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Post by Sherry on Feb 15, 2012 9:16:57 GMT -5
It will be much less stressful on all three having him separated while Finn is in rut And after all, as long as you can directly supervise, they can still play together for a little while longer.
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Post by Heather on Feb 15, 2012 11:50:01 GMT -5
I know that you're not happy with the arrangement and I'm sure that Finn will be a bit upset about being in solitary but I really think this is best. One of the problems that we don't think about, is that altered or not Fenton is still a male. In the early spring, Fenton's hormones will be spiking too. Remember, one of the reasons we have problems with adrenal is because ferrets despite being altered never really shut down. So, in Finn's opinion, Fenton is still a competitor for Fiona, even though she's not available. At this time of year, Finn is not your sweet lovable fluffball....he's all male and he's only got one thing on his mind, get rid of the competition for Fiona's attention. She may be altered but she still smells like a female and again it's spring she will be throwing those pheromones too. If he was a polecat, he would be fighting for his females and getting rid of the competition. Around Sept or so you will have your loveable boy back and he may be willing to play being a baby ferret again. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2012 12:47:30 GMT -5
...One of the problems that we don't think about, is that altered or not Fenton is still a male. In the early spring, Fenton's hormones will be spiking too. ... I'm sure you're right Heather, except I think Fenton's hormones probably already spiked. He is a winter baby, born the wrong time of year, and by all visible signs, his seasonal clock appears to be backwards. This summer he was very relaxed, fat, and fluffy, in winter mode, with a nice thick winter coat. Then in November he shed off all his nice thick coat and has grown in a short, coarser, thinner summer coat, and lost all the winter chub. He is now WAY more hyper and playful, is awake all the time, very active and energetic, and will often tackle Fiona and Finn trying to assert his dominance. He does the same to my nephew's ferret who is fixed. So, I think Fenton is already in full summer mode with his hormones as high as they get!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2012 17:13:14 GMT -5
Do you guys think that one Ferret Nation cage (in effect a FN141) is enough room for a big hob like Finn, or would it be better for him to have a FN142? (2 stories)
I have a FN142 for him, the only problem is, I may need to leave half of it at my parents' house so that when I visit, there will be 2 cages, one for Finn and one for Fenton and Fiona, so they can be separate. Not to mention my nephews ferrets, who will need to stay with Fenton and Fiona; Finn is even more likely to hurt them than Fenton or Fiona.
So, if I leave one cage at my parents' house full-time (I can't transport an entire FN142 every time I drive there), that would leave a FN141 for Finn to live in full-time, unless I buy another cage.
I am totally willing to buy more cage space, just wondering if it's overkill.
Boy, he was such an angel all during Fall and Winter. But now it's almost Spring. I wish there was something akin to Deslorelin, but not as potent... Something that, rather than a complete chemical neutering, would just "tone down" the hormones to Winter-time levels ;D
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2012 17:29:52 GMT -5
Yes thats plenty of room I know someone who did that with her hob. She also had 2 marshalls a male and female just like you she kept in the bottom lol.
Sent from my SCH-M828C using ProBoards
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Post by Heather on Feb 15, 2012 18:22:42 GMT -5
With the time out of cage and all the care that he gets...he will be fine in his single. Minion only gets one level...brat.. he doesn't even get the shelf. He gets the floor because if I add another level or a shelf he poops and pees on it. He really doesn't care...I've done boot camp with him forever but as soon as you add another level So, give Finn his hammies and what not and he will be fine ciao
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2012 0:15:06 GMT -5
Well, Finn spent today in his bachelor pad cage. When I got home, I let them all out to play together in my room.
Finn scruff-dragged Fenton and Fiona once each, didn't hurt them, and I was right there in case it got nasty. He seemed to kind of get it out of his system, and behaved himself the rest of the time.
It was touching and kind of sad, when I first let them all out, Fiona went straight over to Finn and groomed his ears! It's like she missed him, it was so cute. But then, he rewarded her kindness by scruff-dragging her and lying on top of her, that ticked her off! Poor little fuzzies, hormones make everything complicated don't they!
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Post by Heather on Feb 16, 2012 0:34:32 GMT -5
Think of them as messed up teens and it all comes into perspective ciao
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2012 0:46:21 GMT -5
Think of them as messed up teens and it all comes into perspective ciao Haha that's a good one, I will have to remember that! ;D Fiona is really the sweetest thing ever though, she always wants to take care of Fenton and Finn, even me
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Post by Sherry on Feb 16, 2012 1:37:50 GMT -5
I'm glad it went as well as it did with the playtime Fingers crossed it stays that way! And yes, they'll miss each other, but with being able to know one another is still in the room, they'll be fine
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2012 1:58:46 GMT -5
Tonight after Finn fell asleep I was holding him and cuddling him as I often like to when he's asleep.
I noticed that his ears are SO GROSS inside! The earwax is dark brown or maybe even black, and there was more of it than in Fenton or Fiona's ears.
It made me think he might have ear mites. His ears look like the pictures I see online of ferrets with ear mites.
But, Fenton and Fiona's ears look really good, definitely do NOT look like they have ear mites. If he had them, they would have them too, since until yesterday they slept together all the time, right?
Is it maybe normal for hobs to have grosser ears with more gunk in them? I cleaned them out pretty good with olive oil which he hated.
Oh also, I think he has found his "hob song"... Today while following Fiona around trying to mount her, he was sort of chuckling / dooking fast and furious, but it was higher-pitched and almost more musical than his normal dooking, more like he was babbling away about something LOL! Maybe this is what you meant by "hob song" Heather? ;D
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Post by Heather on Feb 16, 2012 3:06:29 GMT -5
Oh, Finn has learned to sing ;D I think you've got it, Mikey....It's rather like he's talking to himself but more like he's singing to himself...his hob song I mentioned the dirty ears to Bev awhile ago. She says it's all the excess oils ....I believe she said that at this time of year hobs have sh*t for brains and it just starts oozing out their ears I think she said something about gentle whiping them out with a cotton swab. I can't remember what with though or if it was just supposed to be dry cotton. I will see if I can find out for you. ciao
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Post by Sherry on Feb 16, 2012 9:51:49 GMT -5
Oh my Finn ;D Singing to your girlfriend ;D
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2012 0:19:20 GMT -5
Hey Heather, is this what you call a hob song? Or do they make yet another noise? I'm not sure, it doesn't sound quite like his normal dooking. He does it more intensely and varied sometimes, but by the time I got the camera out he wasn't doing it as much ;D This was the best recording I could get:
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Post by Heather on Feb 17, 2012 3:02:02 GMT -5
That's a hob song ;D Odin would just prowl around singing his hob song. He didn't need a sexy wee thing to keep him amused, but the pitch go higher when he saw Lady "B"...and a bit faster....she would scream and run in the opposite direction and he wouldn't increase his pace but his song would get louder and higher...rather reminded me of that stupid skunk on the bugs bunny shows ciao
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