Fun in the Tub!

Once every few months I bathe the ferrets, and I decided tonight was the night! Steve graciously agreed to take pics, after I bugged him about it for an hour or so. Poor guy. Anyway his pics turned out so good that I didn't want to show you the small versions of them. Click on the thumbnail images below to see the full size ones!

Cheeba displays his punk look for the camera.


Mojo looks wet and pathetic...but still cute!


Bonk says, "Stop taking pictures and rinse me off already!"


Jebabba looking wet and adorably angry.


Sophie showing off her pink belly. She actually does have hair there, but it's thinning because of the prednisone.


Jebabba practices his backstroke.


Cheeba caught in mid head shake during the "afterbath". It looks like he's attempting a combover to me!


Check out Cheeba's bottlebrush!


My personal favorite pic - Mojo auditioning for a shampoo commercial!


Here we have Steve's interpretation of the last photo, entitled "Toxic Mojo".



Today's ferret tip - never clip nails BEFORE bathing! It makes them extra sharp and when the ferrets flail about, they leave big scratches. I learned this the hard way a while ago, so now nail clipping comes two days before the bath or after.

Tags

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ferret, ferrets, Bathing Ferrets, Ferret Pictures, Ferret Tips

These are a few of my favorite things...

Just a few things I love about my ferrets...

• The way that Bonk always smiles when he wakes up and sees that it's me holding him


• The way that Mojo's tongue sticks out while he totally blisses out when he's laying on his back and I'm rubbing the back of his neck


• How Sophie yawns and grabs onto my finger when I wake her up for her duck soup feedings


• How Cheeba says hello by sticking his nose in my ear and sniffing it for a few seconds


• How Jebabba licks my arm and tries to groom me whenever I reach over him


• The way that Smoke jumps up and down along the playpen barrier like a circus poodle whenever he sees me at my computer

I was just up there spending time with my little ones, and I realized how much joy they bring me. It makes me sad (and a little angry) that ferrets get such a bad rap. People just don't understand what wonderful creatures they are, how each one has their own distinct personality and quirks. Ferrets are amazing animals and wonderful companions. So in reality, I guess I pity the people who will never know the love of a ferret.



Today's ferret tip is regarding prednisone. Never give prednisone on an empty stomach! Prednisone can cause ulcers, and for an already sick fuzzy, ulcers can be very difficult. Always feed your ferret some duck soup before dosing it.

Tags

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ferret, ferrets, Ferret Tips

Ferret "Abandonment" - good or bad?

I've seen it on so many forums - "I can't keep my ferrets - can anyone take them?" When I first hear or read these words, I invariably get angry. You adopted this animal, gave it a home, and now you just want to abandon it? Your ferret has bonded with you, depends on you, and now you have no more use for it. Maybe it's too bitey for you, maybe you think it's boring now that it's older and doesn't play, maybe you don't feel like paying for its medical care, maybe you're moving somewhere that doesn't allow ferrets. There are a million reasons for deserting the animal that loves you, most of which diehard ferret owners think are completely invalid.

Then I think about it - yes, there ARE some valid reasons for not being able to keep animals anymore, and those reasons are unique and personal for each person. Who are we to tell them that their personal experience is invalid? Who are we to judge them?

But independent of that, who are we to try and cajole them into keeping an animal that is no longer wanted? Do we really think that by harassing someone into keeping a pet that that pet is going to get better care? Do we think that someone who is harangued into not taking their ferret to a shelter is going to play with that ferret? Make sure it has enough time out of the cage? Give it love, affection, and cuddle it every day?

Chances are the answers to these questions are going to be a resounding NO. That ferret is going to suffer, and now who's responsible? It's not just the person who wanted to give it up anymore. Now it's also everyone else's fault for not helping that ferret find a better forever home. Yes, ferrets can die of shelter shock brought on by the stress of abandonment and changed surroundings. But they can also die of untreated diseases, lack of fresh food & water, filthy living conditions, and many more things at the hands of unenthusiastic or indifferent ferret owners.

As an illustration of my point - one of ferrets, Sophie, is a rescue, rescued directly from a home, not a shelter. She was the pet of a 12 year old boy who desparately wanted a ferret...until he got her. Then he realized that ferrets took work, and he ignored her. For a YEAR. She lived in a tiny one level cage with no litterbox or even newspaper to go on. She lived in her own waste. She weighed a little less than a pound. She had almost daily diarrhea. She lived on bad food and bad treats. She was let out of her cage maybe once a month. She smelled horrible, and her nails had never been clipped. Now I don't know if this kid's mother ever tried to rehome Sophie before we took her, but I do know that Sophie wasn't wanted. If that woman had gone to a ferret forum, it's very likely that when she tried to find a new home for Sophie, there would have been many ferret people yelling at her about abandoning a ferret that, in essence, was already abandoned. The simple fact of the matter is if Sophie had stayed there she would have died, and no matter how good intentioned the forum people would have been, they would have done more harm than good.

So does this mean that I support the indiscriminate purchasing and abandoning of ferrets? Not at all - that couldn't be further from the truth. But I fully believe that ferrets are better off in a place that actually wants them - whether that be a private residence, a ferret shelter, or a foster home - than they are in a home that no longer cares about their wellbeing.



