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Post by Aftershock on Jun 21, 2016 14:20:29 GMT -5
So one of my boys is constantly covered in poop and I know you shouldn't wash them very often. It's been almost a month since their last shampoo, they have had two rinses since then (once a week) (my clean boy loves to play in the water), and the last rinse I had to shampoo Crocs feet and a bit of his belly. I did Gator's too since he was in there. I'm worried I'm going to dry out their skin. After they get rinsed I put a bit of coconut oil on their fur hoping it might counterbalance the water a little. (I do this with my hair and face) are there any alternatives that you guys do for inbetweens? And I bought some pork with the t bones in the other day and I was curious if the ferrets can chew on those? Is it similar to a chicken wing bone? Does it count as a bone in meal? I'd hate to toss them if the ferrets could use them.
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Post by Heather on Jun 21, 2016 15:13:37 GMT -5
The pork bones are for most ferrets too heavy a bone for them to eat. They may be able to chew the narrower pieces but definitely not the "t" portion of the bone. Ferrets though more than capable of biting through this bone, most won't eat it. Ferrets rarely gnaw and what doesn't get eaten as in chewed won't get eaten ciao
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Post by katt on Jun 22, 2016 3:03:22 GMT -5
I second Heather RE the bone. It doesn't count as bone-in unless they actually swallow it. You can certainly give them the pork, and they may chew the ends off the bone, but don't be surprised when you find a nicely cleaned bone in the cage after. Just be sure to remove it after about 24 hours or so as it will dry and become brittle like cooked bone. For the poop Q - why is your boy always poopy? Perhaps an alteration in your set up will help minimize that. My Kenai is a bit special and isn't the cleanest either. He's gotten better as he's gotten older but he still always has poop on his toenails it seems (white paws - why oh why). He also tends to get poop on his bum, hind leg, and under his tail. He doesn't do the best job of holding his butt clear of the poop when he goes. lol Keeping the litter box clean helps as he can't track through it (which is also does), and being sort of strict about in the cage also helps - any accidents in the cage are cleaned as soon as I notice them (they have been known to hide poops on dark bedding in the dark corner on the one well-shadowed shelf that I apparently don't pay enough attention to). And if there are multiple accidents we do potty boot camp - again. For washing, if it's small and on an innocuous spot (like a little smear under his tail for instance) I tend to ignore it - he'll eventually clean himself and it's not like he's tracking it around. If it's more of an issue I just rinse him in s little warm water - no soap. When they get REALLY bad, I will use oatmeal conditioner instead of soap. That's not very often though. I would avoid washing as much as you can. If you have to use a warm washcloth (if they let you - mine don't tolerate that well with the time it takes to get a cemented poop off of fur) or failing that, a simple warm water rinse without soap.
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Post by Aftershock on Jun 22, 2016 10:16:47 GMT -5
That's good to know about the t bones! Hurricanekatt, he will straight up step in it, and then they end up playing in the litter box. I check both of them when Croc has poop all over him and he's the only one that has it on him. I scoop out the box at least twice a day and I do the same thing about any accidents in the cage. They get cleaned up asap. He's the only who messes in the cage. He will wake up out of a dead sleep and just back into any corner and go. X.x I had to move a small litter box back into the cage for him. Gator would probably let me washcloth him, Croc there's no way though. It would be my dirty ferret that hates washcloth grooming. I really do appreciate the feedback. I really didn't want to wash their feet but his were just covered.
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Post by Heather on Jun 22, 2016 11:35:30 GMT -5
Does he have a large enough litter box? I've had a couple who really hate smaller boxes and are just pigs about it. When I started using larger boxes (actually make mine now) they're very good about using their litter boxes ciao
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Post by Aftershock on Jun 22, 2016 16:38:30 GMT -5
I started Gator off with a corner box, but when we got Croc I got a kitten litter box and cut a piece out in the front so it would be low enough. The corner boxes I just use for playtime now. What do you make yours out of?
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Post by katt on Jun 22, 2016 17:29:41 GMT -5
A kitten box isn't big enough, esp not with more than one ferret in the cage. I use rubbermaid bins. What type of cage do you have?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2016 18:12:19 GMT -5
The people I got my albino from were having litter box problems with her but they were using the tiny corner boxes. I've had no problems with her since I brought her home but I use the x-large cat boxes and litter boxes designed for dogs that are easy for them to step into. The bigger the box, the better they are at using it. Those small litter boxes they sell at stores for rabbits and ferrets are a joke. Mine like to stay clean and they prefer the big boxes over small ones.
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Post by Aftershock on Jun 22, 2016 22:17:55 GMT -5
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Post by Sherry on Jun 23, 2016 10:19:29 GMT -5
That is awfully small for two ferrets, unless they are only basically sleeping in there overnight and out the rest of the time. If you can manage it I would dump that one and get this one for them(a single level for two is fine. an FN 182 is better) www.ferret.com/item/ferret-nation-habitat-model-181-single-unit/650428/You can put a large litter box in there and still have lots of room.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2016 11:46:27 GMT -5
I would try to get a FN cage. I hate those Kaytee cages. The doors are too small to put a decent sized litter box in there, the shelves are tiny, they're a pain to disassemble to clean the base.
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Post by Aftershock on Jun 23, 2016 11:57:58 GMT -5
Sherry, yeah, it's pretty much just for sleeping. My husband wouldn't let me get a bigger one. It's been a slight battle on some things for these guys. He wanted to get a single level guinea pig cage for one ferret. Ferretfanatic, I just take the wire part off of the base and clean it that way. My only realy complaint is that Gator learned how to open the door, I nipped that in the butt with some locks.
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Post by Aftershock on Jun 23, 2016 17:28:46 GMT -5
Just an update; things seem to be going much better having made the remote litter tub bottom a whole litter box. There was only one accident in the cage from last night and he hasn't gotten poopy! I'm going to wait on making the feeding dens and attaching them to the cage until I can put all of their hammocks I made them back in their cage.
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Post by katt on Jun 23, 2016 19:14:43 GMT -5
Wait, did you add a bin connected to the cage for a remote litter box or did you make the entire bottom of their existing cage a litter box? If the latter, that really really doesn't give them sufficient room in what is already too small of a cage. Those little shelves really don't offer sufficient sleep and play space. :/
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Post by katt on Jun 23, 2016 19:24:30 GMT -5
Sherry, yeah, it's pretty much just for sleeping. My husband wouldn't let me get a bigger one. For your husband... The cage you have has a footprint of 30 x 18 inches a FN footprint is 36 x 25 inches. That's only 7" wider and 6" longer, but the space is used MUCH more efficiently AND it gives you storage space underneath that more than makes up for those extra 7x6 inches. While it is technically bigger it isn't THAT much bigger (*ahem listening hubby?*), and it is WAY more efficient (they they have far more Useable space). They will have more room to play, more room for a good sized litter box, much much more stable and safe cage, the cage will last longer (way more durable), is escape proof, and easier to clean by a long shot. Your cage costs $100 when not on sale. FN181 costs $130 not on sale. A $30 difference for an INFINITELY more efficient cage.
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