Month: January 2021

Pet Ferret

The pet ferret is one of the most rapidly growing household pets in terms of popularity, despite it being banned in many places for being considered a wild animal. In fact, it is the third most common domestic pet in the Unites States. Ferrets make a great addition to the family, if you have the knowledge, budget, and time to care for them. They are cute, friendly, playful, curious, and loving. In short, they are everything someone would want out of a pet.

The pet ferret isn’t the easiest animal to care for though. This is primarily because despite how common they’ve become, the knowledge on ferret care isn’t as main stream as other pets. Don’t get me wrong, caring for a pet ferret is worth it and a very rewarding process to boot, but you should learn a thing or two about them before you adopt one.

Ferrets are extremely active in one way. When they are awake they are brimming with energy and love to be able to roam free during this time. They tend to sleep 18-20 hours per day though, so don’t freak out and think your ferret is dying if you see them sleeping all of the time.

This means you need to have an area for your ferret to play and things for it to play with. A ferret will often play with anything that is available, but what is available isn’t always safe or desirable to have your ferret playing with; clean the area your ferret will be playing in and get some ferret toys for your little friend.

Pet ferrets also need regular vaccinations. The most important of these is a series of distemper shots when your ferret is still a baby, also known as a kit. Distemper is an extremely dangerous virus that claims the ferret’s life in almost 100% of cases if contracted. There are other vaccinations, but nothing else protects from any viruses or diseases with such staggering numbers.

A pet ferret will climb around or inside of anything as well, so if you have furniture that moves like recliners or rocking chairs, be careful that your ferret isn’t nearby when it is moving. Ferrets, additionally, are carnivorous, and have very special diets. If you want to go the easy route you can find certain pet superstores with real “ferret food.”…

Whatever Makes Their Tail Wag!

Do you have the rare dog under your roof that responds to your desires just to make you happy? Praise alone is payback enough? If your dog could talk, would he say, “You want me to fetch you a soda instead of resting here by this sunny window? You got it pal – just show me the fridge!” If you have that rare dog, full of love, obedience, and wisdom, you’re lucky. Very lucky!

If not, don’t feel bad, you’re in the majority. You need a stronger incentive to encourage performance, an incentive like – toys or food.

I’m sure many of my clients are shocked to hear me say this, recalling my classroom lectures about the mortal sins of using treats with training. That rule still counts in training for Obedience work (where food is forbidden in the competition ring), but trick training is another matter. The word trick itself conjures up visions of magic, laughter, and fun, and while you’re enjoying the fruits of your training, your dog shouldn’t be left out of the party.

What you use to entice your dog depends on how your dog views the world. Does he envision a sea of treats, a toy factory, or you with a halo around your head? You must figure this out, and here’s how you can. For this little test, you need three helpers. Then:

Isolate your dog in an adjoining room, with the door closed.

Position two volunteers to stand three feet apart. One holds the dog’s favorite toy. The other holds a package of his favorite treats.

Position yourself three feet from the other two. You are holding nothing.

At your command, a fourth person lets your dog into the room while everyone tries to entice him.

Which person does your dog go to?

If his choice is unclear, have a retrial. Have several. Pretty soon the choice will be undeniable. And don’t be disappointed if he doesn’t run to you. Most dogs, like children, put their parents last.…

Finding Snacks to Maintain a Healthy Ferret Diet

There is nothing harder than looking into a ferrets beautiful face and see the longing in their eyes when you are eating. Very quickly your pet will have you wrapped around its little finger and you will easily fall into the ferret “cute” trap. So, in order to keep it from eating all of the “bad” foods that you might be tempted to share, you will want to have the good treats and foods on hand whenever you are putting food in your mouth.

Ferrets love sugary treats. Grapes, raisins, frosty mini wheat, they love it all. However, besides being lactose intolerant, they cannot digest these kinds of foods and can get really sick if they eat them. No milk, cheese, cheese cake, ice cream, etc. If you leave anything on your table, counter, or in a drawer, they will figure out a way to get it when you are not looking. I would keep my cereal, sugar, and all the other sugary foods in the refrigerator.

When you are getting treats for your ferret, think high protein. Meat, eggs, baby food meats without carbohydrate, muscle or organ meat, egg products. Very little carbohydrate and calories. For one thing, they get fat very easily when they are not fed properly and they get malnourished very quickly when they are eating bad foods. They cannot digest things like fruits, vegetables, and grains.

