Post by emmettandlouise on Mar 26, 2022 17:55:00 GMT -5
Just over a year ago we adopted two marshalls ferrets–the family that originally purchased them from Petco had no idea what they were getting into and decided to re-sell.
We knew it was going to be a bit of a challenge working with two deaf babies but I had a lot of time to spend with them and knew that we could give them a wonderful home. We suspected they were both Waardies because Emmett is a bit of a Panda and Louise had the Blaze and white spot under her tail tip.
Louise seemed to be able to hear loud high pitched sounds, she was always the most active of the two. A great climber, danced all the time and loved to investigate. Emmett was more laid back, but he loved to chase her and play hide and seek, wrestle. But he'd get tired out quicker and lay flat on the floor or go feast and sleep.
We lost Louise a few weeks ago. She was a bouncing happy girl in the morning and then I found her curled up that evening, she'd gone, she'd gone to sleep in an unusual spot by herself. I feel distraught not knowing why she died, what happened. She was her normal self all afternoon-I'm scared I must have missed little signs. She was 16 months old. I wish I'd known about getting a necropsy done, I was just so upset I wasn't thinking, I just wanted her to wake up. I wanted it not to be real.
Emmett was so upset-running from room to room looking for her all day. We read that letting him see her and say his goodbyes was the best way to help him cope-and it did, he laid down and groomed her. It took hours. It's so hard when you're grieving to still be there for the surviving ferret. I took time off work because at first he wasn't eating much and I was so scared that the same thing would happen to him. Our vet said that he looked completely healthy. It's been a few weeks now and he's so much more attached to us than before. He's doing well, eating and drinking lots. But he doesn't like being alone when he's awake and he doesn't like being in his cage when he's alone. They had free roam of our apartment when we were home but I'd put them in their cage (double ferret nation) when I went to work, just fearful that they could get into something.
We're now thinking that because he's so young still and so clearly longs for interaction it might be time to see if he'd pick a new friend. Louise was my baby and I'm not ready but I think Emmett might be.
I'm wondering if he'd do better with another quirky ferret like him or if that doesn't really matter so much. He dooks when he's really excited-when he's really playful but has never hissed (that was his sister's main thing) and sometimes he plays too roughly and doesn't realise. He's also a bit silly if that makes sense-not the sharpest and a bit clumsy. I think he was the dominant one-he'd nudge her out of the food dish sometimes but that was the only bossing I ever saw him do. I'm just worried that if we get a ferret with normal social skills they'll be frustrated-I know he'll never have a bond and an understanding like her did with his sister but I hope I can find him someone. I'm also scared that if we find another Waardy that they would also end up with something awful happening. The ferrets available in Canada are mostly from Marshalls and they are a horrible careless breeder. I don't want to lose another one but I also want Emmett to have a full life. I don't know what to do.
Sorry for such a long post-still just very sad about everything and feeling lost. Thank you for taking the time to read and for any suggestions people may have.![]()
We knew it was going to be a bit of a challenge working with two deaf babies but I had a lot of time to spend with them and knew that we could give them a wonderful home. We suspected they were both Waardies because Emmett is a bit of a Panda and Louise had the Blaze and white spot under her tail tip.
Louise seemed to be able to hear loud high pitched sounds, she was always the most active of the two. A great climber, danced all the time and loved to investigate. Emmett was more laid back, but he loved to chase her and play hide and seek, wrestle. But he'd get tired out quicker and lay flat on the floor or go feast and sleep.
We lost Louise a few weeks ago. She was a bouncing happy girl in the morning and then I found her curled up that evening, she'd gone, she'd gone to sleep in an unusual spot by herself. I feel distraught not knowing why she died, what happened. She was her normal self all afternoon-I'm scared I must have missed little signs. She was 16 months old. I wish I'd known about getting a necropsy done, I was just so upset I wasn't thinking, I just wanted her to wake up. I wanted it not to be real.
Emmett was so upset-running from room to room looking for her all day. We read that letting him see her and say his goodbyes was the best way to help him cope-and it did, he laid down and groomed her. It took hours. It's so hard when you're grieving to still be there for the surviving ferret. I took time off work because at first he wasn't eating much and I was so scared that the same thing would happen to him. Our vet said that he looked completely healthy. It's been a few weeks now and he's so much more attached to us than before. He's doing well, eating and drinking lots. But he doesn't like being alone when he's awake and he doesn't like being in his cage when he's alone. They had free roam of our apartment when we were home but I'd put them in their cage (double ferret nation) when I went to work, just fearful that they could get into something.
We're now thinking that because he's so young still and so clearly longs for interaction it might be time to see if he'd pick a new friend. Louise was my baby and I'm not ready but I think Emmett might be.
I'm wondering if he'd do better with another quirky ferret like him or if that doesn't really matter so much. He dooks when he's really excited-when he's really playful but has never hissed (that was his sister's main thing) and sometimes he plays too roughly and doesn't realise. He's also a bit silly if that makes sense-not the sharpest and a bit clumsy. I think he was the dominant one-he'd nudge her out of the food dish sometimes but that was the only bossing I ever saw him do. I'm just worried that if we get a ferret with normal social skills they'll be frustrated-I know he'll never have a bond and an understanding like her did with his sister but I hope I can find him someone. I'm also scared that if we find another Waardy that they would also end up with something awful happening. The ferrets available in Canada are mostly from Marshalls and they are a horrible careless breeder. I don't want to lose another one but I also want Emmett to have a full life. I don't know what to do.
Sorry for such a long post-still just very sad about everything and feeling lost. Thank you for taking the time to read and for any suggestions people may have.
