Post by maihyo on Sept 15, 2022 2:30:12 GMT -5
Hello! This is my first post here, and I wish it was a better one. I recently adopted 2 1yr old male sables (Greg and Wirt) from a local shelter. I was told they are from Halifax, canada. I have had them for just under 2 weeks, and I know they are still settling into their new environment. The previous owner had them caged 24/7 in a small cage...
They both got a wellness exam at a very ferret savvy vet before adoption and al checked out aside from ear mites (resolved) in Wirt.
Anywho one of them (greg) is a SERIOUS fabric chewer. It started with a pair of sweatpants I put in their cage. The first morning I found red fabric in his poop so I immediately brought him to the vet. No blockage, fortunately. I removed all fabric except the hammocks and replaced it with real denim pants that I picked up from a goodwill. Not 2 hours later he chewed off and ingested an entire belt loop... back to the vet he went. No blockage again somehow.
I tried heavy duty cotton toys - chewed and eaten. Tubes - eaten. Denim - eaten. if its fabric, he will eat it.
I then removed everything but the hammocks and ladder covers. Hole in the hammock next morning. i removed the hammock and while I did so he aggressively started chewing the ladder cover in spite. it just goes on. Needless to say I have a lot of pumpkin and vaseline on the ready. Now the cage is completely bare except food and water bowls. I turned my office (150ish sqft) into a ferret room and they have had free roam of that since day 3. I also ferret proofed the rest of the house and allow them house free roam while I am home and awake in the hopes that perhaps he was just frustrated and needed more space.
He managed to about 5 days without a blockage scare until just now when I found him chewing a hole in our couch cushion. A solid 2" diam hole is missing so he's back to the blockage protocol.
I'm at a loss on what to do aside from limit free roam even more. I got ping pong balls and the thickest tubes I could find. Those have passed so far. I just hate seeing them sleep on a plastic floor in the double FN cage then have no good toys they can play with and stash. They really love the house free roam time and dook it up when they are out there, but they need 100% supervision.
I did transition them to raw. Currently on darwins pet balanced grind but I'll be swapping to my pet carnivore next. Only took about 4 days and they go to town on the raw grind now.
I'd love some advice on this. I want to give them a comfy cage and all the free roam possible but right now keeping them alive is more important than keeping them happy...
They both got a wellness exam at a very ferret savvy vet before adoption and al checked out aside from ear mites (resolved) in Wirt.
Anywho one of them (greg) is a SERIOUS fabric chewer. It started with a pair of sweatpants I put in their cage. The first morning I found red fabric in his poop so I immediately brought him to the vet. No blockage, fortunately. I removed all fabric except the hammocks and replaced it with real denim pants that I picked up from a goodwill. Not 2 hours later he chewed off and ingested an entire belt loop... back to the vet he went. No blockage again somehow.
I tried heavy duty cotton toys - chewed and eaten. Tubes - eaten. Denim - eaten. if its fabric, he will eat it.
I then removed everything but the hammocks and ladder covers. Hole in the hammock next morning. i removed the hammock and while I did so he aggressively started chewing the ladder cover in spite. it just goes on. Needless to say I have a lot of pumpkin and vaseline on the ready. Now the cage is completely bare except food and water bowls. I turned my office (150ish sqft) into a ferret room and they have had free roam of that since day 3. I also ferret proofed the rest of the house and allow them house free roam while I am home and awake in the hopes that perhaps he was just frustrated and needed more space.
He managed to about 5 days without a blockage scare until just now when I found him chewing a hole in our couch cushion. A solid 2" diam hole is missing so he's back to the blockage protocol.
I'm at a loss on what to do aside from limit free roam even more. I got ping pong balls and the thickest tubes I could find. Those have passed so far. I just hate seeing them sleep on a plastic floor in the double FN cage then have no good toys they can play with and stash. They really love the house free roam time and dook it up when they are out there, but they need 100% supervision.
I did transition them to raw. Currently on darwins pet balanced grind but I'll be swapping to my pet carnivore next. Only took about 4 days and they go to town on the raw grind now.
I'd love some advice on this. I want to give them a comfy cage and all the free roam possible but right now keeping them alive is more important than keeping them happy...
