Ferret Math Result.. Meet my new babies! (Photos included)
Apr 17, 2017 15:07:41 GMT -5
katt, Blue, and 1 more like this
Post by LindaM on Apr 17, 2017 15:07:41 GMT -5
So it's about time I do this. Three weeks ago my hubby and I adopted two little Sable brothers. They are 8 months old now. They are Ares (aka Catnip) and Apollo (aka Chew-baka/Chewey Pooey). Ares is the sweetest little ball of fuzz that you'll meet and so gentle... but do not mess with him, the cat found that out the hard way after he kept smacking Ares on the head and then had to storm up his cat tree to save his heels from an angry, hissing ferret. Apollo seems like he's going to be my wee little potential medical drama-baby, he seems to find something new to chew on every day and I have to start ferret-proofing all over again. My home has turned into a 100% barefoot home with all shoes being kept elevated at all times and only quickly popped onto feet on the way out. He also seems to be at least partially deaf, he doesn't react like the other ferrets to certain noises, and he startles quite easily if you suddenly appear in his line of sight, even if you had been noisy about it.
Ares:
Apollo:
The couple we got them from admitted that they just didn't have the time for them, were scared that their big dogs would harm them and that they are admittedly dog people instead, and would also be moving to another State soon. They had been feeding the boys on Canidae Limited Ingredient Salmon kibble, and had only just begun switching them onto Wysong Anergen kibble right before we adopted them.
My home is kibble-free, so I started them both on raw the moment they made it into my home, and they have done remarkably well with it. They have happily taken to the FDR, and Frankenprey slivers and chunks, albeit less enthused about the large chunks, the lazy bums. They will be getting their bone-in now too, since they've taken so well to the raw with only very minor setbacks. The little beasties are now doing their best to eat me out of house and home. The huge, curly snake piles of poops they did when we got them first have decreased to the smaller poops common to raw, thank God. I can't even recall my other two having ever pooped such HUGE and stinky monstrosities.
Sadly, one of the first things my husband and I picked up were that these poor boys were likely very rarely allowed out of their cage for any interaction or freedom, if at all. My husband's exact words were "way too comfortable, way too much" about them just happily being in their cage. The little things just seemed resigned to their fates and just slept incredibly easy in their cage, even while we were up and about. My other two (who are allowed to free-roam morning till midnight) by comparison will cage rage like the world is ending if they so much as hear a peep out of you that could indicate that you're awake if they're still in their cage. In the past two weeks, they have gotten much better about it and will now also happily shake at their bars to let us know it's time to be let out.
Their FN cage had also been pretty bare of anything when we got them, and I had since filled it with blankets and sleeping goodies, as well as plenty of toys for them to play with when they're in there, and they seemed much happier already.
They have since bonded with my husband and myself pretty hard, seeking us out if one of us isn't near and coming over for kisses and cuddles. They will easily spend long periods cuddled up in our arms without any fuss or issue, and even beg for more if put down too soon. The other night Ares napped on my chest while on the bed with me for a whole 30 minutes, and then after Loki joined us on the bed, they both napped with me for another 30 minutes. Both boys will also happily nap with their daddy when he's on the couch, whether he's watching TV or taking a nap doesn't matter to them.
The babies on the couch with their daddy (who tried hard not to smile while little toes scraped his scalp):
Since the newcomers had been in quarantine for two weeks after we got them, I was a little concerned about introducing them to my other two and allowing free-roam. And admittedly, there had been some rather rough scuffles, and a few bites that broke the skin a little, but it seems like they have sorted out their nonsense now. I can find them sharing drawers to sleep in together, playing together and eating together. Hilariously, during this period of time I was giving them to get acclimated to each other and still keeping them in separate cages, my other two had become pretty adamant about noisily shaking and digging at their own cage bars at night and seeking the babies out every morning when they got let out. So, last night I threw them all in together into the FN Triple cage (I'll combine two of our FN Double cages together for them later on). What a peaceful night.. other than little fuzzbutts playing with toys and what a pleasant sight this morning to see one big pile of ferrets sleeping all on top of each other.
Ares having pork slivers for the first time:
Athena deciding that nobody should ever eat all alone:
Everyone enjoying one of their FDR meals:
My happy surprise to find them all sleeping together in the cage:
Loki, Athena, and Ares sharing a drawer:
Apollo resting on our bed:
Ares:
Apollo:
The couple we got them from admitted that they just didn't have the time for them, were scared that their big dogs would harm them and that they are admittedly dog people instead, and would also be moving to another State soon. They had been feeding the boys on Canidae Limited Ingredient Salmon kibble, and had only just begun switching them onto Wysong Anergen kibble right before we adopted them.
My home is kibble-free, so I started them both on raw the moment they made it into my home, and they have done remarkably well with it. They have happily taken to the FDR, and Frankenprey slivers and chunks, albeit less enthused about the large chunks, the lazy bums. They will be getting their bone-in now too, since they've taken so well to the raw with only very minor setbacks. The little beasties are now doing their best to eat me out of house and home. The huge, curly snake piles of poops they did when we got them first have decreased to the smaller poops common to raw, thank God. I can't even recall my other two having ever pooped such HUGE and stinky monstrosities.
Sadly, one of the first things my husband and I picked up were that these poor boys were likely very rarely allowed out of their cage for any interaction or freedom, if at all. My husband's exact words were "way too comfortable, way too much" about them just happily being in their cage. The little things just seemed resigned to their fates and just slept incredibly easy in their cage, even while we were up and about. My other two (who are allowed to free-roam morning till midnight) by comparison will cage rage like the world is ending if they so much as hear a peep out of you that could indicate that you're awake if they're still in their cage. In the past two weeks, they have gotten much better about it and will now also happily shake at their bars to let us know it's time to be let out.
Their FN cage had also been pretty bare of anything when we got them, and I had since filled it with blankets and sleeping goodies, as well as plenty of toys for them to play with when they're in there, and they seemed much happier already.
They have since bonded with my husband and myself pretty hard, seeking us out if one of us isn't near and coming over for kisses and cuddles. They will easily spend long periods cuddled up in our arms without any fuss or issue, and even beg for more if put down too soon. The other night Ares napped on my chest while on the bed with me for a whole 30 minutes, and then after Loki joined us on the bed, they both napped with me for another 30 minutes. Both boys will also happily nap with their daddy when he's on the couch, whether he's watching TV or taking a nap doesn't matter to them.
The babies on the couch with their daddy (who tried hard not to smile while little toes scraped his scalp):
Since the newcomers had been in quarantine for two weeks after we got them, I was a little concerned about introducing them to my other two and allowing free-roam. And admittedly, there had been some rather rough scuffles, and a few bites that broke the skin a little, but it seems like they have sorted out their nonsense now. I can find them sharing drawers to sleep in together, playing together and eating together. Hilariously, during this period of time I was giving them to get acclimated to each other and still keeping them in separate cages, my other two had become pretty adamant about noisily shaking and digging at their own cage bars at night and seeking the babies out every morning when they got let out. So, last night I threw them all in together into the FN Triple cage (I'll combine two of our FN Double cages together for them later on). What a peaceful night.. other than little fuzzbutts playing with toys and what a pleasant sight this morning to see one big pile of ferrets sleeping all on top of each other.
Ares having pork slivers for the first time:
Athena deciding that nobody should ever eat all alone:
Everyone enjoying one of their FDR meals:
My happy surprise to find them all sleeping together in the cage:
Loki, Athena, and Ares sharing a drawer:
Apollo resting on our bed: