to pick up toys, but honestly they don't really play with them. Your ferret (s) will want to play with you. A new ferret can get overexcited and play rough, so a teaser toy is fun to wiggle in front of them. Blanket rides are a must! There is really no better game for mine than a blanket ride.
I plan on getting 2 or 3 depending on who the rescue thinks is best for our family. I don't have the time to dedicate to a single ferret and believe that ferrets whenever possible should be kept with a friend or two. They will be played with at least once a day, and have hours out of the cage, but I think single ferrets need someone to just hang around and sleep with as much as possible. Working won't fit into what I think a single ferret needs.
Boxes make great toys, so do a pair of pajama bottoms.
Never thought of this but it makes great sense. I have some old PJ bottoms that I was going to throw out so I will keep them. Also planning on keeping any old soft clothes for bedding. I'm assuming you mean boxes as in cardboard and not underware. Although I am happy to give them either haha
In the beginning, when your little one (s) come home, they will be all about exploring. So now is the time to ferret proof. Get on the floor and look up and under everything. Check behind the fridge and push it closer to the wall. Look at your dishwasher, can he get into it from below? Check for small holes and vents. Then open cabinets and drawers and stick everything that is rubber or foam away. Look at your closet, can he climb up to the top. Look at your windows, do you leave them open? Screens are easy to get thru. Then when he comes home, follow him around and he will show you everywhere that you missed. lol
This is the part I am worried about. I might at first take them around one at a time, or on a lead so I can grab if they get into any danger. I will do my best, and crawl around the house looking. But I am aware it is an ongoing process and that accidents do happen. Hopefully being such a stresshead about these things will actually be helpful for once!
I hope you hear back from the Rescue soon. It will be so much fun hearing all about your Ferrenthood.
(dance)
I can't begin to tell you how excited I am that we have decided we are ready (or soon going to be) to bring home a couple (or 3) ferrets. I feel like it's Christmas (and it will probably be by the time we get them!) YAY!!!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2014 18:49:34 GMT -5
Before you can tackle those nails you should get some salmon oil pref Grizzly only ingred Salmon oil. Put some on your finger and get them used to the taste might take a few days of gentle persuasion. Then smear it all over their bellies and when they start licking you start clipping. It is scary at first but you will get used to it as it gets easier. Just make sure you can see a little white then you know you won't make em too short.
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Post by RedSky on Nov 15, 2014 18:54:46 GMT -5
Thanks for the tip about salmon oil. After clipping nails of smaller animals I'm not too worried about cutting them, be it depends on how wiggly my new ferrets will be.
I shall look into getting some pure salmon oil. Not sure if I can get Grizzly over here.
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Post by Heather on Nov 15, 2014 19:52:55 GMT -5
Styptic powder is nice to have but you can use corn starch which works very well too. So will flour in a pinch. Corn starch works better. I use a small set of clippers (the humans share). Salmon oil to distract.
Suitable cage, that's a no brainer but if you've got one chosen out what are you using on the trays and the ladders. Ladder covers are often necessary. You can to as cheap (tube sock) or as expensive (matching covers with shelf covers, cubes, hammies and accessories)
What are you going to use for water containers. I use a lock on type (prevents dumping)
Are you raw feeding? Are you going to use a stash box?
Have you got litter boxes and attachment methods. Always wire you boxes in and you don't want to use corner boxes.
Those are a few absolute necessities....you of course need first aid kit. Which sounds like you've started on. Syringes are an absolute necessity as is a couple of jars of all meat baby food. Never be without it. As is the phone number of your vet (should have this on speed dial) and the emergency clinic. Make sure that your vet knows that you're getting a ferret and that your regular vet will treat ferrets and knows what they're doing. Don't automatically expect your regular vet to treat your ferret. It often doesn't happen and you don't want to find out during a blockage situation that they don't treat ferrets
Good luck. I'm sure there will others that have input as well
ciao
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Post by RedSky on Nov 16, 2014 7:04:37 GMT -5
I'm not sure what cornstarch is, is it the same/similar to corn flour? I think I would rather have styptic powder rather than end up with something that doesn't work. I like the idea of the pen as well.
Luckily because I've been reading all I can on the forum and other sites I feel fairly confident with getting them to accept salmon oil and raw food (eventually but will be signing up for a mentor as soon as I know who I'm bringing home). I also know that salmon oil should be given in very small amounts to avoid upsetting their stomachs and can be very helpful to take to vets or for nail clipping or anything that I need them to stay still for.
