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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2015 19:50:26 GMT -5
I am getting desperate right now... my ferrets (mostly bella) have destroyed 3 sofas and one bed. Completely. They dug behing - we took the legs off. Statred digging on top. Made a hole and turned it into a toilet. It's insane and disgusting and i had to toss all of them out. We have nothing to sit on in the living room anymore and we sleep in foldable metal guest beds (on one of which they already started to destroy the mattress). We are moving in two weeks, but the apartment will be almost the same size as this - so no space for a ferret room because a 3 room apt would have been way too expensive for our budget. Any tips on how to get rid of this behaviour? We can't be living like this they are free roamers, and I love giving them the freedom but this is insane...
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Post by Klarissa on Nov 2, 2015 20:34:33 GMT -5
So, I'm a dog trainer & handler, and my advice is based on what I had to do with my doxie-poo Dyson to a) prevent digging to China through our couch b) prevent him from peeing in the house. 1) Cage them when you cannot watch them. I know you love they are free roam, but ferrets are like bratty kids. Give them an inch, and they will take a mile. Cage doesn't have to be the end all, be all for solution, but it will contribute to a bigger solution. They cannot wreck what they cannot get to. 2) Do you have a dig box? Is it popular with your ferrets? Digging is a natural behavior, and redirecting it may go a lot further then trying to deter altogether. Catch them digging in the couch, put them in the dig box. Repeat. If not then... 3) When they are out, sin bin the couch killers! When they are caught, put them in time out. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. 4) Hardware stores carry heavy duty canvass drop sheets. Put one on your couch/bed to protect it from any furniture assassins that evade your wrath. Canvass is heavy & should stand up better. 5) Pour yourself a glass of wine (provided you are of legal age & safe to do so). Personally, a glass of wine does wonders for my patience for mischief
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2015 21:00:41 GMT -5
We had a cage a long time ago but I never got myself to keeping it closed. I just can't see an animal in a cage... They looked really miserable. I mean, they are huge, and even in a cage the size of a FN they looked like in a bird cage But if everything else fail, we may need to resort to a larg cage when we are not home. I will look into the canvass - that may work, if they can't figure out how to crawl under it. We have digboxes - one pasta, one with leaves or paper, they have tubes, toys. They use the digboxes but they are never as fun as the sofa. it seems like it doesn't match the excitement. I would have turned my balcony (closed) into a ferret room, but I live in Finland, thus, in the winter they would be popsicles I'll keep sin binning.may work eventually. I'll need to figure out a way to keep them away because I can't be buying furniture every few months Oh yes, the wine.... I feel like that's the way to go right now it's 4am here, and i've been dragging completely destroyed furniture outside until now. (headwall) I know @poncesmom has 5 free roamers - and here I come with the question... how? How do you control disaster?
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Post by Heather on Nov 2, 2015 23:26:11 GMT -5
After having the brats totally destroy my leather love seat and sofa we no longer keep this type of furniture. My bed is a pedestal type that is very tall (think old water bed type) that the ferrets basically ignore. I have 2 wee girlies who can climb it but unless I'm in the bed they don't bother. The hobs are just too heavy to pull themselves up. I use futons for sofa and lounge chairs for the chairs. No, they're not pretty but they do work for us ciao
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2015 8:04:28 GMT -5
ALL my furniture and one of my beds are like this. You unscrew legs of furniture and get some thin plywood. We have stuff called lauan ---it is real cheap. Screw it on, and then put legs back on. You will need a circular saw , however our lumber yards will cut wood free. If you have to, raise your bed on a good foundation of solid blocks. I have not done this, but maybe it will help.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2015 8:52:14 GMT -5
Wow that looks solid! We've managed to control the invasion from below at the end of it, the biggest issue is from above, because bella is a monkey and can climb anything, she pushes the cushions and digs under them. I wonder if putting plywood or something under the cushions will make it uncomfortable to sit on.. though she would probably just dig around it or push it out of the way. I'm seriously considering a loft bed now
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2015 8:55:42 GMT -5
I do not have problems digging from top----glad:)
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2015 9:57:24 GMT -5
