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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2012 15:12:02 GMT -5
The issue of how to negotiate ferret bonding mishaps has arrived in my life.  At least I think that's what the issue is. First there was Artie, whom I ignorantly removed from his buddy at the pet store. I have since doted on him to the point that I might have had him transfer his sweet heart to me. When I got his buddy, Teddy, for him all was well for awhile, but for the last couple weeks, Artie pretty much avoids Teddy. They sleep together and sometime they play together, but it isn't like I have seen other ferrets play and sleep together. They don't really take turns jumping at each other, Teddy will chase Artie or Artie will wardance at Teddy, who ignores him. They don't pile together for sleep, they curl up in the same den. I can play with Artie and snuggle and groom. I can play with Teddy and snuggle and groom. Artie at this point does not like to eat when Teddy is around. He just leaves, so I have begun feeding them in separate areas so that I know Artie will eat, he had begun to loose weight and has these poops that look IBD-ish. Currently I have taken to spending A LOT of time with each ferret separately so they both know I love them, but I think ferrets can get jealous and a few other strange (what others would call human) emotions. The poops are getting better, Artie and Teddy are eating and sleeping and pooping fairly well, although on different schedules (aargh  ). Do y'all think I may have created some rivalry and is there a way I can get these guys to maybe become a little closer? I'd like to see them having fun the way your furbabies do on youtube. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2012 15:35:57 GMT -5
How long have you had Teddy? You could try bathing them together or taking them for a car ride in their carrier. Stressful experiences help them bond
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Post by cierva4 on Mar 9, 2012 15:47:21 GMT -5
When I brought Wheatley home, Charlotte (about half his size) was a little scared of him and completely avoided him in favor of sitting in my lap. I started letting them out and sitting on my bed where they couldn't reach me. She started playing with Wheatley after she realized I wasn't an option.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2012 16:28:19 GMT -5
I agree with the bath thing. We had a fairly similar situation and we bathed all three of ours a few times, just water playtime. It seemed help and before we knew it they were playing together and sleeping outside of the cage together. I heard that has something to do with them being bonded
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Post by Sherry on Mar 9, 2012 16:33:20 GMT -5
Boris and Sinnead were extremely bonded- to the point where we almost lost Boris when Sinnead passed. Zeus and Athena are, if anything, even closer. Each if those duos did/do almost everything together. Then, there was Vincent and Lucrezia. Did sleep in the same location usually, didn't often seek each other out for playtime. They usually preferred to play with others. Point is- in spite of appearances they were so closely bonded my mild mannered sweet Vincent almost broke out of the carrier to attack the vet when Lucrezia screamed with her first shot. It simply startled her and she's deaf, so she screamed. Never saw him in a rage like that before. When still trying to integrate Zeus and Athena with them, I let Lucrezia and Zeus go at it. Vincent saw and from that day until the day he passed he tried to attack Zeus every time he saw him- even though those two had played quite well prior to that. Had even found them curled up together a couple of times. When Vincent passed, that was the first time I'd ever seen a ferret silently crying real physical tears. Lucrezia was getting into one thing after another from anger the day we found Vincent dead in his cage. I picked her up and held her. She lay in my lap with tears coming. She stayed there for hours every time she was out if the cage. And this is a fuzz that can't stand being held for more than a minute or so. So just because they don't appear to be close doesn't mean they aren't  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2012 16:37:41 GMT -5
This thread brings up what I've been thinking about for a few days (boojum sorry to kind of hijack your thread with this but maybe it will be helpful to you too)...how do you (can you?) tell when ferrets are bonded?
Sometimes mine sleep together, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they will eat out of the same bowl, sometimes they won't. They take turns playing with each other and sometimes all 3 play together at the same time ('tagging out' haha, one waits in the sidelines while 2 go at it, then one takes a break and the other one goes in...)
