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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2015 15:11:08 GMT -5
I had a ferret who was digging out water bowls to compensate stress, she came out of an abusive household. We compromised... I've bought a spill proof dog bowl and she could dig as she liked... The amount of spilled water was not to worry about...
For the meals I'm using heavy ceramic bowls. They don't get moved or stashed. Everything lighter or smaller will be stashed... (Why should I stash an empty bowl...? I don't get it.)
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Post by raynebc on Oct 21, 2015 18:18:00 GMT -5
The spill proof water bowl sounds like something I'll need to look into. Does the size/design of those allow for ferrets to drink from them easily or is it more of a way to contain water when they stick their paws into it?
I use a ceramic bowl for their water, but if I have to move them from a plate to a bowl for food to stop it being emptied onto the floor of their pen, I'll do it.
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Post by raynebc on Oct 22, 2015 14:14:15 GMT -5
The saga continues. The cookie sheet idea was helping a little, but not enough. The rug was still getting damp. Again I fenced off that corner of the rug, coated the top and bottom of it in Petastic (the original Nature's Miracle product formula), clamped it to the side of the pen to keep it off the ground for better drying, and wiped the tarp with rubbing alcohol again. I didn't use the Petastic the first time around, but I think it will do a much better job killing the bacteria and smell since it is an enzymatic cleaner. And it probably won't be as harsh on the fabric as the alcohol, which seemed to already have caused some wear.
I stopped at the dollar store after work yesterday getting some different containers to try some custom solutions:
First setup I'll try is to take two nested plastic storage containers, cut a hole in a back corner large enough to fit the water bowl so that it sits on the lower container, and then drill small holes (smaller than their paws, as small as I can make them) in the upper container so that if WHEN Rusty digs at the water it will all collect in the lower container.
If that doesn't work, I also got a round cake carrier that has a flat bottom piece with raised edges and a lid that securely clips onto it. I can cut a hole in the side to allow them into this "water box" and then any water that gets dug out can stay at the bottom of the container. The walls of the lid will make it harder for Rusty to throw water outside the container, and I can also set a towel underneath to catch any that works its way out.
If all else fails I can just get a larger plastic container to put both the food and water in, but I don't want them to be cramped at the food dish because they all like to huddle there at once for a party.
I did try some other food dishes. First was a ceramic plate that was quite a bit lower than the one I'd been using. Rusty tipped it within minutes so I tried a plastic bowl. Unfortunately, this had a lip (a couple inches off the ground) and Rusty still tipped it easily. So I figured that's it, they're getting a plain ceramic bowl (no tapered edge, no lip) for the food like I've been using for their water. That put a stop to it pretty darn quick. Rusty was able to push it around, but he didn't tip it over. They actually ate all of dinner for a change, because they seemed to avoid eating food after he'd tipped it onto the rug (I'm sure the rotting food smell he's caused up to now hadn't helped with this).
I'll keep an eye on this to make sure he doesn't find a way to defeat this bowl, but I'm planning on getting a bigger, heavier ceramic food bowl after work so this will hopefully be the end of the food issue. If necessary I'll get some wire to fashion a restraint to keep it attached to the wall of the pen.
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Post by Klarissa on Oct 22, 2015 15:22:30 GMT -5
I posted then read your post, hehe.
The watering box will probably work best. A classic style dog bowl (with the sides that slope down to the floor) inside a large plastic basin could work.
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Post by raynebc on Oct 22, 2015 15:32:30 GMT -5
I'll give that a try first then. I wonder if I should invest in a hole saw so I can easily cut perfect entry holes in plastic bins, etc? I imagine a 3.5 inch diameter hole would be perfect for even Rusty.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2015 15:32:50 GMT -5
The spill proof water bowl sounds like something I'll need to look into. Does the size/design of those allow for ferrets to drink from them easily or is it more of a way to contain water when they stick their paws into it? I use a ceramic bowl for their water, but if I have to move them from a plate to a bowl for food to stop it being emptied onto the floor of their pen, I'll do it. Wait... I'm searching Amazon to show you, what I'm using... www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00354N30W/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1445545390&sr=8-3&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=road+refresher&dpPl=1&dpID=51pmXkzkPpL&ref=plSrchThe large one I'm using for the hob kits. It can contain 54 oz of water. The jills got the smaller one, they don't try to stash the bowl... They can drink out of the bowl with no problems. But also snorkelling or dipping footys is still possible. I think, digging it out completely is not possible because of the rim. At least mine never succeed... The bowls come with an inset that limited the amount of water. They have to push it down to get more water. My tiny jills can't use this inset properly, they can't push it down... I had to remove it. The boys are fine with using it. Maybe it's worth a try...