We had a cage a long time ago but I never got myself to keeping it closed. I just can't see an animal in a cage... They looked really miserable. I mean, they are huge, and even in a cage the size of a FN they looked like in a bird cage But if everything else fail, we may need to resort to a larg cage when we are not home. I will look into the canvass - that may work, if they can't figure out how to crawl under it. We have digboxes - one pasta, one with leaves or paper, they have tubes, toys. They use the digboxes but they are never as fun as the sofa. it seems like it doesn't match the excitement. I would have turned my balcony (closed) into a ferret room, but I live in Finland, thus, in the winter they would be popsicles I'll keep sin binning.may work eventually. I'll need to figure out a way to keep them away because I can't be buying furniture every few months Oh yes, the wine.... I feel like that's the way to go right now it's 4am here, and i've been dragging completely destroyed furniture outside until now. (headwall) I know @poncesmom has 5 free roamers - and here I come with the question... how? How do you control disaster? We do have our disasters from tearing at rugs to climbing in furniture. There are several chairs they love to go inside of. I flipped the chairs over and cut two holes in the bottom lining and I let them hang out in those. That way they don't tear the chair up. No one digs from the top though. Ponce did and we had a couch that he would hide in. Then when visitors were over, he would pop out and scare them. It was especially funny when my daughter had friends over and they were watching scarey movies. I had one bed that I put the box spring on the floor. It was a sleigh bed so you couldn't see the box spring and it kept them from going under the bed and stashing and leaving little accidents. Where they tear at the carpet, I have a few throw rugs and will put them down if someone comes over. I hope to replace the carpet soon with ferret friendly tile. They are really well behaved overall. I leave drawers open and they have blankets and toys spread around. My house is not immaculate like it was BF (before ferrets) but it is alot more fun and filled with joy.
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Post by gfountain on Nov 3, 2015 12:54:26 GMT -5
I went through a time recently when all 4 of my brats were obsessed with digging at the loveseat (thanks to Minnie teaching the boys bad habits ). They would dig through the cushions and slide behind the springs to get down inside and sleep. I solved the problem by removing the underneath lining so there is nowhere to sleep. If they go through the cushions now, they end up on the floor. It's not fun anymore.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2015 13:16:07 GMT -5
Good point - taking the bottom off to ruin their fun! I think i'll do that to the next sofa if they won't stop. Well, it's Bella mostly, the rest won't do anything unless she starts it. Honesly, with all the mess and all the mischief they do, I wouldn't choose it any other way. I wouldn't imagine my life without them, annoying little brats
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Post by gfountain on Nov 3, 2015 13:37:32 GMT -5
Well, it's Bella mostly, the rest won't do anything unless she starts it. Those girls! Every single bad habit my boys have I can trace directly back to Minnie! :tornado:
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Post by raynebc on Nov 3, 2015 15:20:19 GMT -5
Is it an option to put fencing around the furniture?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2015 16:29:49 GMT -5
Hmm, I thought about it - to put a playpen around it while we are sleeping or away... It may be an option, I just need something more solid because the Marshall playpen is completely useless against them, with or without cover
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2015 17:03:47 GMT -5
I renovated my apartment over the years, room by room... With every step I try to ferret proof as much as possible...
-No more carpets, only tiles or PVC with silicone sealed banding(?). -IKEA Malm bed with drawers, it's high enough to stop 3 of 4 ferrets to jump on it... and the drawers stop them from going under. (My mum build a bed with 2x2 Expedit shelves, thick wood board, mattress on top, it's really high and the ferrets couldn't get onto it...) -Babygates in every door to separate areas if needed (kits learning to roam free at the moment) -Couch made of heavy faux leather, our couch digging dog only left 2 slight scratches... It's possible to screw plywood under it. We don't need to, for now... -Screw latch under some heavy/low furniture to avoid stashing or accidents.
Okay, I wander from the subject... Chin up. It can be frustrating, but you just need to keep on trying... Eventually you will find a solution.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2015 18:42:07 GMT -5
Thanks! i just checked out the bed - that's what I'll aim for, since we do need to buy a bed! And next type of sofa on the list - heavy faux leather. I'll start looking into that direction from now on. I think it might really make them lose their interest eventually. We have no prob with the carpets, but i only use small colorful ones that can fit in the washing machine. As much as they can cause trouble, and drive us insane, but when I get home from work being greeted by those sweet faces, it's all well worth it. I get annoyed and 5 min later I am cuddling with them And now that we are moving, I had to vouch for their troublemaking bums to the landlord, telling him how well behaved 5 ferrets living together are, completely non destructive and perfect potty trained, so we could get a place
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