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Post by sakuraferret on Mar 31, 2011 3:03:04 GMT -5
Hey everyone!
I have some bad news...
Me and my fiance had a serious talk about the ferret plan last night after I crunched some numbers for the cost of food and saving for the vet and what-not. It broke my heart, but I decided maybe now is not the right time to get a ferret. I think we could do it, but I think we would be cutting it close for everything and I would much rather raise a furbaby without worrying about money everytime. After all, when we go out of course we want to buy the furbaby a new toy or do something fun. I don't think it would be fair on my fiance nor the furbaby to create that situation. In the future, I still want to adopt a furbaby...but when money is much better so we can make sure the furbaby has everything it needs and more.
We have settled on an alternative pet, one I have had before that is more suited for our current financial situation. I wish I had a place to chat about the alternative baby we decided on, especially for working out a natural (raw) diet. But I know this forum is dedicated to ferrets, and my pet choice is very strange, so I don't want to bother anyone.
But I just want to say everyone here has been so wonderful and kind and helpful, I wish I knew people like you in real life! You have been amazing to me, and I really can't say thank you enough! I will miss making posts and chatting with you guys. But I hope this is not goodbye!
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Post by katt on Mar 31, 2011 3:12:07 GMT -5
You know what is right for you guys right now. I'm sorry you will not be getting a ferret right now, but you'll certainly get one some day! I am dying of curiosity now as to what pet you settled on? And you should feel free to chat about that pet in the "Other Furkids" part of the forum. Whether they are furry or not. www.holisticferret60.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=dogsLots of people here have reptiles, amphibians, marsupials, and other random animals so I am dying to know what pet could be so "Strange." haha But the Other Furkids section is not limited to pets with fur. Scales, skin, bristles, spines...all are welcome.
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Post by sakuraferret on Mar 31, 2011 6:30:41 GMT -5
Please don't laugh...a chicken. My last pet was a tiny serama hen, she wore a bird diaper from www.avianfashions.com and lived in my bedroom with me. She didn't demand my attention or anything, but she would always sit in my lap by her decision and spend time with me. In fact, she refused to roost anywhere but on me at night! She was very calm and gentle, and when I took her out with me people would get so exited over her and ask to hold and pet her and they would reminisce about the chickens they had around when they we're kids. She would do cute things randomly like take a "dirt bath" on the bed, or sleep on her side and kick her legs in her sleep. She LOVED sunlight, she would lay on her side and take a long sunbath. And she would turn into her alter ego -crazy hen- when there was people food around. She knew the sound of a plate and fork. Normally she was very quiet and calm most of the time, like no-drama. She was one in a million, she was my baby and I loved her so much. I wanted a chicken originally, but it's a little difficult finding a chicken in Japan (unlike the USA) so I opted to try the ferret sense I always wanted one. But under the circumstances, we're going gung-ho now to find a hen, im sure we'll succeed if we keep trying! Chickens are pretty healthy if you feed them well, and their food is really affordable too and comes in giant bags. I worked out I could have been able to feed my late hen for 2 years for about $8...crazy. I don't know if the new hen will be anything like my late hen, but im hoping so much she will be. I have become very interested in raw/natural diets now, so I am hoping I can figure out a raw/natural diet for the new chicken so it can glow with health. I read online their original ancestor, the Red Jungle Fowl, ate bugs fruit and veggies and maybe grasses? It's a start... Sorry...I know im strange!