Today's Ferret Tip is simple - if your ferret starts exhibiting strange behavior, decreased appetite, strange symptoms, or anything like that - take it to a vet immediately. You see your ferret every day, and if you think something's off, chances are that you're right. Even if the ferret turns out to be ok, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Tags

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ferret, ferrets, Ferret Abandonment, Ferret Tips

Bad blogger! Bad blogger!

I'm a horrible blogger! What with work, ferret stuff, and a lingering feeling of ickiness, all I do with my spare time is lay on the couch. I think winter always has that effect on me - I know it's having that effect on the ferrets. Whenever I hang out with them, they mostly just lay around and beg for scritches and treats.

Mojo has been showing increased aggression, so when I took him for his Lupron injection yesterday, she gave him a bigger dose. I also had her test his urine, and he has another urinary tract infection. He's on Orbax for the next 21 days. He reacted well to it last time, but I just don't think 14 days was enough, so we're going with a full 3 week treatment this time. Hopefully his aggression will decrease between the increased Lupron and the lack of a UTI. I know the other ferrets certainly hope so! When he's not laying around, he's tearing after them like they just stole his N-Bone!

Sophie is doing well, though she seems to be more tired than she was. I've increased her prednisone a little bit, and have been giving her more at feedings. When she's feeling active, she still tears around, but it's generally over pretty quickly, and she's avoiding major brawls with the others.

Bonk's skin continues to do well, though he's starting to itch a little more again. I'm just going to have to keep an eye on him, and if he keeps itching, I might try giving him a rubdown with olive oil to moisturize his skin and coat.

Cheeba and Jebabba are their usual adorable selves. Thank heavens no health problems there! ::Knocks on wood:: Jebabba has been acting a little sulky, but I think it's because I haven't had them down to hang out with me in the family room for about 2 1/2 weeks. I'll have to do that this week sometime, and hopefully get some more action shots!

And now for more pictures!

Mojo and Jebabba battle for possession of the tube!


Bonk caught offguard!


Cheeba runs from the craziness that is a Bonk & Mojo brawl!


Cheeba looking adorable.


Cheeba loves his foamy fries!


Jebabba tries to get Steve's cheetos.


Mojo loves Bonk THIIIIS much. Actually Bonk has a hold of Mojo's neck.


Jebabba yields a closeup!


Ferrets in space! Actually, Steve just took the picture sideways, but I still think it looks neat!


Mojo tries to get Sophie to play, but succeeds in smooshing her and making her mad.


Mojo takes a flying leap!


Sophie and Cheeba


Bonk latches onto Mojo, who isn't very pleased.


Sophie gives me the raspberry.


Bonk looks for his friends.



Today's ferret tip is about keeping your ferret's skin and coat healthy in the winter. Their skin reacts to dry heat just like ours does - by getting dry and itchy. If you have very dry heat, consider getting a humidifier and putting it in the same room as their cage. You can also rub them down with olive oil on a towel to restore oils to their coat. What you don't want to do unless you have to is bathe them. This will dry out their coats more, and cause more itchiness.

Tags

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ferret, ferrets, Lupron, Ferret Pictures, Ferret Tips, Insulinoma

Happy New Year...here's some ferret pics!

Where does the time go? I was off from work for about 1 1/2 weeks, but I still had no time to post. It's hard to wrap my mind around the fact that it's 2006 already. Time certainly does fly...except for time away from fuzzies, that is! I felt like I was away from my ferrets for weeks and weeks, even though it was just 5 days. They were in good hands, but it was so odd to wake up in the morning and not have to feed them or dose Sophie. I kept feeling like I was forgetting something.

I'm concerned about Mojo - he's been getting aggressive again. When I take him in for his Lupron shot on the 15th, I'm going to speak with Dr. Edling about the possibility of a Melatonin implant. Since he can't have surgery, I'll have to see what else we can add to the treatment if the Lupron by itself isn't working well enough. I hope it's just a matter of excess energy though. I've had to separate him from Bonk on two occasions and Sophie on one because they were crying.

Bonk's skin is doing well. The rash is completely gone, but he's still missing a patch of hair. I don't expect that to grow back for a while though. I'm just glad he's not all itchy anymore.

Some pictures taken a day after our homecoming:

Bonk


Cheeba, Mojo & Bonk.


Cheeba, Mojo & Bonk


This is the same pic as above, just cropped to Cheeba's face. I love how cute he looks there!


Cheeba, Mojo & Bonk


Bonk (Cheeba's the big mouth in the background)


Cheeba and Bonk's butt


Mojo & Cheeba (playing in the litterbag, their favorite battleground)


Mojo & Cheeba


Sophie looking regal




The ferret tip of the day is open a savings account before you get your first ferret. Ferrets can develop very serious medical conditions, and sometimes it's hard to tell they're sick until they need immediate medical attention, especially in the case of blockages. It's best to have some cash in case of emergency so you won't have to delay important vet visits.

Tags

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ferret, ferrets, Lupron, Adrenal Disease, Ferret Tips, Ferret Pictures