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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2015 5:07:52 GMT -5
That's so cute that they want each other's bones. Like Heather says, your brothers bone always tastes better. (giggle)
I love the jumping off the bed into the box. I haven't heard of anyone doing that before. Yours are very clever.
Speaking of swimming pools, those kiddie pools make for great fun also.
Roamy is in his, in my signature picture.
Sometimes, I put a low level of water in it and float some gizzards or FDR.
Sometimes, I put balls into it.
The most fun is to get them in there and then pick up the side and let them slide gently down, with all the balls rolling with them. This creates great excitement and dooking.
They are interesting and fun. I love thinking about games for them. It's playtime for all of us and we busy humans need to remember to play.
:boing:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2015 8:41:34 GMT -5
That's so cute that they want each other's bones. Like Heather says, your brothers bone always tastes better. (giggle) I love the jumping off the bed into the box. I haven't heard of anyone doing that before. Yours are very clever. Speaking of swimming pools, those kiddie pools make for great fun also. Roamy is in his, in my signature picture. Sometimes, I put a low level of water in it and float some gizzards or FDR. Sometimes, I put balls into it. The most fun is to get them in there and then pick up the side and let them slide gently down, with all the balls rolling with them. This creates great excitement and dooking. They are interesting and fun. I love thinking about games for them. It's playtime for all of us and we busy humans need to remember to play. :boing: That sounds great, I'm going to have to try doing that sometime. I bet they would have an absolute blast. I just have to find somewhere to put it. This morning when I woke up, stools looked great and all they left was a tiny piece of wing bone, they finished everything else. Today is Cornish hen day, since its my "Tuesday" for now, gotta figure out how I wanna serve this little guy haha. Beef heart comes in later today, so that should be exciting. I've been separating they're food into portions in the freezer with zip block baggies. I definitely want to go get some bins and label then for extra organizational optimization. I wish I had a house, I would just buy a freezer and life would be easier and the ferrets could have their own room and everything Anyways, so far everything seems to be going excruciatingly well. I'm very proud of my furies. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2015 8:52:34 GMT -5
If you buy a kiddie pool, you simply do what we all do. Leave it out and about. Unless you have a ferret room, most of us have homes that look like a two or three year old lived there. I'm a neat freak or was, but I have blankets, toys, towers, pool, 4 ten foot section of tunnels and almost every drawer is open and has blankets tucked in. Mine are free roam and it's easier to let them have their fun. With Cornish game hen, I butterfly it by cutting out the backbone. Then I lay it open and cut off the breast meat. I put that out on one plate with the wings and drumsticks. Then I put the backbone and and what's left into a food process. I smash it first and then grind the rest up into a thick paste. That goes on another plate. My five will eat a while game hen in one meal. It will be fun hearing how well they do. It's a new protein so you might want to sit with them and coax them a little. Another idea is to cut it in half and hang it using shower rings or closed clips. Leave it for them in their cage. Keep it low to the floor. I would start them off with it on a plate and sitting with them. Once you know they will eat it, then the next time you have it, you can try the shower ring method. msav has some great videos of his eating that way. I tagged him and I hope he will link them. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2015 9:04:55 GMT -5
If you buy a kiddie pool, you simply do what we all do. Leave it out and about. Unless you have a ferret room, most of us have homes that look like a two or three year old lived there. I'm a neat freak or was, but I have blankets, toys, towers, pool, 4 ten foot section of tunnels and almost every drawer is open and has blankets tucked in. Mine are free roam and it's easier to let them have their fun. With Cornish game hen, I butterfly it by cutting out the backbone. Then I lay it open and cut off the breast meat. I put that out on one plate with the wings and drumsticks. Then I put the backbone and and what's left into a food process. I smash it first and then grind the rest up into a thick paste. That goes on another plate. My five will eat a while game hen in one meal. It will be fun hearing how well they do. It's a new protein so you might want to sit with them and coax them a little. Another idea is to cut it in half and hang it using shower rings or closed clips. Leave it for them in their cage. Keep it low to the floor. I would start them off with it on a plate and sitting with them. Once you know they will eat it, then the next time you have it, you can try the