Mustelid Eskapades

whatareyoudoingferret: What are you doing? LOL /ZOOOM/

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:23:25 -0600

whatareyoudoingferret:

What are you doing?

LOL /ZOOOM/

drops-in-the-riv3r reblogged your photo: Hello! Omggg I hope my dog can chill with ferrets like...

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:50:01 -0600

drops-in-the-riv3r reblogged your photo: Hello!

Omggg I hope my dog can chill with ferrets like this

It’s a bit of a misleading photo actually. We have to kick our dog out of the room while the ferrets are out or else she’ll be constantly lunging and pouncing at them (in a playful way, but she’s so much larger than them and we don’t want any accidents).

It’s cute when the ferrets pounce and get excited about her wagging tail though.

“Hello!”

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 16:40:18 -0600

“Hello!”

johnthedragon: spazzyena: squishyeeyore: Mass Effect Ferrets...

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 13:47:25 -0600

johnthedragon:

spazzyena:

squishyeeyore:

Mass Effect Ferrets by Amales

Can a group of people just, remake Mass Effect 3 into this. I’d play it then itd be sick.

PERFECT

LMAO

This is a perfect example why ferret anthros will never work.

Eska goes diving for treasure in the bathtub! The quality got...

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 13:20:44 -0600

Eska goes diving for treasure in the bathtub!

The quality got killed after I uploaded it for some reason, sorry. :c

You guys realize there’s a second water bottle downstairs,...

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 16:40:26 -0600

You guys realize there’s a second water bottle downstairs, right…

All three in the bath!

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 13:20:00 -0600

All three in the bath!

Research!! I cannot stress that enough. I was reading up on...

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 06:46:00 -0600

Research!! I cannot stress that enough. I was reading up on ferrets for about two years before deciding I was up to the challenges and that they were the right pet for me. So many people are misinformed about ferrets or assume they’re similar to other domestic animals (usually cats or rodents) but they’re entirely different. They are mustelids and in the same family as badgers and otters!

I’d say the fundamentals to know about ferrets is diet, health symptoms to look for, ferret proofing, set up costs, and basic training.

Ferrets are obligate carnivores, meaning they eat meat and only meat! You can feed a raw diet, live prey, or high protein-low fiber kibbles. I feed mine a mixture of 8-in-1 Ultimate ferret food and Wysong Epigen 90 to give them a little variety and to stretch the Wysong since it’s pretty spendy. It’s an extremely good food, they love it, it makes their coats, soft, thick and shiny, and no stinky poop or musk! I’ve heard that some ferret owners feed a mixture of three kibbles to balance their nutrition better (no kibble is perfect), but it’s up to you. Here’s a food and treat chart with a breakdown of ingredients and nutrition values:

http://www.ferretuniverse.com/care/food.asp
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?c=17342&articleid=1878&d=612&category=627
I’ve personally tried Zupreem and EVO too and.. it wasn’t pretty. Very running and stinky poops and it made the ferrets extremely musky.

Avoid anything with corn in it as it can lead to intestinal blockages or health problems later in their life. A ferret’s intestinal tract is very short and they can’t properly digest complex carbs. Also avoid cat foods unless you know what to look for in the ingredients (only high quality organic cat foods) and NEVER feed them anything that has hairball reducer in it. This could poison your ferret.

Their poop is also very important! You can tell a lot about a ferret by its poop:
http://holisticferret60.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=vetting&action=display&thread=2469

It’s good to keep an emergency fund of $500-1000 solely for your ferrets as well because if they ever get sick, it can progress very quickly and they might die within a few days. It’s not a good idea to “wait it out” if you notice your ferret is suddenly lethargic, has strange poop, rapid weight loss, or any other concerning symptoms. Make sure to have a good exotics vet that specifically treats ferrets since their bodies are very sensitive and can easily be overdosed on medication if someone doesn’t know what they’re doing.

Ferrets are adventurous little creatures and they get into everything. They can get into your couch, bed, drawers, under your kitchen appliances, get stuck, eat something bad, might get stepped on, sat on, etc. Which leads me to ferret proofing!
http://www.everythingferret.com/ferret_proofing.htm
http://www.squidoo.com/ferret_proofing
I personally designate a room or two for the ferrets to have supervised play time in. Do not allow them in the kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room since they can easily get lost or stuck in appliances or get sick from unclean areas.

I’ve found that ferrets are pretty cheap to take care of once you get the initial costs out of the way. List price for ferrets at Petco is $130-140, but there are lots of people selling ferrets on Craigslist too. A good price to look for is $80-100 and most people will bundle their cage and supplies with 1-2 ferrets for around $200-250. You could also see if there’s a ferret shelter in your area, most shelters adopt out for $60-100.
Ferrets need a lot of room to live in, so unless you’re going to have them out of the cage most of the time, a bigger cage will cost you $150-200+. Food crocks, water bottles, litter box, litter, hammocks, sleepers, and blankets will cost you around $50-100+ depending on how much you’re willing to spend. I highly recommend going to JoAnn’s and getting a yard of fleece to cut up and make your own blankets! It’s also a huge plus if you know how to sew since a lot of ferret accessories are overpriced (in my opinion).