You will find many different types of ferret treats sold. When getting treats be sure that they are high protein and low in carbohydrates and calories. Many pets develop a love for certain flavors so if you fail to start them on store bought treats young you may have a hard time getting them to love them. If you are trying to wean your ferret off people food you can put a little peanut butter on the treat. They love peanut butter and its good for them.

When you get your ferret the first thing that you will notice is its hard to say no. You may have illusions of making and sticking to rules but certain “pet” expectations will quickly go away as soon as it figures out how to open cage door and cabinet drawers.

Feeding schedules are very important to maintain health. In order to keep it on a meal schedule, you can feed your pet when you eat. Keep all its healthy meal on a plate next to yours so that it does not eat any bad foods.

Making sure that you have snacks to maintain a healthy ferret diet on hand is very important. There is nothing worse than a ferret with an upset stomach. You will find that this is a wonderful, loving pet that will give you years of joy.…

How to Train a Ferret to Use a Litter Box – In 3 Easy Steps!

Do you own an adorable ferret, but are frustrated by the messes around the house? Wouldn’t it be perfect if you could train the ferret to use a litter box? It can be done, in 3 easy steps and you and your ferret can enjoy each others company without the hassle of finding little ‘surprises’ around the house.

Training a ferret to use a litter box is not a lot different to training a kitten. They are intelligent and inquisitive animals and very quick to learn. The trick is knowing how to read the signs and what action to take to succeed. With a little persistence and love, you will soon find pooping in a litter box becomes second nature. Can you spare some time for your beloved pet and companion? If so, here are the 3 steps

1. Watch and Learn

2. Take Action

3. Reinforce and reward

Watch and Learn

Learn about your ferret and his toilet habits. Watch for the well established behavioral habits:

Relieving himself about 15 minutes after waking, usually a lot less (Sounds familiar, even to us humans)

Wanting to relieve himself in a corner (We all like our privacy, even animals)

Backing into corners with his tail raised.

Watch where he goes in the cage.

Armed with this knowledge, not only do we feel a little closer to our ferret, but we understand how his body works and what we can do about it.

Take Action

First of all place litter boxes in all the corners you same him visit or attempt to visit, plus the area of his cage where you saw him go.

Be there when he wakes. If he attempts to go anywhere except in a litter box, pick him up and pop him in one. If he hasn’t relieved himself in the 15 minutes, do it anyway

If he relieves himself away from the litter box, then pick him up straight away and put him in one. He will start to associate the two.

Reinforce and Reward.

Keep taking these simple steps. Reinforce habits and reward good behavior. He will soon learn that doing the right thing leads to treats.

Soon your bundle of joy will be weeing and pooping in all the right places. You may even be able to remove litter boxes he doesn’t use. How to train a ferret to use a litter box in 3 easy steps.…

The Problems With Ferret Breeding

If I think ferrets are great pets, how come I’d never consider breeding them? I’ll do my best to explain.

Ferrets are great companions, full of energy and very curious. You can take them on walks, you can watch them playing with toys, but for me breeding is the one activity I’ll never involve myself in.

More than that, I’m pretty convinced that it’s a task best left to the experts. If you own a ferret there are many things to consider, before embarking on a breeding program.

Ferret Health & Behavior

Having a ferret that’s not neutered/spayed is, of course, a requirement for breeding but many potential ferret breeders don’t understand the issues that affect ferrets without these processes.

Male ferrets become more aggressive and territorial, losing their playful charm. Female ferrets have to deal with a six month heat season, where they can develop health complications if they don’t breed.

Finding Breeding Partners

The very fact that most ferrets are neutered/spayed is one of the biggest challenges in terms of ferret breeding. Finding a ferret that is not closely related is essential, for health reasons, so you’ll often need to establish a network with other breeders in your area.

Manual Intervention

I’m trying to put this as politely as possible but when it comes to ferret breeding there is often a need for the breeder to help with uniting the two breeding partners, though they should never be decoupled by the breeder, due to the male’s barbed penis. This hands on approach does not appeal to me.

Responsibility for Immunizations & Sterilizations

The importance of making sure that young ferrets get their first shots, as well as ensuring they are spayed/neutered seems like a lot of responsibility to carry. Many potential ferret breeders overlook the administration of these vital tasks. You’d certainly get to know your vet, though he or she will be happy to see you, with the costs involved!