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Post by raynebc on Oct 22, 2015 15:49:01 GMT -5
According to the manufacturer's website, the large bowl is 102mm (4 inches) tall, and the small one is about 3 inches? Does the height make it much harder for them to drink, or do they just have to stand upright on the side of the bowl to reach the water? Pictures show that each side has a hole, do your ferrets fidget with this to try to push/tip the bowl over? You said your small ferrets can't use it, is it that they can't put enough weight on it to dispense water or is it that they couldn't figure out how to use it?
It does seem worth a try, I'll see if they have anything like that at local pet stores so I can get an idea of whether I like it.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2015 16:27:58 GMT -5
They have to stand on the side and lean over to drink. But it doesn't bother them. This bowl has two holes on the sides, yes. My ferrets could move it on tiles, but they never tipped over the big one. The boys only tipped over the small one, it's not heavy enough. Honestly, I'm not sure, why my jills struggle with it. I gave up and removed it completely. They still can't dig very much... There are different types of this bowl on the market. I had one with no holes on the sides. So you should look around a bit. Edit: Found it... www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002768DY?psc=1 This bowl is huge... But when refilled daily, all my ferrets could drink easily out of it. Maybe lower the bowl into something would help...
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Post by raynebc on Oct 22, 2015 17:31:23 GMT -5
If I got one small enough to be moved by a ferret, Rusty would definitely do it, so a large one may be the best option for me. Even if I had to remove the inner piece, it would be similar to the buddy bowl you linked to and I think it would be just awkward enough he couldn't dig with all four paws at ground level like he can with a normal bowl.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2015 17:47:56 GMT -5
I've had fun reading this thread. I love how all the humans are working so hard to outsmart a ferret. There is one goofy idea that I didn't mention because I get embarrassed but have talked about it before. Someone once gave me a Waterford Crystal Champagne Cooler. It's a very heavy small round bowl. The idea is to put your champagne bottle in it and surround it with ice to keep it cool. I never used it. Then Ponce came along and would spill his water. I pulled that silly bowl out and it is heavy enough that no one can tip it over. Macy's stills sells them and they're about $100 or something dollars. So, if you have a bunch of extra cash laying around and feel like splurging...
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Post by Klarissa on Oct 22, 2015 18:50:51 GMT -5
Haha! That is a fancy shmancy water bowl, at least it's getting used
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Post by raynebc on Oct 23, 2015 1:51:21 GMT -5
Luckily he can't tip ceramic bowls over, just plates.
I went to the pet store after work and got a metal dog food bowl, just about the perfect size to entertain all four of them at once for a dinner party. And of course since the edges slope down, he shouldn't be able to tip it over.
The store also had one of the simpler spill-proof water bowls (just base and lid, no middle part) so I got one because I'm willing to try most anything at this point. I'll deal with that later today though because when I got home I had to prep food, deal with the rug some more (the Petastic had no effect, so I shampooed that corner again with the enzymatic cleaner and did not rinse it, I'll let it air dry and then rinse it out when I get home from work) and feed the ferrets.
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Post by raynebc on Oct 23, 2015 13:26:08 GMT -5
Before I left for work, the rug still smelled off so I've surrendered to the idea that I need to replace it. A new rug won't really cost as much as I've spent recently in time and equipment to battle the smell, but it does mean I'll be able to prolong the life of the new rug. At least now I'll be able to keep their window closed, it won't be long before we start seeing freezing temperatures around here.
The old rug is going to get the nuclear option: I'm going to haul it outside, soak the entire thing in vinegar and dust it with baking soda. If it smells fresh and clean after it dries and is vacuumed, it will be kept as a spare, otherwise it's going in the trash.
The new food bowl is working out well and the ferrets are getting to eat it all up instead of having it dumped on the ground. They don't seem to bothered by having to eat from it instead of a flat, open surface so they must feel safe enough. And as a bonus they don't push bits out and onto the rug trying to get food out.
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Post by raynebc on Oct 26, 2015 2:31:39 GMT -5
After negotiating with my friend/landlord I settled on getting some vinyl mats instead of a new area rug. They are placed edge to edge so they cover their entire pen without giving them any way to try to chew on it, and even then it's hard enough to be more durable than their digging abilities. The newbies still have some problems remembering to use the litter box, but at least now their accidents will have no permanent affect on their surroundings and I can clean them up easily. I'll keep the floor of their pen lined with toys and towels, so they shouldn't miss the feel of fabric on their feet too much.
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Post by msav on Oct 26, 2015 8:18:39 GMT -5
When I moved into my rental, the first thing I did before setting up the ferret room is go and pick up enough linoleum to roll out over the carpet in the entire room, even rolled it up the wall 3 inches. it costed about $50
this way I know there will be no damage to the carpet in that room.
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