| ferrets too docile - CLICK HERE for the Pet Manual Forum Home Page |
| Jeff Abrams |
Hi there. I have a weird problem. My boy ferret is not playful. He is
about a year or so old. He is very docile and sweet. He likes to be held
and pet but he doesn't do a war dance very often with me. However, for some
reason he goes crazy with the other ferret. I don't know why. The other
ferret is a girl. Kind of skittish. runs away alot. Feisty. About 2
years old. He is spayed and she is neutered. They play together very well.
They just don't seem to want to get too aggressive with me. As I side note,
Sonny (the boy) used to be a lot more playful when I first got him (about
3-4 months ago). He still seems healthy though, especially since he plays
with the other ferret.
Thanks!
Jeff
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| Nanny |
Maybe the girl is for playing and you're for snuggling :-)
Lots of people would be jealous of you......
Nanny
"Jeff Abrams" <jabramsja@hotmail.com> schreef in bericht
news:uNCdnU9uIur7yV7d4p2dnA@giganews.com...
> Hi there. I have a weird problem. My boy ferret is not playful. He is
> about a year or so old. He is very docile and sweet. He likes to be held
> and pet but he doesn't do a war dance very often with me. However, for
some
> reason he goes crazy with the other ferret. I don't know why. The other
> ferret is a girl. Kind of skittish. runs away alot. Feisty. About 2
> years old. He is spayed and she is neutered. They play together very
well.
> They just don't seem to want to get too aggressive with me. As I side
note,
> Sonny (the boy) used to be a lot more playful when I first got him (about
> 3-4 months ago). He still seems healthy though, especially since he plays
> with the other ferret.
> Thanks!
> Jeff
>
>
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| Jeff Abrams |
True. Sonny is one very very adorable pet. The girl won't really play with
me though. She barely really wants to play with him. Although she will if
she has to:)
Jeff
"Nanny" <catsonlinedon'tlikespam@zonnet.nl> wrote in message
news:40c35b2b$0$141$ee9da40f@news.wanadoo.nl...
> Maybe the girl is for playing and you're for snuggling :-)
> Lots of people would be jealous of you......
>
> Nanny
>
> "Jeff Abrams" <jabramsja@hotmail.com> schreef in bericht
> news:uNCdnU9uIur7yV7d4p2dnA@giganews.com...
> > Hi there. I have a weird problem. My boy ferret is not playful. He is
> > about a year or so old. He is very docile and sweet. He likes to be
held
> > and pet but he doesn't do a war dance very often with me. However, for
> some
> > reason he goes crazy with the other ferret. I don't know why. The
other
> > ferret is a girl. Kind of skittish. runs away alot. Feisty. About 2
> > years old. He is spayed and she is neutered. They play together very
> well.
> > They just don't seem to want to get too aggressive with me. As I side
> note,
> > Sonny (the boy) used to be a lot more playful when I first got him
(about
> > 3-4 months ago). He still seems healthy though, especially since he
plays
> > with the other ferret.
> > Thanks!
> > Jeff
> >
> >
>
>
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What are you feeding him? A good high quality ferret specific food may
help his energy level (Path Valley Farms, Zupreem, 8 in 1 Ultimate, Totally
Ferret, Mazuri.....) I notice a definite energy level change between this
set of ferrets, who I feed only the above foods, and the first set of
ferrets I had, whom I fed Iams Kitten (which I thought was okay at the time
and it probably is just "okay")
Also, do you have a variety of toys to stimulate them? Cardboard boxes with
little doors and windows cut in them are lots of fun (get creative - make
various levels, attach different shape boxes together, etc) and other
interactive toys will make a big difference. Try taking a small stuffed
animal and just attaching it to a string and bouncing it around on the floor
in front of him and see if he doesn't pounce and get playful; get someone to
hold the other side of a sheet and gently bounce them (either together or
one at a time) like a trampoline; drag a sheet behind you as you walk and
see if they don't jump on for the ride, then tackle each other and chase you
too LOL. Lots of fun things to do.