shower ring method. msav has some great videos of his eating that way. I tagged him and I hope he will link them. Yeah, my apartment is starting to look like that too haha, at least in the rooms I let them roam. I get really nervous about the kitchen and the living. I'm not sure how fridges and stoves work with them, and my couch doesn't have legs and is a recliner that I'm always afraid they will get stuck in the spring. Maybe I'm just over paranoid, but I wish I could start letting them free roam the apartment. They're litter trained in the cage and in two rooms at least, so using the bathroom wouldn't be an issue at all. Thank for the the advice on the Cornish hen, and hanging it does sound like an extremely interesting way with feeding them. You definitely have my attention. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2015 9:20:31 GMT -5
Fridges, stoves and dishwashers can be dangerous. At least one of mine have found their way behind the fridge and into that open space. I make sure it is pushed up against the wall. Dishwashers have an opening in that panel under the door. Juliet found it and began stashing things in it. We removed the panel and duct tapped the opening. Then duct tapped the panel and you can't even see it. Recliners are the number one accidental death in a home for ferrets. I would consider removing it. Otherwise, everytime someone comes over, you will freak out and yell, "don't sit in the recliner". We can trust ourselves to remember but not others. Ferrets get into everything. More than one ferrent has found a little one who didn't make it in the dishwasher, washing machine or dryer. Ferret proofing is ongoing. I don't want to alarm you and this isn't any fun to talk about, but I know as a new ferrent, there are still things to learn about and ferretproofing is part of that new responsibility. Next time, I promise to be more fun.  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2015 9:54:13 GMT -5
Fridges, stoves and dishwashers can be dangerous. At least one of mine have found their way behind the fridge and into that open space. I make sure it is pushed up against the wall. Dishwashers have an opening in that panel under the door. Juliet found it and began stashing things in it. We removed the panel and duct tapped the opening. Then duct tapped the panel and you can't even see it. Recliners are the number one accidental death in a home for ferrets. I would consider removing it. Otherwise, everytime someone comes over, you will freak out and yell, "don't sit in the recliner". We can trust ourselves to remember but not others. Ferrets get into everything. More than one ferrent has found a little one who didn't make it in the dishwasher, washing machine or dryer. Ferret proofing is ongoing. I don't want to alarm you and this isn't any fun to talk about, but I know as a new ferrent, there are still things to learn about and ferretproofing is part of that new responsibility. Next time, I promise to be more fun. No, these are things I definitely want to know. I was thinking of gating the kitchen for now to keep them out of there (Plexiglas on the outside so they can't climb it). We don't ever recline the couches ever so I'm thinking of boarding up all the edges that they could climb into and under, or looking for a new couch haha. I want to get my apartment as ferret-proofed as humanly possible. That's why I keep them just in one larger room for now, the rest of the house I just see death traps and it freaks me out a little too much with how it is. Also I'm going to be trying to trim their nails today. They're starting to get really long and starting to snag things, so its getting to be about that time I believe. So this should be another fun little adventure. Hopefully they don't hate me too much. I have experience with cats and dogs so I know where to cut, it just depends on how they're going to respond to it. I very well might be doing 1 a day  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2015 8:17:53 GMT -5
So yesterday Dandy and Honey had turkey thighs in the AM. The thighs went well, they didn't eat as much as I thought they would but they definitely ate them and seemed to be enjoying it. For the PM I cut up my Cornish game hen into 3 separate meals, and the back bone i grinded in the food processor and separated out into 3 portions, one for each meal. They took to it immediately and by the morning all I found was a bone that they stashed. It seems to be that they'll eat almost everything except for one bone which they like to save to hide somewhere in their cage. So far things are going great. Today we get to try out some heart, so that should be fun. This beef heart is bigger than I am, I swear. I'm gonna have a good amount of heart for a while.  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2015 18:44:24 GMT -5
It's amazing what good eaters they are. Congratulations, you are doing fantastic.
They do love to stash. It's one of their greatest joys in life. Then they get nice "Jerkified" meat and that is a delicacy. I allow it in the winter, but not the summer. I don't want little bugs.
If you are clipping nails alone, you can put some oil on their belly and that will occupy them while you clip.