Once I get the okay from the rescue I will order the Critter Nation cage and start looking at making my own ramp and shelf covers, hammocks and other things for them. I also intend to buy them lots of places to play and sleep. I am hoping that I can ferret proof the spare bedroom (where they will be staying) and they can have lots of time out in that room. There will be very few things in there, infact there isn't even a bed! haha. So that should be easy. They will also have time around the house, but working one area at a time in hopes of them being relatively trustworthy to use litter boxes around the house. I know they won't be perfect but a good hit rate would be nice.
I have actually seen something similar to the lock on crock that I know many people like. I plan on getting a few once I have the cage and know they will attach fine. I also like the idea of having a large ceramic bowl but that will depend on how messy they are with water and how cold it is.
Raw feeding is a definate. My dog is raw fed and I personally do not believe that ferrets should be fed anything other than meat and it is best in it's raw form. They will come as kibble (dry food) fed but I believe the rescue supplements with meat, fish and eggs occasionally so hopefully they will be quite accepting. But I am ready for hissy fits and paddies. I will stick with it.
I have litter boxes on my list. Do you think one in the cage would be enough, or best to have 2? I don't want to take up too much room with them though. Are they okay just on one level or would you have one on both full levels and have bedding on the shelves? I hadn't thought about attaching them, so thank you for that. I am sure we can get some clips and wire to attach them, and if I attach one and slot another in the top hopefully it will still make it easy to remove for frequent cleaning.
I will get some more syringes, with so many pets of different sizes I like to have a range in our medical cupboard and is has been getting a bit low.
With regard to the meat only baby food, I have never seen this. Would it be okay to always make sure I have raw soup in the freezer or similar. If I can get some all meat baby food I will, I shall have a search on amazon. I know the supermarket doesn't sell it as I always have baby food in for my poorly hamsters so I am very familiar with what they stock.
I will talk to my vet about our ferret plans, we are going next weekend for our dogs acupuncture. They advocate raw feeding to dogs and cats, so I assume that ferrets would be the same but I've never discussed it with them. The ferrets will also be taken for a full health check once they have had a bit of time to settle.
Thank you for all your suggestions.
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Post by RedSky on Nov 16, 2014 7:46:08 GMT -5
The rescue emailed me back. She was a little concerned about the stability of a Critter Nation since a reviewer said they come apart quite easy, but I have reassured her that my OH is quite handy and from other posters we have discovered they can be altered slightly to make them more secure. I also plan on having the cage fully set up before we bring the ferrets home and making sure that it is safe. I'm going to give it a bloody good shake, don't want them getting hurt trying to escape or something. We are going to strip the walls of the old paper today and hopefully if my back isn't too bad this week I can make a start on painting. If not we will have to do it during evenings or next weekend. And obviously by we I mean I will stand and direct while he does it. I will be helpful and make cups of tea for him though...  I'm going to get the cage ordered this week or next at the latest, and get some nice materials and pull out the sewing machine to make ramp and shelf covers and some hammocks and what ever else I can come up with. I also need to make Cookie (our dog) a new coat before we go on our mini holiday (3 nights at the Lakes). We can hopefully pick up the ferrets after we have returned from that. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2014 12:15:11 GMT -5
"I plan on getting 2 or 3 depending on who the rescue thinks is best for our family. " I love how ferret math works before you even have any.  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2014 13:05:41 GMT -5
Do you have an emergency fund? When one falls ill, they all fall ill, you need to be prepared for that, trust me from way too much experience on this.  Bedding! Do you have bedding? You can get some at Wal-Mart, 1 yard folds and fits in the bottom of a FN (or CN) and is nice and thick. I used to make my own, but I have a bedding chewer. Harnesses! If you want to take them places, some Marshall "H" harnesses I hear work well, I'm getting some soon. Ear cleaner Flea comb (they loveee this, hehe) Play tunnel (Marshall's 20ft long, mine love this one, but you can get black piping) Tiny stuffed animals (no plastic eyes or buttons, cut tags off. Incase you have hoarders) Rice dig box (lots of ferts love to dig, and it helps soak up oils, no smells!) Cage cleaner, (LA's Totally Awesome, Mr. Clean, OdoBan, are some good ones) Stair case to Critter Nation (you can find these everywhere, ramps aren't very stable) If I think of more I'll post it Congrats! |
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