Bonk is Recovering Well!

Bonk seems to be reacting really well to the Clavamox. His back looks much better, and what was left of the rash is almost gone. His ears look better too, and he's so good about taking his medicine! I haven't gotten spit on once, a minor miracle as those of you who have had to dose ferrets before will know!

He's turning into such a sweet boy as he gets older. When we first brought him home, he was an absolute terror! Of course, he was a kit, and all kits are crazy, but I think it also has something to do with the fact that the employees at the pet store didn't know he was deaf. They would play with him really rough to wake him up, and pick him up or play with him without letting him know they were there first. He was very jumpy. That's actually kind of how he got his name. He would dook and dance around if you tried to pick him up or come near him, bonking his head off of anything he happened to be near. But now one of his favorite things to do is ride around on my shoulders. He's still not big on the cuddling, except for when he first wakes up. Then he just snuggles into me and pushes his head really hard against my chin. When I'm in the ferret room hanging out with them, every so often he'll run over and put his front paws on my legs and look up at me, as if to reassure himself that I'm still there. Then he'll run off and keep playing. He's a little over 2 years old now, I can't wait to see how snuggly he is around age 4 or 5. Here's a picture of Bonk hanging out on my shoulder, his quality time with mom!





The ferret tip of the day is regarding deaf ferrets. You will need to train them differently than ferrets that can hear. There's no point in saying "No" when you scruff them, for one thing. I've relied on exaggerated facial expressions and vibrations for most of Bonk's training. When he is scruffed for something, I frown and look unhappy. When he is good, I give him big smiles, a thumbs up (for when he's in the litterbox), and lots of snuggles. He has been trained to come to me when I bang on the floor. It can sometimes take a little more effort to train deaf ferrets, but you just have to be creative in your teaching methods. Also, remember to always make sure the ferret knows you're there before touching him or picking him up. If you were suddenly flying up into the air, wouldn't you be alarmed? Bang on the floor, let him get your scent, do something to alert him to your presence.

Tags

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ferret, ferrets, Deaf Ferret, Deaf Ferrets