When you’re looking for a ferret be sure to do a hearing test too. Ferrets with panda, dark eyed white, and blaze markings are more likely to be prone to deafness. Loki is a blaze with the Waardenburg stripe and he’s only a little hard of hearing in one ear from how he tilts his head to listen sometimes. And Mako is also a blaze with a more prominent Waardenburg stripe and we believe he’s completely deaf. So not all of them are, but if you’re interested in a ferret with those markings be sure to test their hearing responsiveness with little whistles or clicks when they’re not looking at you.

And lastly, training. You’re going to want to train your ferret to at least be litter trained. Ferrets are not like cats in the way that they won’t reliably go in their litter all the time. If they have to go and they decide the litter is too far away or if the litter is too full, they might decide to go somewhere else. Ferrets can be very stubborn, so it’ll take time, persistence, and patience from you to train them. Watch them like a hawk and if you see them about to go (backing up - usually in a corner - with tail lifted) pick them up and put them in the litter. The best time to catch them is when they first wake up. My girl learned to fake it until I walked away and then she’d go outside the litter when I wasn’t looking. And sometimes I’d stand there for 20 minutes watching and waiting for her to go before rewarding her with “out time”.
Positive reinforcement is the best way to teach any animal. Every single time they use the litter, give them something they like/want like treats, a toy, or play time. Verbal and physical praise is also encouraged. They’ll learn to associate going poop in there = good things.

Nipping and biting is also important to discourage, especially early on. Ferrets will naturally play with their mouths and nip each other, but you don’t want them to hurt you! Teach them boundaries and what is acceptable and what isn’t. This video and article has a lot of great tips for ferret biting: http://www.ferret-world.com/ferretbiting.html
With any kind of training, be sure to experiment and find what works best for their personality and the situation. I’ve had a lot of success with the “gag” technique with Eska. When she was a kit she was very nippy. Whenever she’d get too wild and bite my hands, I would stick my finger in her mouth just far enough to make her gag once and then pull my hands away. I would also couple this with a firm “NO”. This doesn’t hurt the ferret at all, it’s simply telling them “if you bite me, then you get a finger in your mouth which you don’t like”. And she quickly learned to not bite down hard. If I wasn’t able to do that, (for example, if she bit my feet) I’d scruff her and give her a gentle shake while saying “NO” and put her back in the cage for a time out.
I personally find it acceptable for a ferret to open their mouth and gently nip me while playing, as long as they don’t bite hard enough to hurt me. Set your boundaries early on and be consistant. I’ve also read that some ferrets get angry and will bite more after being scruffed. So find what works best for you.

And like I said at the beginning; research. Google is your friend! I could get a lot more in depth about all these topics, but there’s already so many good articles out there and I can’t call myself a ferret expert. But I hope that helped you! :)

I’m so happy to finally have a ferret that cuddles with...

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 01:32:01 -0600

I’m so happy to finally have a ferret that cuddles with me. ♡

Ferrets specialize in weird sleeping positions.

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 12:30:34 -0600

Ferrets specialize in weird sleeping positions.

The blaze boys are always sleeping together now. ♥ So cute.

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:30:32 -0600

The blaze boys are always sleeping together now. ♥ So cute.

The best way to wake up is to have a groggy ferret handed to...

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:01:42 -0600

The best way to wake up is to have a groggy ferret handed to you. ♥

Party time in the laundry bin!

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:30:21 -0600

Party time in the laundry bin!

Hi Loki!

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:30:36 -0600

Hi Loki!

Bad poops

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:01:47 -0600

One of the joys of owning a new ferret that no one really tells you about: Waking up to clean up all the poop that got dropped around the cage while you were sleeping. Needless to say, floor blankets have been banned until Mako is litter trained.

Poor little guy wasn’t eating anything, so Demu mushed up some...

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:30:32 -0600

Poor little guy wasn’t eating anything, so Demu mushed up some kibble with warm water for him. Well, he enjoyed it and is eating his new food now!

Are they breaking the skin on the scruff of the neck? Mine did when the fight was serious.

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:22:03 -0600

None of our ferrets have ever drawn blood on anyone. They’re just roughhousing. :)

I adore Eska! She looks like she could be my Meeka's sister! :)

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:20:45 -0600

Aw, thank you! I had to take a look, and they do look like they could be sisters. ; v; Also congrats on getting her back home safely! I’d be so worried if one of mine got out…

They’re getting along quite well. ♥

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:01:00 -0600

They’re getting along quite well. ♥

A perfect depiction of how socially awkward Eska is.

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:01:00 -0600

A perfect depiction of how socially awkward Eska is.