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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2014 21:51:55 GMT -5
I could not find a thread about traveling without ferrets. Please let me know if it's already been discussed.
I'm traveling soon after Christmas, and taking my ferrets with me, unfortunately, is not an option. It will only be two weeks, but I am worried about them. My husband will take care of them during this time, but he won't be able to commit to their meal plan. So I'm going to allow them to eat FDR. Because most of them are not fully switched to raw, it's just a big confusing mess to him.
Here's my question to you, raw feeders. What do you do with your ferrets when you go on vacation alone? Do you hire a raw-knowledgeable sitter? Do you take them to the vet/boarding service? How do you deal with their food situation? It's too last minute for this coming trip, but I'd like to know for future reference.
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Post by Heather on Dec 19, 2014 22:08:06 GMT -5
Raw feeding is the only option in this house. My wee ones' meals are placed in sealed freezer packages, with names, dates and amounts on the lids. It's very easy. All that has to be done is the meats are thawed in the fridge and then placed into their dinner bowls. I also have a day to day schedule set out with instructions, medication listings of times and amounts along with the vet's office number, her home number and a number that I can be reached at any time while I'm gone. I inform my vet that I will be out of town and make arrangements for payment when I get home.
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2014 22:34:10 GMT -5
Raw feeding is the only option in this house. My wee ones' meals are placed in sealed freezer packages, with names, dates and amounts on the lids. It's very easy. All that has to be done is the meats are thawed in the fridge and then placed into their dinner bowls. I also have a day to day schedule set out with instructions, medication listings of times and amounts along with the vet's office number, her home number and a number that I can be reached at any time while I'm gone. I inform my vet that I will be out of town and make arrangements for payment when I get home. ciao Wow, that's very organized! Once all of my ferrets are switched, that's probably doable though. Portioning and labeling everything would make things so much easier for the sitter. Writing an instruction note would help too. Those are all great ideas! I just have to find someone who can and will follow instructions everyday... My ferrets have to eat twice a day! |
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Post by Desiree on Dec 20, 2014 0:14:01 GMT -5
I'm leaving my ferrets with my fiance for a week or so in January and I'm worried too. I'm hoping they will be on some sort of menu and eating on their own. He will have no time to sit and feed them like I do so if they aren't eating on their own it might be raw soup for the week which I would hate to do. It might undo everything. He also has to give ms. rebel her meds daily too.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2014 14:43:50 GMT -5
Have a fun trip. The hardest part is the first day and trying to tell them that you will be back.
I've only traveled once without my five. I took them up to Pam VanOverloop's ferret camp. She is a breeder in Ohio. A lovely lady and I felt they would be very safe with her.
She feeds grinds, so I prepackaged each meal. I left her a journal, took their blankets and my pillowcase with them. I brought their own food plates and water bowls, so everything smell familiar.
We had limited Wi Fi at our vacation house, but I was able to check in and make sure they were doing okay.