:wave3:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2015 19:26:31 GMT -5
It's amazing what good eaters they are. Congratulations, you are doing fantastic. They do love to stash. It's one of their greatest joys in life. Then they get nice "Jerkified" meat and that is a delicacy. I allow it in the winter, but not the summer. I don't want little bugs. If you are clipping nails alone, you can put some oil on their belly and that will occupy them while you clip. :wave3: Sweet beans, good idea. We just got done eating some heart. (By we I mean them haha.) Still going strong, they haven't been picky for me at all; however, they have been getting slightly more territorial of their food. Which from what I've been reading is completely normal. I don't have any oil yet, I should probably go get some. I heard both salmon oil or Ferretone were good options, if I am correct. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2015 9:02:43 GMT -5
Avoid the Ferretone. It's controversial because it contains the cancer causing agents BHA and BHT.
I use salmon oil, the Wild Grizzly brand. It's a strong smell. You might have to add a little at a time to some olive oil, 10/90 then 20/80 until it is all salmon oil.
You want Human grade.
They do get very possessive about their favorite foods. That will wear off when they know that it will keep coming.
Have you had a chance to pick up some 100 percent canned pumpkin and vaseline, in case you need to do a blockage protocol? It happens to most of us and usually at a time when you can't get to the store.
Your two are really moving along so well. You're doing great with them.
:wave3:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2015 9:41:02 GMT -5
Avoid the Ferretone. It's controversial because it contains the cancer causing agents BHA and BHT. I use salmon oil, the Wild Grizzly brand. It's a strong smell. You might have to add a little at a time to some olive oil, 10/90 then 20/80 until it is all salmon oil. You want Human grade. They do get very possessive about their favorite foods. That will wear off when they know that it will keep coming. Have you had a chance to pick up some 100 percent canned pumpkin and vaseline, in case you need to do a blockage protocol? It happens to most of us and usually at a time when you can't get to the store. Your two are really moving along so well. You're doing great with them. :wave3: Okay, Salmon Oil it is then, good thing I asked before I bought any haha. Surprisingly enough I did get some pumpkin, I forgot to buy Vaseline though. Later today I will definitely go out and get some, I'd hate to be unprepared at a time like that. Last night they had their first taste of heart, they sniffed it but wouldn't go for it so I hand fed a piece to each of them. Then they took 20 minutes to fight over one piece. Hid their each of their pieces and passed out. Then proceeded to wake up 3 hours later and eat everything. This beef heart is going to last a while. So far out of everything the Cornish game hen has been by far their favorite. Thank you so much for all the helpful and advice and walking me through this. I can't begin to express my gratitude. :thankyou: |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2015 11:07:37 GMT -5
It's funny, you would think they like pumpkin and wouldn't touch vaseline. It seems though, that they all happily lick vaseline off of a spoon. Pumpkin can be less accepted.
Pick up a syringe or two. You might have to water it down and syringe feed it.
They took right to the beef heart. That is truly good. Beef is a strong flavor and usually one of the last to get accepted. You have very smart ferrets with a good healthy appetite. You are quite fortunate. Of course, Ferrenting plays a huge part and you seem to be a natural.
You're very welcome. I enjoy the forum and it's important to me. Everyone was very kind to me, when I joined and I like to pay it forward.
:wave3:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2015 11:59:08 GMT -5
It's funny, you would think they like pumpkin and wouldn't touch vaseline. It seems though, that they all happily lick vaseline off of a spoon. Pumpkin can be less accepted. Pick up a syringe or two. You might have to water it down and syringe feed it. They took right to the beef heart. That is truly good. Beef is a strong flavor and usually one of the last to get accepted. You have very smart ferrets with a good healthy appetite. You are quite fortunate. Of course, Ferrenting plays a huge part and you seem to be a natural. You're very welcome. I enjoy the forum and it's important to me. Everyone was very kind to me, when I joined and I like to pay it forward. :wave3: Haha I know I guess I got fortunate. They have been very well behaved. I spend every moment I home with them, so they seem to trust and like me a decent amount. Best part of my day is waking them up, they greet me with kissed every day now  It's the most adorable thing. Hopefully one day I will be paying it forward as well. So far this forum has been more than great to me. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2015 20:32:11 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2015 11:27:17 GMT -5
This is awesome!  We start our training today! I just need to find a treat they'll like as a reward(Salmon oil best be?). Last night was our 1/2 beef heart, 1/4 chicken liver, 1/4 pork kidney. They did very well with this. Stools were loose as to be expected. They're still saving one piece every night... in case of an apocalypse i suppose. Smart ferrets... haha |
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We start our training today! I just need to find a treat they'll like as a reward(Salmon oil best be?).