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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2016 11:35:04 GMT -5
A week ago, we had to run into PetCo to grab a bag of food for the cat. They had about 8 ferrets (3-6 months old) sleeping in the enclosure. We came back two days later to bring one home. That little boy is Casper. (The name is of Dutch origin, meaning "king of the treasure" ... which is fitting because he is an albino ferret, and our last name is Dutch. So there.) He was born in January, which makes him almost 4 months old. Let's see ... he won't eat any type of "soup" right now, only kibble. Litter box training is a hit and miss, and he loves ping pong balls.   |
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Mar 30, 2016 12:08:00 GMT -5
You wll have to hold and daub his mouth with soupie. Let him go if he wants to run off. They usually do. Make soupie warm, so it will be more appealing. Animals understand when you r trying to offer food. I promise he will eventually get it. I have not heard of any failure on forum on switching ---just on human side;)) How I got my 20 month old craigslist girl to eat mice: I purchased this raw frozen food from petsmart(rabbit) she liked the mush I made out of these little cubes, so I just put a little of the mush mixed in with a cut up mouse, and she ate it. Pull out some tricks.  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2016 12:12:37 GMT -5
Casper is just beautiful. I'm so glad he found his forever home with you.
How's he getting along with his new friends?
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Post by Heather on Mar 30, 2016 12:17:21 GMT -5
Congratulations on your sweet wee 'bino  ciao |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2016 16:10:44 GMT -5
Casper is just beautiful. I'm so glad he found his forever home with you. How's he getting along with his new friends? Casper and the cocker spaniel play together really well, supervised only, of course. The cat doesn't want anything to do with him. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2016 16:33:46 GMT -5
Cats usually need their space and ferrets simply enjoy terrorizing them. Your kitty will need a space that's high to retreat to. I'm glad to hear that you are supervising play though. Accidents happen and even the best of friends get overexcited sometimes. Have you checked out little Casper's hearing? He's so darling but his coloring just might indicate he could be deaf. Deaf ferrets are very good at hiding it. My Keller looks like Casper and she is deaf and so is gfountain 's Casper. Deaf ferrets are so loving and so adorable but their vocalizations are different and they miss the social cues that other ferrets would teach them. My little girl came from my family doctor who needed to rehome her and he had no idea she was deaf. I'm not trying to alarm you and this could just make Casper even more precious but it's nice to know so you understand him better if he does turn out to be deaf. I also have another female who is my Alpha and she looks like Casper and is not deaf. She's my Queen and fully aware of her place in our 'business'. Forgive me if you already know this but a group of ferrets is called a business. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2016 9:41:53 GMT -5
Thanks, pouncesMom! I did know that about the deafness, but only recently. Casper seems to respond pretty well to noise. I have to keep talking to him in the morning to get him to wake up all the way so he can come out and play. He is also pretty good about coming when called, unless he is in a wrestling match with a toy.  Oh! And he is always very curious about the speaker end of my iPad when I have a video on or something. Other than hollering at him from across the room to see if he looks at me, are there other ways I can test his hearing? |
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Post by Sherry on Apr 4, 2016 10:02:26 GMT -5
actually, albinos are very seldom deaf  that is DEW's, and others with a lot of white on the head. He is adorable, and albinos are my favourite of all. Check out the diet archives where there are a lot of completed switches. That will give you an idea of how to progress |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2016 11:11:02 GMT -5
When I brought home my little Nala from petco she was 5 months old. I was really worried she would be hard to transition. But I made some soup to just see and she ate it like she's been eating it since she was a kit. She also would mimic shelby so new protien were easy because she watched shelby eat and she ate with her.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2016 13:50:42 GMT -5
I made a little soup for him to try. Day one he spit it out. Day two he licked the bowl clean. I just have to wait for Friday to get the bone meal. Litter box training has been going great, also. Only one or two misses.
So much progress in a week's time!
He is progressing in other things quickly, too. For instance, he loves to belly flop. He is gaining much more function of his hind end ... less of that drunken baby stuff. Jumping has steadily become his favorite thing to do.
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Post by Sherry on Apr 5, 2016 10:35:57 GMT -5
TBH I would start adding slivers of meat to the soup and increase ratio and size every other meal. Or try just offering him some meat, about 1/4" thick and 1/2" long and see how he does. You may have to pop it in his mouth a time or two.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2016 17:09:15 GMT -5
I'm on it  |
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