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2012 17:27:22 GMT -5
Sherry you made me cry.  That's heart warming and depressing at the same time. It seems like all my kids love each other just about the same amount. Except for Hooligan loves Igor and Edward just a little more then Jet. Jet loves everyone the same. Edward is loved by all but acts as if she is too good. Igor loves every one but Hooligan is his BFF. Hooligan sleeps alone and eats alone He is the oldest. I think He just enjoys alone time in the cage. Outside the cage they all sleep in piles and they all play together. I think Its just personality and preference for certain situations. Some fuzz are just wanderers and chaos makers and others are fighters/lovers |
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Post by Heather on Mar 9, 2012 19:37:42 GMT -5
As pointed out, each ferret cares for each other differently. When Yuri was dumped off he took up with Napoleon. He roamed around with Napoleon and they slept together. Napoleon was suffering from cardiomyopathy so wasn't very energetic but the two would roam about and sleep together. When Napoleon passed on, Yuri acted like it didn't matter...he gave Napoleon's body a cursory sniff and wandered off to do his own thing. Minion came in and was so alone and no one would have anything to do with him (actually everyone kept beating him up) so I put him in with Yuri. Yuri refused to have anything to do with Minion. He would go about his business and get upset if Minion tried to play with him. About 6 months after Yuri and Minion were put in together, they started to play. I realised as I watched them play that Yuri was a grieving ferret....he was actually missing Napoleon. Even after they started playing regularly, Yuri would not allow Minion to sleep with him. Minion could crawl in with Yuri, but as soon as Yuri woke up, he'd leave. Two nights before Yuri had his surgery and passed on, he crawled in to the hammy with Minion, for the first time since Napoleon died, Yuri, searched out someone to sleep with. Minion grieved horribly for Yuri and wasn't real happy when he found himself sharing space with Atreyu. Atreyu, doesn't know how to play with Minion but they're both learning. Most of the time, they're off doing their own thing separately. It's going to take time. Today, I caught them playing together but it only happened after they had chased all the cats up onto cat towers and chased the dog all around the house. I think they were so wound up that they actually bounced on each other and chased each other around the house by accident, it didn't last long before they went their separate way. The one thing to note...both are absolutely devoted to each other and when you go to find them, you will find them sleeping together. If I take either away from the other, ear cleanings and reassurances are the greetings. Appearances can and are deceiving.
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2012 20:43:25 GMT -5
Sherry and Heather-now I don't want them to bond. Ironic. It's better to help them be happy though. Ah Haaa! Then Artie's grim college kid angst demeanor is more likely a part of the grieving process. (He is acting like Yuri did.) He's doing better now that I am concentrating on him like I was before. I had just put the evening meal down and baby gated Teddy in their room and Artie out here so they could eat and I could do this. I hadn't done that before.  Artie finished and after looking at me a bit like WTF, he proceded to take out one of the wire crosspieces to go through the gate.  I told him to stop so I could take the thing down, he pulled his head out and I now have a slightly used baby gate. I think I'll put some plexiglass on both sides as an upgrade.  There are baths in their future and I'm just going to love on them and spoil them both until Artie gets back to a more normal playfulness and they look like happy mutant-sized ferts. Teddy's raw diet coat is coming in-pretty silver baby. No worry on hijacks-I'm probably notorious for it by now. Some ideas just seem to apply to some threads if you ask me. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2012 1:56:16 GMT -5
Update:
Things have improved to the point that this evening, the following things happened.
Artie was in the living room playing around. I had set the teapot on for his dinner. It goes off and wakes up Teddy, who trundles out to see what's in the bowl. (I have not gotten any meat out yet.) He finds us both in the kitchen at this point.
They greet each other with nose-to-ear sniff, butt sniff and then they walk (literally) side by side over to a chewed up dried-meat bone and sniff it together. Then they head back to their room and Teddy goes back to bed and Artie goes to gnaw on another meaty bone in one of his hidey holes.
My interpretation of Artie and Teddy:
T: Hi.
A: Hi.
T: What's she got us for dinner?
A: This old bone.
T: Sh1t, I'm goin' back to bed.
A: I've got a snack back in the room.
T: 'Nite man.
Now some would say I'm humanizing, but, I kid you not, the body language was spot on.
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Post by Heather on Mar 27, 2012 2:01:32 GMT -5
Maybe it's a bit of humanizing but it does sound like that could very well have been the conversation ;D ;D I'm guessing that things are picking up between the two?
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2012 2:08:06 GMT -5
Yep. Artie is cheering up, Teddy is Teddy, and I am giving them more loves than ever, plus some gentle grooming and an outdoors trip or two. They sleep together most of the time. Teddy is the dominant because he's a bit stronger but he's getting Artie stronger. Artie is teaching Teddy his little annoying tricks. And they are both keeping me on my toes.
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Post by Sherry on Mar 27, 2012 9:42:03 GMT -5
Sounds like it's been a success ;D And yes, although humanizing somewhat- they do behave like that, so how else are you supposed to interpret it? ;D
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2012 23:03:21 GMT -5
I am so glad that they decided to hang and bond. There hasn't been the squabbling that there are in some businesses. So I guess they are just two "guys" who hang out a lot.
They are my furkids, that's for sure.
Anyone who doesn't get ferrets intelligence and ability to socialize is in denial.
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