Are his poops well formed and good brown color and not seedy looking? Is he
eating well? Does he grind his teeth? (a sign of stomach problems) Has
he had a vet checkup recently? Ferrets do tend to slow down a bit, probably
between 2-3 years of age, but should remain active until at least 5 or 6
years, when they slow down even more. Anytime their energy level changes
noticeably, it could be an early sign of illness. Could be he is just
maturing, but that should come on so gradually that you shouldn't really
notice it.
The one thing I *DO* worry about in a low energy ferret is heart trouble.
If he passes all the above tests (eating and pooping okay) and still doesn't
respond to encouragement to play the above games, PLEASE have him checked by
your vet for heart problems. A heart problem will slow your ferret down and
possibly not show another symptom until it's too late. Very late stage
heart problems you might notice swelling of his feet or lips as he retains
water - by this time your ferret is in serious trouble and definitely needs
to see a vet.
I speak from firsthand experience, as one of my ferrets died of heart
problems three years ago. At the time I was uninformed about the symptoms
of heart problems. I did notice that he tended to overheat quicker than my
other ferrets in warm weather, but no other symptoms were obvious. Since he
was a pretty low energy, older ferret anyway, I didn't even notice anything
was wrong until I noticed that the pads of his paws were swollen one day. I
took him to the vet yet that day and she put him on Lasix to help him get
rid of the extra fluid he was retaining, but that night he had a severe
heart attack (very very violent - trust me, you don't ever, ever want to
experience that) in the middle of the night and died in my arms.
If you *feel* that something is not right with your ferret, you are probably
right. Do the 'at home' tests to see if he is just bored, but a good
thorough check-up with your vet would be an excellent idea. Follow your gut
feeling - we're not usually wrong, unfortunately, if we're paying attention.
Good luck. Let us know what you find out.
jumpingmouse, kylie & gilbert
missing Loki, Turnip & Morgan at the Bridge
"Jeff Abrams" <jabramsja@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:uNCdnU9uIur7yV7d4p2dnA@giganews.com...
> Hi there. I have a weird problem. My boy ferret is not playful. He is
> about a year or so old. He is very docile and sweet. He likes to be held
> and pet but he doesn't do a war dance very often with me. However, for
some
> reason he goes crazy with the other ferret. I don't know why. The other
> ferret is a girl. Kind of skittish. runs away alot. Feisty. About 2
> years old. He is spayed and she is neutered. They play together very
well.
> They just don't seem to want to get too aggressive with me. As I side
note,
> Sonny (the boy) used to be a lot more playful when I first got him (about
> 3-4 months ago). He still seems healthy though, especially since he plays
> with the other ferret.
> Thanks!
> Jeff
>
>
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| Nanny |
I guess I'm lucky. One of my ferrets loves to play with me, but when I pick
him up he immediately turns into a cuddler, so with him I can have it both
ways :-)
Nanny
"Jeff Abrams" <jabramsja@hotmail.com> schreef in bericht
news:WLSdnXmft-dTwV7dRVn-hQ@giganews.com...
> True. Sonny is one very very adorable pet. The girl won't really play
with
> me though. She barely really wants to play with him. Although she will
if
> she has to:)
> Jeff
> "Nanny" <catsonlinedon'tlikespam@zonnet.nl> wrote in message
> news:40c35b2b$0$141$ee9da40f@news.wanadoo.nl...
> > Maybe the girl is for playing and you're for snuggling :-)
> > Lots of people would be jealous of you......
> >
> > Nanny
> >
> > "Jeff Abrams" <jabramsja@hotmail.com> schreef in bericht
> > news:uNCdnU9uIur7yV7d4p2dnA@giganews.com...
> > > Hi there. I have a weird problem. My boy ferret is not playful. He
is
> > > about a year or so old. He is very docile and sweet. He likes to be
> held
> > > and pet but he doesn't do a war dance very often with me. However,
for
> > some
> > > reason he goes crazy with the other ferret. I don't know why. The
> other
> > > ferret is a girl. Kind of skittish. runs away alot. Feisty. About
2
> > > years old. He is spayed and she is neutered. They play together very
> > well.
> > > They just don't seem to want to get too aggressive with me. As I side
> > note,
> > > Sonny (the boy) used to be a lot more playful when I first got him
> (about
> > > 3-4 months ago). He still seems healthy though, especially since he
> plays
> > > with the other ferret.