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Post by Sherry on Mar 31, 2011 8:20:31 GMT -5
That has to be one of the more responsible decisions I've heard And don't feel weird having a pet chicken! I made pets out of all our chickens, and my sister's pet rooster slept in her room at night ;D
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Post by shilohismygirl on Mar 31, 2011 8:28:41 GMT -5
It is a very responsible decision, and chickens are cool pets. Don't feel weird about it. Plus, you can stick around here and hang out and still talk about your chicken! <3
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2011 10:11:51 GMT -5
That is a very mature decision ti make, and definitely not an easy one. But you have to do whats right Sounds like a chicken is the pet for you. And by all means, stay here! This forum isn't only for ferret owners, but ferret lovers too. Plus, we want pictures you promised us i bet your chicken will be adorable.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2011 10:35:37 GMT -5
Good on you for making a mature, and responsible choice. Ferrets can be very expensive very suddenly. You're registered on the forum, we would be disappointed if you said "goodbye" just as we were getting to know you and, when you get your bird, we will insist upon PICTURES
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Post by Heather on Mar 31, 2011 10:35:49 GMT -5
Congratulations on a very responsible decision. I really wish more people would put that type of thought into getting a furchild...well....feather child ;D Do feel that you can stay on board, as a number of us keep other pets too. If nothing else you can help newbies with their research, we do get a fair number through here doing research on if ferrets are a good fit for their family. I wish more people would look at the financial end of owning a ferret. The vetting is a killer and so many find this out the hard way, mainly because no one really wants to look at the fact that their little ones are going to get sick and when they do it's going to cost ...a lot. ciao
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Post by miamiferret2 on Mar 31, 2011 11:26:19 GMT -5
I had a pet rooster when i was a kid. his name was "El Gallito" LOL. he had attitude. he was one of those fighting roosters. my dad bought him for me when he was just a little yellow chick. recently hatched. and then we saw his little crest growing and he grew into a little rooster. in the summer he lived out in the backyard and in the winter when it was cold he lived in the basement and we'd let him out during the day to do his rooster thing. El Gallito lived 7 years.
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Post by miamiferret2 on Mar 31, 2011 11:27:57 GMT -5
I also had two pet baby ducks. but they pooped ALOT. so we had to release them near a lake. and you are making a responsible decision. ferrets can be expensive sometimes. if more people were like you the shelters would not be full of these little animals.
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Post by katt on Mar 31, 2011 13:21:01 GMT -5
Oh how fun! A Chicken! I really second everything everyone else said btw. Please do stick around - I would love to see picture of your chicken and hear all of his/her crazy chicken stories! I have an aunt who used to run a little mini-ranch, they raised goats, pigs, a few cows and horses (like 3 each), and chickens! I would always try SO hard to convince my mom to let me bring home a fluffy little chick to no avail. Jerk. hahaha We would roam around like heathens, picking certain animals as "our own" and naming them. My favorite was the baby goat I named Milky Way. I have yet to see such a cool looking goat! Then later, in middle school I had a friend who ad 3 pet chickens she raised for 4H. She kept them in her garage - they were funny little things. Virginia, vpk on the forums, raises birds. She raises them mostly for food (but has a few pets - like her Momma goose), but she has a lot of experience with chickens, geese, ducks, and other random feathered things. She might know a bit about natural diet for chickens, and would be a great resource for any of your chickeny questions. I can't wait to see pictures! ;D *is excited*
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Post by wtferret on Mar 31, 2011 15:05:20 GMT -5
Those chickens are cool lol. The lady who owns my local reptile store has a few that free roam in the store funny guys and soo tiny.
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Post by sakuraferret on Mar 31, 2011 19:31:48 GMT -5
You should have seen my face when I woke up this morning to see so many replies! You guys are absolutely wonderful, thank you so much! We're still on the epic quest to find a little pullet, we might have to settle for a hen. But there are chicken breeders here, just most of them might not have websites. We have decided on a Chabo (Japanese bantam). My late hen was a Serama, and I really wanted a Serama again, but I can't find them here. Japanese bantams are a little bigger but look very simular and I read have good personalities and are easily tamed. And they are CUTE! I am so happy you guys don't mind if I post about the little hen when we find it, I can't really socialize here yet because my Japanese is aweful, so im thankful to have somewhere to chat about my pets! I'll have to post pictures of Pika too, our crazy little society finch. She is a hoot. Pika taking a bird bath (she was hand-raised so she's very tame and bonded with us) Here is a video of my late hen, her name was Thistle Thistle being her adorable self When we find our pullet/hen, i'll start a new threat in the "other furkids" area. I can't wait to chat about them with you guys! We also have a betta named Pixie, a pair of garden snails named Ameko and Asahi, and I have a batch of 13 baby garden snails I hatched from eggs that will be 1 year old this Halloween.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2011 20:32:23 GMT -5
The videos were adorable, and thank you for sharing them! The finch(?) was sweet with the bath, but the chicken (fowl?squab?) was sweet, and made me smile -- thank you!
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Post by hails on Mar 31, 2011 21:18:52 GMT -5
That is adorable. I'd love to keep chickens whenever I move out and have a backyard with room for them. I don't enjoy eggs very much but my neighbors might. :'D
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