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Post by rdaniels on Aug 17, 2012 10:51:30 GMT -5
These two are even more intense with the vision than our private-bred ferrets. They'd make eye contact readily, but Cocchi and Pimm seem to have this NEED to make sure that they SEE you and initiate the contact. The shuffling around when we're holding them to make that eye contact is very different from what I saw with Stout and Tuck.
They're getting better with the litterbox. A few stray poops if they feel that the other has dirtied the spot in the box that the other wanted. Progress!
We have a three-hole ferret condo in the pen that they play in for most of the day (when we can't actively watch and remove them from their mischief and when they're not overnighting in their cage). Though they're still working up the courage to climb higher than the lower level, Cocchi loves it dearly and drags her food in and sleeps in there, too. Pimm tried it out, but Cocchi was ready for him. When he stuck his head out of the hole, she pinned him down to clean his ears thoroughly. He hasn't been back since... ;D
Cocchi has figured out where all the doors are, of course. She's quite the speed demon. We're keeping them from the stairs for now, but expect that sometime soon she'll be checking those out, too. Places to go! Things to see! Faster! Higher! Poing!
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Post by rdaniels on Aug 20, 2012 12:35:34 GMT -5
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Post by Heather on Aug 20, 2012 14:03:45 GMT -5
He's gorgeous. However did you manage to entice him to come live with you  ;D You're going to have your hands full. He looks to be trouble in a dark package ;D ciao |
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nancyl
Adolescent Member
Natural Ferret Breeder
Posts: 332
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Post by nancyl on Aug 20, 2012 23:35:42 GMT -5
Raven is very sweet. He's much shyer and not nearly so domineering as his butthead brother. He's not quite as big as Onyx so he's a little more agile and athletic. He'll make a really nice addition to your household.
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Post by Heather on Aug 21, 2012 2:01:34 GMT -5
He sounds so sweet. Got to love the wee hobs.
ciao
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Post by Guest on Aug 21, 2012 10:39:06 GMT -5
I'd kept Raven as a backup for breeding. Since the repeat breeding produced three kits which promise to be even better, I decided to let him go as a pet if the right home came along. I try to keep down to no more than 5-6 adults, so that they can get plenty of free roam and individual attention.
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Post by Heather on Aug 21, 2012 11:04:06 GMT -5
That's what's important. With the split up businesses I have right now....it's not good. I'm working my businesses down again. I've got too many play groups. I don't like to feel rushed or that I'm cutting into someone else's play time.
ciao
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Post by rdaniels on Aug 21, 2012 11:44:21 GMT -5
joan didn't have to mention it twice.. I'd been admiring his pictures for a while. When we were down picking up kits, of COURSE I was obsessed with the babies, but had to carry him around for a while. She mentioned once that he was going to be looking for a home and the seed was planted. Did some soul searching in our grief after losing Tuck, but it felt right. And joan agreed!
Sunday! I keep calling to make sure everything on his reservation is still good.
Will get more pics of the babies so you can see how they're maturing. Cocchi has the best facial expressions ever. She has a very serious disapproving face where her ears disappear into her head and her eyes are frowny. She's still The Tongue and sleeps with it sticking out. Pimm. Oh Pimm swears he'll never sleep again every time he wakes up. He gets SO excited that he wheezes., even when I pick him up.
How DO you introduce ferrets to stairs? Stout came that way and taught Tuck (okay, Tuck was Safety Ferret and never voluntarily went down the stairs on his own. Stout thought it was awesome to hide all the toys on the front landing).
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Post by Heather on Aug 21, 2012 19:59:57 GMT -5
That's a good question....I've got a good number of stairs (14 to be exact) but have always had an older ferret teach the younger ones....except for Napoleon. He fell  I thought he was dead but in typical kit fashion he bounced. He never did negotiate the stairs again. I eventually put a tunnel that ran the full length of stairs. He would use the tunnel. When Minion came along he just used the tunnel. Eventually, he started going up the stairs and going down the tunnel. Now, he goes up and down the stairs (he can't fit is fat *ss in the tunnel). My UK crew were all a year old, they just worked the stairs. ciao |
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Post by Sherry on Aug 21, 2012 21:43:23 GMT -5
Have you tried teasing them up and down with a toy? That was how we got the extra "squish" off Vincent when he was young ;D
He had a cat teaser toy he adored, and I ran it up and down the stairs.
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Post by Yurei Avalon on Aug 22, 2012 8:08:03 GMT -5
I dunno, we have 3 flights of carpeted stairs, and all of our little rascals love running up and down them when they get the rare occasion to do so. I never had to show them how to use them, they just ran up to them, sniffed them, gave it a try and kept on going. I leave them to their own devices, I just keep an eye out to make sure no one falls. (The side of our staircases is completely open. In the living room they at least have a couch to land on.)
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Post by Guest on Aug 22, 2012 9:33:50 GMT -5
Are you sure you want them to learn to use stairs?? Once they figure out that they can go up, that usually leads to going up other places...as in places you don't want them to go. If they haven't figured it out by the time Raven arrives. I'm sure he'll be happy to teach them after he figures it out. I don't have stairs, so that will be a learning experience for him, too.
He learned to use the top level of the cat tree to get on the kitchen counter at about 5 months old if I forgot to move it far enough away that he wouldn't jump over...his sister taught him that one just before she left to live with Nancy. I always know I left the cat tree too close to the counter when I hear things being moved or hitting the floor. He knows I don't want him on the counter, so he'll never do it if I'm in the same room.
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Post by rdaniels on Aug 22, 2012 10:54:37 GMT -5
I'd rather they knew what stairs were rather than accidentally dooking themselves off the edge, I think. I'm sure that they will start climbing soon enough anyway. Heh. Heh. Heh.
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Post by Heather on Aug 22, 2012 11:09:28 GMT -5
That's how Napoleon learned about stairs...dooked himself right off the top. I had always had adult ferrets and the landing had (note I said had) beautiful knurled pine around the landing. The adults were big enough not to fit through (they could if they squeezed but none had ever even looked down). Napoleon was my first kit. He was playing with Ghenghis and dooked himself, in reverse, never touching a bar right off the landing. The drop was one full floor to the basement. I was coming out of the bedroom...I was almost sick. He was too far away to stop him. I had to run down the hallway, down the stairs to get to him. I was sure he was dead. He was laying flat, looking like a ferret speed bump. I don't think I've ever been so scared. I touched him and the only thing that moved was his eyes. I was afraid to pick him up sure that every little bone in his body was broken. How could something that small fall so far and not get hurt. I had my vet on speed dial, called her...the office assured me she would call back....yeah right  (different vet than now) Napoleon eventually went off to play with his friends. I watched him for any sign of injury, swellings...nothing. He walked away from it but psychologically scarred for life. He never did go down stairs again at least not without the tubes. Cat towers are the bane of my existence. I don't know how often I've changed their locations only to find that they allow better access to other spaces. Right now, it allows them access to the fish tanks I found wee lady Morgain playing chase those barbs yesterday....I don't know where I'm going to put this one now. ..... oh Christmas is going to be fun  ciao |
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Post by rdaniels on Aug 26, 2012 7:09:57 GMT -5
Oh Heather, that must have been so traumatic for both of you! Tuck did the same thing earlier this year. We're not sure if he got the zoomies from sleep or forgot where he was, but he busted out through the banister and fell that flight. I wanted to die. He looked so shocked... but then he wandered away and was okay. I don't want to repeat that. Ever.
Raven arrives this evening, if everything goes according to plan!
Babies are hissing at each other in the pen behind me... *sigh*
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