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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2011 11:20:44 GMT -5
OMG this little guy is funny... "scruff and stuff" works EXTREMELY well on him! If I scruff him and shove practically anything into his mouth, he gobbles it up, even if he's not hungry! ;D Also, really seems to be pigging out on the raw meats His little belly is round and tight from all the meat he is eating! He's such a funny little guy!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2011 11:47:04 GMT -5
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Post by joan on Jul 13, 2011 12:38:28 GMT -5
Congrats on your new kit...he looks great! Glad to see you got one of the fine points,...you should be very happy with him.
As I've said before, there is no reason that a kit or adult with a stable temperament can't be shipped as the airlines take excellent care of them. I've always heard that Nancy's ferrets had excellent temperaments, so I wouldn't expect that any of hers would have any problems as a result of being shipped. He most likely would have been as unafraid on arrival as mine have been if he'd had a traveling companion, but it says a lot for his basic temperament that he was fine after a short time at home with you.
I'd certainly have no problem with shipping one of my kits to an approved buyer, so long as it was someone I had previously met in person and watched them interact with my crew. But then I would not knowingly sell (or ship) one with an iffy or unstable temperament. Unfortunately. some of the ones with poor temperaments are fine in familiar surroundings, so that it's only apparent that they have less than desirable temperaments in a new home and/or handled by a stranger. The breeder should always be willing to take them back and exchange them or refund the buyer's money...sad to say, this doesn't always happen. I guess it's too easy to blame the bad behavior on the buyer.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2011 13:17:35 GMT -5
Boy, look at the size of those paws You're going to have your hands full when he's grownup
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2011 13:25:44 GMT -5
Thanks Joan. Nancy was worried though at one point. While I was at the office waiting to pick him up, Nancy called me sounding very concerned. She had shipped my ferret and one other at the same time, and apparently there was an issue with the other ferret. The new owner received him and took him out and started playing with him as soon as he got home from the airport, and I guess he bit him.
I don't know if the new owner was upset about it or what, but Nancy was very worried at this point, and called me to ask me to PLEASE take it slow and don't just pull the ferret out of the pet carrier and play with him right away. She asked me to just transfer him to his cage and leave him alone for a while so he could calm down and get used to his surroundings. Then after that, when he was calm, she wanted me to slowly introduce myself, giving him treats and letting him come to me. She said to take it slow and let him know I'm a good thing, and after that, go ahead and scruff him if necessary if he nips. She just didn't want me making the same mistake and immediately handling him when he just finished going through the whole flight ordeal and was all scared and worked up.
All of this seemed perfectly reasonable to me though. I didn't exactly follow her directions, I mostly did but I didn't wait as long as she wanted me to before I handled him, but when I did handle him I was very careful. We're getting along fine now, so maybe that just goes to show that he has a good temperament.
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Post by Heather on Jul 13, 2011 13:40:07 GMT -5
Congratulations...he's adorable. I'm glad that he came through his trip with not even a whisker out of place. I love that last photo (rawr), he's going to give you trouble. There is strength and determination in those eyes and just way to much intellegence ;D ;D ;D You're in so much trouble. I can't wait to hear the stories ;D ;D Give him a big hug from me. He looks an absolute love. Enjoy him ciao
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Post by joan on Jul 13, 2011 14:02:01 GMT -5
Nancy gave you excellent advice...it's too bad the other owner didn't follow it, as he probably wouldn't have had any problems with the kit if he had. Hopefully, he did put the kit in the cage and give him time to settle down and become accustomed to his new surroundings before interacting with him again.
What she told you to do is the exact procedure I follow when bringing in new one(s). Since Basil and Cybill were adults ( a year and ahalf old) and supposedly polecats (at the very least, they were clearly high content hybrids), I didn't try to handle them for several days after their arrival. I sat in the pen with them 3-4 times a day for at least half an hour at a time, talked to them, let them check me out, and hand fed them.
I only picked them up once it was clear that they were comfortable with me. Neither one ever attempted to nip or bite during the whole getting acquainted process or since then. Cybill was very protective while nursing young kits, which is entirely natural (and desirable) but never tried to bite me.
For the first few weeks, she did put her teeth on my hand and hissed to make it clear that I could look and touch, but was not allowed to remove them from the nest. She's been fine with me handling them since they were around 5 weeks old, but I do take her out of the room when there are visitors, as she's not thrilled with them handling her babies.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2011 17:15:57 GMT -5
aww he's very cute!! Congrats on the new baby hob!! Your going to absolutely love him, nothing like a private bred hob! And then just wait till he comes in season..... ;D Glad he had a safe trip in. I know quite a few people that ship puppies and dogs to different states and out of the country, they all have had really good luck. Oh yeah the growing hobs eat alot! You'll be amazed at the amount of meat they will consume. Tipsy I swear had a stomach with the never ending pit! My boy also had a obsession with putting food in the litter box, I tried everything but nope he put it in the box. Also what I did for my baby hob, whom wanted to sleep in the box, I got another litter box and put it beside it. In that box I put some cut up pieces of fleece, made like a nesting box. That worked perfect for him. He got a little bit older and eventually out grew his nesting box and graduated to a real bed, a hammock Enjoy your new baby boy, he wont stay so lil for long!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2011 17:16:51 GMT -5
He's so precious.
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Post by goingpostal on Jul 13, 2011 17:22:55 GMT -5
Awwww! He's stinkin adorable, all these kit pics are killing me.
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Post by Sherry on Jul 14, 2011 0:35:25 GMT -5
all these kit pics are killing me. Tell me about it ;D
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Post by hazelrah on Jul 14, 2011 7:13:40 GMT -5
Aww, he's beautiful!! Congrats, and I'm so glad he arrived safe and sound! Do you have a name for him yet?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2011 12:10:35 GMT -5
Aww, he's beautiful!! Congrats, and I'm so glad he arrived safe and sound! Do you have a name for him yet? Thanks! Yeah I finally settled on Finn for his name. He is settling in nicely and getting along with Fenton and Fiona. In the morning or when I come home from work and pick him up he's like a little puppy dog, he pants and gives me kisses all over my face ;D ;D ;D
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Post by rahx3 on Jul 14, 2011 12:14:38 GMT -5
Such a beautiful baby Congratulations on the new family member! He looks like a winner
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Post by ferretfreke on Jul 14, 2011 23:22:49 GMT -5
I love Nancy's ferrets! Congrats! He is certain to be a big boy. Her males are tanks.
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