Finding Good Homes

Nothing would pain me more than the idea of a ferret going to a bad home. Even if I used my best judgment and insisted on checking that the potential owner had the right equipment and attitude, it would worry me no end to consider that any one of the ferrets was less than happy. It feels like a big responsibility.…

Ferret No Vegetarian Diet – No Sissy Food Here

A ferret’s digestive system is built to only digest certain types of foods. With a quick turnaround time from eating to litter box, their bodies need to absorb nutrients fairly fast and eating a diet of fat and protein does this. On the other side of the coin, vegetables and grains are out.

Ferrets sleep on an average of 15 hours a day, but they do wake up and eat multiple times a day, meaning that there should be fresh food and water at their disposal 24/7.

And since ferrets are born meat eaters – a high protein, high fat, guideline must be followed for a healthy physical and mental state. I’m pretty sure that most of you reading this will not be so into feeding your ferret live rodents, so I’m going to discuss food in the form of the dry pellet type. Nowadays, ferret food is widely available online and in pet stores. If you do not have access to ferret food, then a high-quality cat food can substitute. But you should look closely at the labels for this proteins and fats. A good ratio consists of:

– 30% Protein – 20% Fat

The protein should come from meat. Chicken, lamb, eggs are good choices. Watch out for vegetable based proteins, you don’t want this because ferrets have a tough time digesting this. Things like corn, soy, rice etc.

You don’t want to raise a wimpy finicky eater, so you should introduce your ferret to new types of foods at an early age. Slowly mix, different brands together. Try out new combinations of cat food, ferret food, dry and moist food, just as long as you stick to the guidelines above. This will make life easier for you in the future.

If you’re providing your ferret with a healthy diet and exercise, he shouldn’t be obese. Even with multiple naps and feedings a day, a ferrets lightning metabolism keeps their weight down. An adult will usually eat about a half a cup of food a day. If your ferret is still getting fat, have a veterinarian check him out. There might be some other underlying issues.

I’m against giving your ferret snacks, but I don’t practice it. It’s hard not too! But don’t let your ferret get in the habit of begging for tasty foods. If you follow the nutritional advice above, then a ferret will have more than enough vitamins and calories to sustain a very healthy life. Other than specialized ferret treats, there are too many dangerous foods out there for ferrets. Fruits and veggies might seem ok, but they’re really not. Candy and sodas are also bad. I actually do treat my ferret to these foods once in awhile but most people do it with no control.

If your ferret is new, you can use food to help you gain his trust. Feed him by hand little by little each day. Let him hear your voice and pet him more and more until you can carry him. Be patient and it will pay off.…

The Right Way to Buy a Ferret

Before explaining the right way to buy a ferret, let’s find out what this animal is. Some people have the misconception that the ferrets are a type of rodent. These animals are domesticated and are related to weasels, minks and skunks just to mention a few. They in no way are related to rodents. The ferrets taxonomically are somewhere between a cat and a dog. Their sense of hearing and smell are quite sharp, and their vision is just good. These animals make great pets. But there some facts you need to know before buying one of these animals.

You need to check the local laws in your area on whether you can legally own one of these ferrets. Many local governments and states today have laws against this ownership. The veterinarian you use might even know if he doesn’t then check the law authority in your area to see what the law is.

Make a decision as to where to buy a ferret. Search out a breeder in your area if possible; this is the wisest choice when it is available. You then can ask more questions about the animal this way. You will be able to see in what way the animal has been raised and get information on how it was bred. If the breeder is reputable they will not try to hide anything from you. You can view more colors of ferrets to select from too. The breeders will also give you some proof of the animal’s health.

You could also choose to buy a ferret online and from a pet store. Be certain they are as healthy as they should be though when buying them this way. However, purchasing one using the Internet can be more risky though due to you not knowing any of the living or breeding conditions of the ferret. When your ferret arrives it could be ill. The Internet is a great place to search out where to buy these animals though.

Prior to buying any ferret you should lay in the correct supplies for taking care of one. First get a cage that allows it enough room to move freely in and of course get sleep in. Then you also need a litter pan in it for the new ferret. There are cages today that include one. Make sure to have the litter to prepare it too. Other things that you need include a water container, food, toys, treats, and vitamins. After you have the cage and everything set up it is time to buy a ferret. Choose whatever of the colors you think is the nicest and introduce the ferret to its new home.…