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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2011 8:24:31 GMT -5
One of the reasons I ended up with five ferrets is because I just love to pick them up and nuzzle them, and they sleep a lot. I was thinking that with five, one of them might always be awake. Silly me! They all (pretty much, not always) sleep and wake at the same time. But when I'm home, every so often (half hour or hour) I just have to pick one up. Is it bad to wake them up a lot? They often go right back to sleep. Other times they wake up for a while and play and then go back to sleep. And it's not like they don't have plenty of time to sleep when I'm sleeping and when I'm at work. Partly I think that all that handling is why they're so loving and never bite. But partly I wonder if this is bad or makes them angry? They don't act angry. Thoughts?
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Post by maddiesmom on Apr 16, 2011 8:38:59 GMT -5
Like you said, they probably sleep while you're at work... I think, if they were angry or it really bothered them, they'd let you know!  lol |
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Post by miamiferret2 on Apr 16, 2011 9:52:40 GMT -5
I do the same thing and so does my husband. My Lemmy used to fake being asleep so we'd go away. When he was fed up he'd run off and go hide and go right back to sleep. Sonny loves being petted and groped while he's half asleep. He likes to have his belly rubbed and his feet and butt massaged too.  he sleeps on my chest or draped across one of my arms or legs. (very uncomfortable to have a hot ferret on your leg or arm). He thinks I'm a big ferret. |
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Post by Heather on Apr 16, 2011 15:18:40 GMT -5
That's one of the many methods I use to teach my hard core biters and abuse cases that people aren't cruel and hands are gentle. I'm doing that exact thing with Minion. He's now curling up and sleeping in my arms while I do his treatment (he has to stay still for 10 min while his butt meds are first put on) and he's also allowing me to pick him up, sometimes even when he's playing. I've just got to make him understand that his biting my feet isn't a game even if I do dance around  ciao |
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Post by miamiferret2 on Apr 16, 2011 15:27:46 GMT -5
Yes heather I think you are right picking them up when they are asleep and holding them is a way to get them to trust you. I have tamed several "ferret shrews" this way. BTW how is Minion? |
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Post by Heather on Apr 16, 2011 15:45:30 GMT -5
His prolapse is actually worse. It looks like he's going to have to have the surgery  He made it worse for himself so I'm going to see if we can get it to recede back to where we were over the weekend. He had a go at Odin (jumped on him from on top of the playpen, I don't know what the little brat thought he was doing ) Anyway, the stress of having a trouncing seems to have made it worse  He seems to be doing well otherwise as he weighed in at 1lb and 11 oz on Thurs from weighing about 14 oz the day I picked him up the Thurs previous (they said that he was loosing weight and not eating well). ciao |
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Post by Sherry on Apr 16, 2011 16:13:45 GMT -5
Oh, silly little bugger . And no, otterwoman- not a thing wrong with snuggling them every chance you get |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2011 18:05:35 GMT -5
I bother them all the time....it's the safest way for me to enter their cage...that is if Sophie Ann is sleeping! |
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Post by Sherry on Apr 16, 2011 19:44:07 GMT -5
How is she with you when you pick her up while she's sleeping, Rose? I know with Willow, when we were doing that, for quite a while, she'd try to bite and run as soon as she woke up. Gradually, over time, she'd start to relax a bit- at least until she'd remember she was supposed to bite hands ;D But she did start getting better, and today- she's a sweetie  . Unless she's hungry, of course |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2011 22:04:19 GMT -5
I did post an answer but it seems to have dissapeared!!! oh my sweet Sophie Ann... Usually as soon as she hears the spring for the latch on the cage engage she springs awake... I swear that she sleeps with one eye open! I've even sprayed the latches with WD-40 (which is made out of fishoil) and cleaned off any excess with a dish rag that has dawn on it...just in case... but 99.99% of the time regardless of how ninja I am at opening the cage, by the time I reach in Sophie is right there in my face or looking for a hand to latch onto.  |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2011 22:08:32 GMT -5
I hit post before I was done... sorry! Everytime I pass by the cage and I have a spare moment I do reach in and greet her with a quick pet, if I don't have time I try to reach in the bars because she usually sleeps right up against the bars so I can reach her... She will give me grey hair, more than my skin kids and husband. During play time she hunts our feet and will climb up pant legs...if your sitting on the floor she will climb up your back, which is VERY unnerving because she will stop right at the shoulder and it totally tweaks me out because I'm doing my best to stay calm and not get her freaked out but also worried that she's going to take a chunk out of my ear or even worse my face... unfortunatly progress with her has been very slow going. I think she enjoys tormenting us....  |
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Post by Heather on Apr 16, 2011 22:09:15 GMT -5
That's my Fun-Go B Squiggly. We were trying to get blood work on him yesterday...we sedated him, we gave him a shot of gas....he still managed to bite the vet and not lay still long enough for us to get a blood sugar on him. We did in the end, brat but he never let go. It was like his life depended on him staying awake and alert. He was laying on his back with his teeth snapping, snaking his head back and forth and he was deadly accurate.
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2011 22:11:44 GMT -5
I hope Sophie Ann never gets sick....I so don't want to have to bring her in for blood work or anything like that...it would be a massacre!
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Post by Heather on Apr 16, 2011 22:39:20 GMT -5
At first we were just going to give him a light sedation shot, but we couldn't get him to relax long enough to get a good shot in. So we put him in the guinea pig sedation box and turned on the gas hoping to calm him enough to handle him...no way. My vet's only thought...thank goodness it wasn't him that we had to give the last Des shot to....yes a blood bath ciao |
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He made it worse for himself so I'm going to see if we can get it to recede back to where we were over the weekend. He had a go at Odin (jumped on him from on top of the playpen, I don't know what the little brat thought he was doing 
. Unless she's hungry, of course