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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2015 20:12:16 GMT -5
Hi guys!  Excuse me if this has already been discussed.. but I couldn't find much information aside from the obvious fact that very old ferrets sleep more than they used to. Francis is about 8 months old now, and I've noticed his sleep time has gone up immensely. I'm just wondering if this is simply because he is not as excitable as he was as a kit? His other behaviours are totally normal ..and he still loves to play! But the minute I turn to do something on my own (ex. check my phone, start my homework) he is back in his "sleep spot" (bottom drawer of my dresser.) I should probably mention that he is my only ferret. And I am absolutely sure to give him TONS of attention and playtime! but he used to stay awake on his own and play with his toys while I did my work. Now he sleeps. And I have a MUCH harder time convincing him to wake up as well.. he will go back to sleep after being awake from 2 minutes if I don't take him outside or somewhere new and exciting and basically "force" him to wake up lol. I guess I'm just worried he is bored... I don't know. I hope it's just his maturity kicking in??? Any advice? Also, do you guys wake your ferrets up or just let them sleep? I know ferrets are very sleepy animals, but I feel like he would literally sleep the entire day and night if I didn't wake him! |
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Post by Celene on Jan 16, 2015 22:43:03 GMT -5
This time of year my ferrets usually have 2-3 "romps" each a day which can last between 20 minutes and 2 hours, depending on their moods. Sometimes they're just really lazy and won't play no matter what you do. I try and wake mine to run around in the morning before I go to work but some days one/both of them just refuse and I feel really bad. Thankfully my husband (most days) has a different schedule than me so they get another chance an hour later.
Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of ferrets go into a sort of semi-hibernation this time of year. My first baby, Truffles, was pretty energetic all year long, but my two current girlies are definitely a lot lazier this time of year (although I've noticed a marked increase in energy since switching to raw!)
I read a post by someone on a facebook ferret group who said her boy will (quite literally) only wake up to eat and poop. The first two years she panicked, but he always perks right up again in the spring.
Of course, ferrets DO get bored really easily and need lots of stimulation. One good way is to rotate toys so there is always something new/different. When I have bags and boxes (from groceries or packages or whatever) I always leave them out for a few days and the ferrets LOVE them and then get bored of them and they (the bags/boxes, not the ferrets) get recycled.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2015 12:44:20 GMT -5
Oh thanks so much for the info, Celene! What a perfect picture of your fuzzies.....  soo cute. I'm also from Vancouver. ^-^ I hadn't really thought about the seasonal change, but I guess that makes total sense. Perhaps it's just the winter that has got him so lazy then and I shouldn't worry. It's just hilarious how he sometimes takes a huuge amount of convincing to wake up... I've never known an animal to have such a tough time coming out of sleep. It's quite hilarious. Love the idea of rotating toys... thanks for that one! |
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Post by Celene on Jan 17, 2015 12:52:32 GMT -5
Some of them also get quite thick, fluffy winter coats. My Mocha is one of them. I mostly only addressed the change in sleeping habits during the winter, but they also can get quite chubby and gain up to 30% of their body weight! That's cool that you're from Vancouver. I have a friend in Langley with two fuzzbuts. We should get together for a playdate |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2015 12:57:46 GMT -5
Francis is only eight months old. If he was much older, than I would suggest a vet visit.
With Winter here, like Celene said, he might just be enjoying a winter sleep.
Take a look at him and see if his nose, ears and paws are a nice pink color. Do his poops look good and normal? Is he eating well? That should tell you that he is healthy and just being lazy.
An only ferret will get bored quicker and when they are bored, they sleep more. Ideally, if he had a friend then he would play more and be up and around a little more. That might not work for you, but it's something to consider.
In the Winter, My five are very active in the morning for half an hour to an hour. Then they eat breakfast and nap thru out the day. Someone will get up and wander around and go back to sleep. Then around late afternoon thru the evening, everyone will get up and play for a little while. They eat dinner and go back to sleep. We are a free roam house and quite often, someone wants to play around 3 a.m. or so.
When Spring rolls around, they are up much more, but still follow a pattern of morning and evening play and sleeping during the day and in the night.
Unless, there is alot going on in the house or I'm cleaning house, then everyone is up and "helping".
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2015 0:08:58 GMT -5
Well, technically I'm not quite from Vancouver! I'm from Chilliwack.. but close enough.  That's would be so awesome! I've never even seen Francis interact with another ferret... I'm sure it would be hilarious.... Thanks for the advice, poncesmom! He looks very healthy, so I'm not too worried. He is still full of energy for the little time that he decides to come out of his slumber..haha. I want to get another ferret, but I won't be able to while I still live under my parent's roof. =P You are so lucky, you have five! Must be such a (fun) handful lol. Francis is free rome as well in the basement, where I usually am. So he can get up as he pleases. I guess his schedule sounds pretty similar to your ferrets now that I think about it. I was just a bit worried because when he was a baby he was up hours and hours on end! |
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Post by Celene on Jan 19, 2015 0:44:57 GMT -5
Chilliwack isn't at all Vancouver! I know because my husband commutes from Vancouver (west side) to Chilliwack at least a couple times a week  Francis is just being a regular, slothy ferret. Adult ferrets sleep basically all the time. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2015 13:25:53 GMT -5
My guys love to sleep. My eldest is asleep as I type this he's on my dogs bed. If he was still around he wouldn't be too pleased but we usually allow him up on the sofa.
I brought him up from out side he had a run around a poo and now has curled up. Gwen my eldest girl who isn't quite as old as Martin is still running around the living room. She will eventually have a little snooze. But it is completely normal for a ferret to sleep up to 14 or 16 hours a day. Especially in winter. When I had gwen we took her from a pet store as she was very ill. We got her home and she went into a dead sleep for 3 days. You could literally pick her up and move her around an she would not wake up. She stayed on our bed the entire time. So I think you have nothing to worry about in terms of illness. Perhaps just let him sleep.
My other 2 fuzzies are about the same age as yours maybe a month or 2 older. They run around like idiots but as soon as you put them back in their enclosure snores all round.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2015 13:17:07 GMT -5
I have to commute to Vancouver every now and then as well and it is indeed a pain.  But i've gotten into the habit of saying I'm from Vancouver, because people are like "Chilli-what?" Dave, thanks for the input! That's so interesting about Gwen... 3 days is nuts! Poor little thing. I'm glad she fell into proper care. I supposed Francis sleeps around 16-18 hours a day, so It's not abnormal. It's just crazy how lazy these little ones can be... sometimes I have to wake him up 3 or 4 times in order for him to finally start playing! It will be interesting to see how that changes as spring rolls around, since I hadn't even thought about the seasonal change affecting him. |
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Post by Celene on Jan 21, 2015 13:38:35 GMT -5
Fair enough. My husband is the sales rep for Old Yale Brewing so he has to drive around the whole Lower Mainland but still has to go to Chilliwack to get samples and kegs and for meetings and such. Today he has to drive all the way from the west side of Vancouver to Hope and back!  |
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Post by crazylady on Jan 21, 2015 14:02:16 GMT -5
this time of year most ferrets sleep more to conserve energy they don't want to use up the winter fat they have laid down so they sleep and keep warm lol come spring they drop the fat and turn into whirling dervishes lol take care bye for now
Bev
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soo cute. I'm also from Vancouver. ^-^