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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2012 14:07:43 GMT -5
I have looked through the feeding den thread at the top in this section, I have gotten advice before to use metal shower curtain rings to hook on big pieces of food but what exactly is the purpose of a feeding den?
Is it to keep the food off of the floor and the bedding? also does is need to be covered or is that not necessary?
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Post by Heather on Apr 24, 2012 14:29:54 GMT -5
Ahh, the feeding den. It hopefully helps the ferret feel more secure to be able to feed peacefully without feeling stressed and therefore needing to "stash" their prize food. The hooks are to hopefully add a second "security" more for the ferrant than the ferret....so that they "can't" stash their meats elsewhere even if they wanted to. It works very well in theory...for some ferrets not so much. I have several stash boxes...do they use them...sometimes, they prefer to stash in "certain" areas that they deem comfortable. The feeding den also prevents the ferret from stashing, or feeling the need to stash in the litter box or in their blankets if the ferrets are kept in a cage. I was a total failure with the meat hooks...my guys hated them and said so by going into a business food strike....if it was hooked up they wouldn't eat it. Some people have managed to use this successfully. It's a trial and error thing. All my boxes are covered, because it appears that my wee ones anyway, prefer it that way.
ciao
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Post by miamiferret2 on Apr 24, 2012 14:30:18 GMT -5
when ferrets eat raw meat, they tend to be more protective over their food. you will see that your ferret will usually not want to eat out in the open. they will take a piece of meat and then go and hide with it in their "den" and eat it. all ferrets have this natural instinct. but it becomes much stronger when they are fed a raw diet. they feel safer eating in an enclosed area like a cardboard box etc.
the hooks that you see on some of the plastic bins are placed there to prevent the ferrets from stashing the meat in other areas of the house i guess. I do not use those.
i always know when my ferret is eating because i see half his body inside of a cardboard box or some other covered object and he is laying down on his stomach and not really moving. every once in a while you will hear a "shake" which means they are shaking their heads really fast and ripping their food up.
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Post by Heather on Apr 24, 2012 14:38:23 GMT -5
You forgot the strange crunching sounds as those jaws decimate bones too.
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2012 14:48:23 GMT -5
Ha. Thats makes so much sense. I don't think I'm going to be needing a feeding den as of YET since I want to start them off on soupies offering the occasional meat chunk here/there but if they take to the meat quickly then I don't mind at all. I'm going grocery shopping to the asian market for all my foods tonight and just going to freeze them into portions anyways... I figure if they don't want to eat it whole, I can just add water and blend it and hammer the bones in there as well. Hmm... I devised an awesome raw cheat sheet from all the info found in various threads in the raw section! I'm finding it very helpful as I do not have to skim all the threads to remember where I read something  I am also devising a menu for 6 separate weeks God I love this site, best resource EVER. |
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Post by Heather on Apr 24, 2012 14:53:16 GMT -5
Now that's putting all your ducks in a row ;D ;D ;D or maybe it's ferrets. The hardest part about raw feeding is being organised. If you can do that, the rest is easy. I can remember when I first started making my own grinds....there wasn't the resources we have now and my lists were accumulations from 3 or 4 raw feeding lists. I have to admit having a "recipe" and a shopping list of possibles makes it so much easier.
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2012 20:05:24 GMT -5
My kids don't have a real feeding den. I have a plastic bin that I cut one side down so they can just walk right in. Dixie prefers to eat separate or she gets anxious, so she will take her food up there. My others just sit at/near the bowl when they eat.
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Post by Heather on Apr 24, 2012 21:05:30 GMT -5
My guys absolute preference....under the ferret nation cages  ciao |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2012 23:46:38 GMT -5
Ahh,,, today I too discovered I am in grave need of a feeding den LOL Pandora is a crazy stasher! and the other fuzzball, well, she doesn't take it too far, just by the bowl so tomorrow morning, I'm cleaning cages and making a den!!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2012 1:07:20 GMT -5
Heather, mine prefer eating under the tv stand  |
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