When I picked them up, Roamy was mad at me, Wynstan was skittish, Juliet and Mika were very excited to see me and everyone went crazy when we got home.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2014 16:08:46 GMT -5
I'm leaving my ferrets with my fiance for a week or so in January and I'm worried too. I'm hoping they will be on some sort of menu and eating on their own. He will have no time to sit and feed them like I do so if they aren't eating on their own it might be raw soup for the week which I would hate to do. It might undo everything. He also has to give ms. rebel her meds daily too. I'm afraid that this might ruin the progress they've made so far too! It would be easier to ask someone else to take care of them for me, if they were fully on Frankenprey and eating on their own. My husband doesn't have the time and patience to hand-feed soupie everyday either. He works 12 hour shifts and with commute, it will be difficult to feed them twice a day. Hopefully next time I go out of town, they all are eating the same thing, so I can pack their meals, and drop them off at a sitter's house and be done with it! |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2014 16:20:20 GMT -5
Have a fun trip. The hardest part is the first day and trying to tell them that you will be back. I've only traveled once without my five. I took them up to Pam VanOverloop's ferret camp. She is a breeder in Ohio. A lovely lady and I felt they would be very safe with her. She feeds grinds, so I prepackaged each meal. I left her a journal, took their blankets and my pillowcase with them. I brought their own food plates and water bowls, so everything smell familiar. We had limited Wi Fi at our vacation house, but I was able to check in and make sure they were doing okay. When I picked them up, Roamy was mad at me, Wynstan was skittish, Juliet and Mika were very excited to see me and everyone went crazy when we got home. Oh, you use Pam's boarding service? Both of my boys, Mitch and Mango are from her ferretry! Mitch is Tiramisu's only survivng son, and Mango is Shandy's son. Pam is such an awesome person! She hand-fed and kept Mitch and Mango alive when their momma jills no longer could. I know my babies would be safe with her. The only thing is that I usually fly out of Chicago when I travel, so I would need to drop them off at a sitter in that area... Prepackaging meals seems like the way to go. Once all of them are switched, any experienced ferret sitter probably could do it. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2014 16:25:45 GMT -5
Have a fun trip. The hardest part is the first day and trying to tell them that you will be back. I've only traveled once without my five. I took them up to Pam VanOverloop's ferret camp. She is a breeder in Ohio. A lovely lady and I felt they would be very safe with her. She feeds grinds, so I prepackaged each meal. I left her a journal, took their blankets and my pillowcase with them. I brought their own food plates and water bowls, so everything smell familiar. We had limited Wi Fi at our vacation house, but I was able to check in and make sure they were doing okay. When I picked them up, Roamy was mad at me, Wynstan was skittish, Juliet and Mika were very excited to see me and everyone went crazy when we got home. Oh, you use Pam's boarding service? Both of my boys, Mitch and Mango are from her ferretry! Mitch is Tiramisu's only survivng son, and Mango is Shandy's son. Pam is such an awesome person! She hand-fed and kept Mitch and Mango alive when their momma jills no longer could. I know my babies would be safe with her. The only thing is that I usually fly out of Chicago when I travel, so I would need to drop them off at a sitter in that area... Prepackaging meals seems like the way to go. Once all of them are switched, any experienced ferret sitter probably could do it. You have Pam's kits. I probably met them. I followed the sad story of Tiramasu and met Shandy, when I brought my little ones to her home. What she did to help those kits was nothing short of a miracle. Shandy was such a good foster mom and tried so hard. I would love to have had one of her kits. She had the little ones in a playpen when we got there and they were beautiful and fiesty and playful. The British gang hadn't arrived yet. I'm hoping to get to a Buckeye bash one day. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2014 18:32:57 GMT -5
@poncesmom, so you met Mitch and Mango! That is so cool. What a small world. I should not be surprised, since she's a well-known breeder in the area.  I got Mitch when he was 8 weeks old, and Mango 12 weeks old. Although Leela still doesn't like them, they are wonderful kits. Mitch couldn't make it to Buckeye Bash this year due to hip surgery, but Mango was there and won lots of ribbons! That show is the biggest one in the country (I think) and I loved meeting new people from all over the world. Hope you get to go too someday! |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2014 18:42:56 GMT -5
@poncesmom, so you met Mitch and Mango! That is so cool. What a small world. I should not be surprised, since she's a well-known breeder in the area. I got Mitch when he was 8 weeks old, and Mango 12 weeks old. Although Leela still doesn't like them, they are wonderful kits. Mitch couldn't make it to Buckeye Bash this year due to hip surgery, but Mango was there and won lots of ribbons! That show is the biggest one in the country (I think) and I loved meeting new people from all over the world. Hope you get to go too someday! I hope so too. I remember these two little (well, big actually), they were beautiful and strong and full of energy. Bouncing around and begging to play. Mine were fascinated by them. There were other kits in the playpen, but I bet those two babies were yours. |
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Post by Heather on Dec 20, 2014 18:56:37 GMT -5
I'm looking at going to the Bash this year. I didn't go last year but it's my plan to show up. Pam's a wonderful person and I spent a good portion of the Bash talking with her and Heather and a couple of other breeders. We were comparing the notes on different methods of care and breeding between the US and the UK.
