the ferretorium

Life is still HECTIC AS HECK! so I'm not really back for realsies, just thought I'd catch up on some questions y'all had. Being away from the obligations of tumblr has been pretty liberating, and I realized that mindlessly scrolling through hundreds of posts is pretty mind-numbing, so chances are I won't come back.  So.  If you guys have ferret questions, do not hesitate to email me, because I love ferrets and if you love ferrets then chances are I love you, too.  So here ya go.  [email protected] Hit me up. Send me pictures. Updates. Whatever. Ferret people: I love you and want to help you.  Maranda out. 

The extra strong ones should be ok. I've just found that most ferrets don't really go for Kongs. They get bored of them. As far as home made toys... Ping pong balls + cardboard box = ball pit = super fun. Dig boxes: big plastic bins full of beans/long grain rice/biodegradable packing peanuts = super fun! Tennis ball + big long tube sock + tie knot at end = super fun toy to wrestle with and bite. I'm sure there's more, but those are just off the top of my head. :) Some good toys found at pet stores are Orka brand puppy teething toys (especially the ones you can freeze), Orka brand 'petstages' cat toys (wiggle worm!), and Orbee-tough bones (the really rubbery ones). I've found those to be pretty ferret-proof.  

Melbourne like... Australia? I live in the USA, friend, Google is going to know more about that than I am. xD 

YES, brush their teeth ESPECIALLY if they're eating kibble. Use an enzymatic toothpaste for cats or dogs, poultry flavored. 

Chewing usually stems from boredom. If you have a plastic food bowl, switch it to metal or ceramic. They usually don't like that texture. If you're letting them out for 3-4 hours a day, then that's excellent, and it might not be boredom. Try offering them all sorts of types of toys of different textures: stuffed, rubbery, etc. 

Most ferrets are imprinted on kibble at first, so chances are you're going to have to start with kibble and then slowly transition to raw. The folks at the Holistic Ferret Forum are super knowledgeable about that whole process. Basically, play it by ear: do it at your ferret's pace. Raw diets are super wonderful and I highly recommend feeding them-- it's really what they're built to eat. :)

--Maranda

Does he have other places to sleep? Some ferrets prefer other sleeping places... some like hammocks, some prefer sleepy sacs, some like little donut beds... some just like to bury themselves in blankets. Try offering everything! And every time you see him sleeping in the litter box, move him somewhere else. And try to pay attention when he falls asleep-- learn the pattern of play, sleep, play, sleep, and what times they do it. If you can anticipate when they're about to fall asleep, you can herd them into the proper sleeping area. 

I'm really ashamed of this disgusting Eldritch horror litter box, but whatever. Here is how I solved the problem of ferrets pooping NEXT to the box instead of in it. I made it easy for them to walk into it by trimming the edges. I used a pair of huge shears, for pruning, and chopped up this little kitten litter box from Petco. Try it!

Zaphod (L) and Max (R) cuddle, nestled between blankets and on top of a pile of pillows. They're just lying under the blanket, this kills me, look at Max's face, cuties stahp

Found a tiny tent at thrift store. Bought it for the ferrets. Wisest decision, or wisest decision?

I think it's human nature to want to feel needed. A person needs me, a child needs me, etc. For me, though, it's animals. This animal needs me, I care for it, and it is a point of pride that I offer it the best care by any standards. It started with my snakes, then my ferrets, and finally my rescue dog. They drain my finances, but I won't trade them for the world. When other people are out at bars and paying to get into expensive movies, I'm at home giving my dog an $8 bully stick because it makes him happy. I'm spending $80 a month on raw food for my ferrets so they live long healthy lives. Simply: making animals happy makes me happy. When I see my snakes peeking at me from under their favorite hiding spot, content in their homes, I smile. When I stroke the rabbit-soft fur of my ferrets that comes from their superior diet, I smile. When my dog sits and lays down on command from the weekly training classes I enroll him in, I smile. Caring for living things gives me the most beautiful sense of fulfillment. I don't think I'll ever be without some type of animal companion in my life. I can't imagine the lonely, abyssal void their absence would create. Being around animals is therapeutic. Even cleaning fish tanks and scooping litter boxes is fulfilling work, because it's not for me, it's for them. And that's the difference they've made in my life: they give me a purpose higher than myself. 

Wait... do you mean... to what extent are animals my whole life? Because that is a way more accurate question.