> > > Thanks!
> > > Jeff
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
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| good golly miss Molly |
"Jeff Abrams" <jabramsja@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:uNCdnU9uIur7yV7d4p2dnA@giganews.com...
> Hi there. I have a weird problem. My boy ferret is not playful. He is
> about a year or so old. He is very docile and sweet. He likes to be held
> and pet but he doesn't do a war dance very often with me. However, for
some
> reason he goes crazy with the other ferret. I don't know why. The other
> ferret is a girl. Kind of skittish. runs away alot. Feisty. About 2
> years old. He is spayed and she is neutered. They play together very
well.
> They just don't seem to want to get too aggressive with me. As I side
note,
> Sonny (the boy) used to be a lot more playful when I first got him (about
> 3-4 months ago). He still seems healthy though, especially since he plays
> with the other ferret.
> Thanks!
Not able to help with the problem. But, boys are castrated, girls get
spayed. :0)
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| Jeff Abrams |
Jumpingmouse, thanks for the advice. I will try some of that stuff out.
The weird thing is that he pounces all over my other ferret, so I don't
think there should be anything physically wrong with him. I took him to a
vet a couple of weeks ago. No blood work done. I am using I think
Marsahall ferret food. 38% protein I think.
Jeff
"good golly miss Molly" <oldmollyREMOVETHIS@tesco.net> wrote in message
news:FpLwc.465$Sk4.463@newsfe1-gui.server.ntli.net...
>
> "Jeff Abrams" <jabramsja@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:uNCdnU9uIur7yV7d4p2dnA@giganews.com...
> > Hi there. I have a weird problem. My boy ferret is not playful. He is
> > about a year or so old. He is very docile and sweet. He likes to be
held
> > and pet but he doesn't do a war dance very often with me. However, for
> some
> > reason he goes crazy with the other ferret. I don't know why. The
other
> > ferret is a girl. Kind of skittish. runs away alot. Feisty. About 2
> > years old. He is spayed and she is neutered. They play together very
> well.
> > They just don't seem to want to get too aggressive with me. As I side
> note,
> > Sonny (the boy) used to be a lot more playful when I first got him
(about
> > 3-4 months ago). He still seems healthy though, especially since he
plays
> > with the other ferret.
> > Thanks!
> Not able to help with the problem. But, boys are castrated, girls get
> spayed. :0)
>
>
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| swamp |
On Sun, 6 Jun 2004 13:29:12 -0400, "Jeff Abrams"
<jabramsja@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Hi there. I have a weird problem. My boy ferret is not playful. He is
>about a year or so old. He is very docile and sweet. He likes to be held
>and pet but he doesn't do a war dance very often with me. However, for some
>reason he goes crazy with the other ferret. I don't know why. The other
>ferret is a girl. Kind of skittish. runs away alot. Feisty. About 2
>years old. He is spayed and she is neutered. They play together very well.
>They just don't seem to want to get too aggressive with me. As I side note,
>Sonny (the boy) used to be a lot more playful when I first got him (about
>3-4 months ago). He still seems healthy though, especially since he plays
>with the other ferret.
Doesn't sound to me like you have much of a problem. Mine have
generally stopped "war-dancing" at 12-18 months and remained playful
until 5-6 y/o when they start slowing down. Most of my guys will play
'chase me/chase you' which winds up in a game of
you-can't-get-me-under-here. I usually win the chase but they
invariably smoke me once they've set up defensive position under the
hutch/stereo/computer stand/etc. You can also toss them into pillows
in the middle of a sofa or bed, and some like "ferret bowling" (mine
haven't but others report success).
Basically, you have to figure out what fires 'em up.
Note: that spay on your boy must've been painful. ;)
>Thanks!
>Jeff
-- swamp
"Who me officer? What's a ferut. These guys?? No, they're Polish cats."
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| Jeff Abrams |
hehe..oops:)
"MC" <MC@ProgressiveSystemsInc.org> wrote in message
news:ca0gse0469@news4.newsguy.com...
>
> swamp92@> wrote in message
> >
> > Note: that spay on your boy must've been painful. ;)
>
> Now *THAT* is an 'under' statement!
>
>
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