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2014 13:41:19 GMT -5
@poncesmom, so you met Mitch and Mango! That is so cool. What a small world. I should not be surprised, since she's a well-known breeder in the area. I got Mitch when he was 8 weeks old, and Mango 12 weeks old. Although Leela still doesn't like them, they are wonderful kits. Mitch couldn't make it to Buckeye Bash this year due to hip surgery, but Mango was there and won lots of ribbons! That show is the biggest one in the country (I think) and I loved meeting new people from all over the world. Hope you get to go too someday! I hope so too. I remember these two little (well, big actually), they were beautiful and strong and full of energy. Bouncing around and begging to play. Mine were fascinated by them. There were other kits in the playpen, but I bet those two babies were yours. Mitch was only 8 oz. when I got him. He was so tiny that my Marshall girls looked like giants. He was full of energy and there was no way I could have worn him out. It's hard to imagine now that he is almost one year old and he has turned into a lazy hob. This is Mitch at 8 weeks old, and MightyMagnum, his father. This was the day he came home with us. 
Mitch and Mango with their litter mates
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2014 13:57:00 GMT -5
I'm looking at going to the Bash this year. I didn't go last year but it's my plan to show up. Pam's a wonderful person and I spent a good portion of the Bash talking with her and Heather and a couple of other breeders. We were comparing the notes on different methods of care and breeding between the US and the UK. ciao Cool! I see you are in Canada. Will you be bringing your ferrets? I guess Heather McNally brought kits over from UK, so it's probably doable. Do you breed them? The Bash this year was our first ferret show where we actually showed ferrets. I had been to multiple shows as a spectator (shopping, mostly) before, but showing makes it more fun! I get to carry around my ferrets in my arms, dressing them up and humiliating them, chatting with people, exchanging compliments on each other's ferrets... Because everybody else around me is just like me, I get to be a "normal person" for once, not a crazy ferret lady. lol |
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Post by katt on Dec 21, 2014 20:57:58 GMT -5
I have all meals pre-prepared in baggies in the freezer. If the sitter is less experienced, I label the baggies with days/dates. I always leave detailed written instructions, a list of regular and emergency vets, I leave a note at my vet with the name and contact info of the person who is sitting and my contact info where I will be staying and my credit card # with permission to charge should I be unable to be reached. I make sure that everything is as easy as possible for them and that EVERYTHING is written down. For my more experienced sitters, I'm a bit less organized. lol Right now the boys are being watched by their "Godfather," my best friend. He is super familiar with them and has watched them before so I didn't really need to write all the intructions, I just pointed out where the meat is in the freezer and said thanks, have fun! (giggle) I lucked out this break though - it's not usually that easy!  I also check in multiple times a day bc I'm an anxious mamma! ROFL |
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Post by Celene on Dec 21, 2014 21:13:48 GMT -5
Last time I traveled without my ferrets (for my wedding/honeymoon) I left my girls with a friend who has two of her own and get along great with my babies and they all shared a double FN cage, but that was back when  and  were still on kibble. I hadn't really considered it (I don't go away often) but if I bring them over with their raw, is there a chance they'll just go back to eating kibble if it's available, or not because ferrets are really picky? I would probably just leave really detailed instructions for her, but I am also worried that they might eat the raw and not leave my girls with enough for themselves. Both her ferrets are quite fat and not picky (as a result of being kept in their cage all the time and being fed whatever grocery store food was on sale before my friend adopted them) and eat quite a lot. Thanks for starting this thread @akane as this is getting me thinking about planning for the summer (I will be going away twice for a couple days each for weddings). |
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