hunger strike?

[Deleted]

Hi everyone. Im hoping you guys can give me some help or insight.

Yesterday i noticed that weasel was coughing quite a bit, almost as if he had a hair or something in his nose. Being the paranoid ferret parent that I am, i covered his pork in oil, squash baby food and lax. A few hours later i did more quash and more lax. He had a few big orange poops and is acting totally normal, if not a little more active than usual (I kept him cooped up for most of the day so I could moniter the litter box). That day he only ate a small amount (maybe 2 oz) of his pork, but was thrilled to eat any squash, lax or freeze dried chicken(his favorite treat) that I offered.

This morning the cough has pretty much abated, but just to be safe I gave him more squash. He's pooped and peed and is acting like his normal boisterous self, but doesn't seem to be very hungry. He happily lapped up the squash, but wasn't all that interested in the chicken wing I gave him for breakfast.

I was concerned that he may have had a blockage, but since i just saw him poop RIGHT NEXT TO the litter box now i'm not as worried. Does anyones ferrets occasionally just loose their appetite or go on strike? Right now he's laying by my feet hamming it up and begging for more freeze dried chicken , so I know he will eat if he gets what he wants.

Thanks for all your help =]

[Sherry]

They will do that either when they've had too much to eat, when you are feeding too much, or when they've decided they won't eat that particular food for whatever reason(too big a piece, don't like it, being lazy, etc).
As long as the behavior is normal otherwise, I don't worry about it anymore.

[Deleted]

Thanks for your help, Sherry.

Looks like he is busy munching on a chicken wing at the moment. maybe he was holding out in homes of getting some stella and chewy's duck duck goose

[Deleted]

My girls used to be very picky, especially Pixie, which would result in making her favorite soup and hand feeding her

Once I stopped doing that, the pickyness seems to have stooped when I put food in the cage, that is what they get. Piece too big? Deal ;D

I try to rotate meats every 1-3 meals. So chicken might be 2 meals straight, then go to turkey for 1-2, then a single meal of beef, then cgh. Seems to help keep them interested

[crazylady]

sherry has hit the nail right on the head lol I call it why chew it when mom will give me something else mode lol I just leave them to it they soon realise mom is not falling for the begging don't like that want something else so I better eat it or go hungry lol take care bye for now
Bev aka crazy lady