|
|
Post by marietta on May 5, 2017 20:42:02 GMT -5
Anyone have any ideas for a ferret that loves to climb?
|
|
|
|
Post by LindaM on May 5, 2017 21:09:49 GMT -5
What kind of ideas? Ideas for nice and safe climbing enrichment? Or how to try and prevent them from climbing?
|
|
|
|
Post by marietta on May 5, 2017 22:14:29 GMT -5
Sorry should have been more specific. Looking for safe climbing ideas.
|
|
|
|
Post by LindaM on May 5, 2017 22:40:27 GMT -5
Mine all share two medium-height cat trees with my cat (albeit quite rarely actually, and mostly to check up on the cat if they can't seem to find him anywhere else). The levels are rigged in a way that there's very short distances between them and I have puffy pillows and blankets all around it to pad if someone might happen to fall off, since a fall from a cat tree is always a dangerous possibility. Therefore, I check the padding around it every day to make sure it's all still in place to protect my wee ones.
In all honesty, you do not want to encourage climbing behaviors at all, as the wee buggers do not always behave in the most safe manners and accidents can occur very easy and even at pretty short heights. This kind of behavior, while natural for them, is better off being curbed wherever you can instead.
Because climbing is so risky, and the more they get to do it and like it, the more risks they'll try taking, some people end up using short cat trees and wind a ferret tunnel around it to climb instead as they'd be safer in the tubes.
|
|
|
|
Post by Heather on May 6, 2017 1:04:44 GMT -5
I don't encourage climbing. After loosing an adorable wee jill to a fall (she broke her back) I cannot reiterate how these creatures are not minks and should really keep their feet firmly planted on the ground. Ferrets are particularly at risk as their vision is not particularly good and their depth perception is even worse. If you want them to climb offer them enclosed tubes and tunnels that allows them to work their muscles and climbing abilities but limits them falling.
ciao
|
|
|
|
Post by abbeytheferret6 on May 6, 2017 20:50:51 GMT -5
I have to push couch tight up against wall as one of mine likes to walk the back of couch. This allows her to get in window sills though and I have wrap strings around the blinds as i am afraid she is going to hang herself:))
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 6, 2017 22:55:52 GMT -5
It is amazing their curiosity. We put a fence all around our balcony and she still try to find ways to climb.
When we finished we were sure that balcony is really safe.....but I always watching her, I remain a step behind her, because I see that she finds climb opportunities that I need not thought.
Even sometimes she goes near something for a second and then leaves, I am sure that she is not abandon the try. She just take "pictures"in her mind to be more successful in her try, next time!
Very very clever they are LOL.
|
|
|
|
Post by unclejoe on May 7, 2017 12:13:47 GMT -5
Exactly. Ferrets are very tenacious and will come back to a closed door or drawer to see if anything has changed. Out front deck is lined with playpen panels and we feel pretty safe letting them go out and in as they want, as long as we are here. We have a small place. Scamp frequents the top of a recliner, and is the first one to scale the ferret nation.
|
|
|
|
Post by marietta on May 10, 2017 10:55:43 GMT -5
Thanks everyone. I will try to discourage climbing too much then or maybe try the tunnels thing.
|
|
|
|
Post by msav on May 10, 2017 17:57:49 GMT -5
Exactly. Ferrets are very tenacious and will come back to a closed door or drawer to see if anything has changed. Out front deck is lined with playpen panels and we feel pretty safe letting them go out and in as they want, as long as we are here. We have a small place. Scamp frequents the top of a recliner, and is the first one to scale the ferret nation. I have had and still have a group of ferrets that make their rounds checking all places that they have ever infiltrated looking for any unsecured opening, cupboard, drawer, ect. The check every single time without fail. And if you left a spot unsecured they instantly found it and are all in it. They are not allowed in the closet and they will zip into it the instant you slide it open, and then they play the zip to the other side game when you reach for them. They do the same for the refrigerator now, the min it is open they zip in and go all the way to the back keeping out of your reach. |
|
|
|
Post by LindaM on May 10, 2017 20:01:12 GMT -5
msav Haha, exactly! I feel your pain. My little buggers know EXACTLY where their food comes from, but that it is somewhere not to be explored. Every morning for breakfast right after I let my little furballs out of their cage, and I go to open the fridge door to remove their thawed raw, I instantly end up with four ferrets all trying to climb the fridge shelves and I have to shuffle them all away to be able to close the door with one hand while juggling their food in the other hand. Suffice to say it takes me more time to try and close the fridge door in the morning than it does to actually give them breakfast.
|
|
