| end of tether - CLICK HERE for the Pet Manual Forum Home Page |
| Anthony Clark |
A difficult post to write, please bear with me.
Last night I snapped. Our youngest ferret, Pickles, decided to relieve
herself all over my wife's college coursework. I'd spent a whole day
cleaning carpets, vacuuming, washing skirting and cleaning kitchen
floors. The apartment looked and smelt great. After a few minutes of
the four girls ( http://katyana.com/gallery/Pets/109_0932 ) being
uncaged there was a urine smell in certain corners, poop seemingly
everywhere and of course the apartment stank again.
I can't take all this mess anymore. No one comes over to our apartment
because the piles of poop are so obvious and the stink is so bad. I
have to spend my entire weekend cleaning. The ferrets don't even like
us that much. We've got into debt with vets bills, had our carpets (and
security deposit) destroyed, lost valuable photographs. I dread to
think what will happen to our future children's health if we still have
ferrets.
I am at the end of my tether and I don't know what to do.
Anthony.
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| Isotope |
I think most animals can be frustrating at times.... but none more so than
ferrets, perhaps? I know my guys and gal cause me moments of humoured
exasperation and loud tutting (particularly where toilet habits are
concerned) but I would worry if this started to turn into resentment or
possibly anger against them. I'm not sure if this may be the vibe I am
getting from you?
So...I'm not clear what you are after.... advice to help with the "toilet"
problems, or advice that maybe the ferrets are better off somewhere they are
not resented for doing what comes naturally (and that's by no means a dig at
you, god knows they *can* be hard work and it is in their nature to undo
every attempt you make at restoring order).
If you *are* just wanting to make life easier for yourself with regard to
their toilet habits... you don't give much info. Have you tried using
litter-boxes? Do you try to clear up messes as and when they occur? Have you
considered that "ferret-proofing" means more than keeping your ferrets safe,
but also keeping *your* items safe (i.e. not leaving coursework out when the
ferrets are around). Would it be possible to confine your ferrets to a
smaller, more manageable area...? Just a few ideas. Like I say, you've not
given much info to go on.
As for them not seeming to like you.... you'd probably be surprised. Not all
ferrets are demonstrative in their affections, but as long as you are
looking after them well, I am sure they like you just fine. Hope this helps!
Isotope
"Anthony Clark" <anthony-pleasenospam@katyana.com> wrote in message
news:LoeTa.1007$H91.21936@news.itd.umich.edu...
> A difficult post to write, please bear with me.
>
> Last night I snapped. Our youngest ferret, Pickles, decided to relieve
> herself all over my wife's college coursework. I'd spent a whole day
> cleaning carpets, vacuuming, washing skirting and cleaning kitchen
> floors. The apartment looked and smelt great. After a few minutes of
> the four girls ( http://katyana.com/gallery/Pets/109_0932 ) being
> uncaged there was a urine smell in certain corners, poop seemingly
> everywhere and of course the apartment stank again.
>
> I can't take all this mess anymore. No one comes over to our apartment
> because the piles of poop are so obvious and the stink is so bad. I
> have to spend my entire weekend cleaning. The ferrets don't even like
> us that much. We've got into debt with vets bills, had our carpets (and
> security deposit) destroyed, lost valuable photographs. I dread to
> think what will happen to our future children's health if we still have
> ferrets.
>
> I am at the end of my tether and I don't know what to do.
>
> Anthony.
>
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> A difficult post to write, please bear with me.
>
> Last night I snapped. Our youngest ferret, Pickles, decided to relieve
> herself all over my wife's college coursework. I'd spent a whole day
> cleaning carpets, vacuuming, washing skirting and cleaning kitchen
> floors. The apartment looked and smelt great. After a few minutes of
> the four girls ( http://katyana.com/gallery/Pets/109_0932 ) being
> uncaged there was a urine smell in certain corners, poop seemingly
> everywhere and of course the apartment stank again.
>
> I can't take all this mess anymore. No one comes over to our apartment
> because the piles of poop are so obvious and the stink is so bad. I
> have to spend my entire weekend cleaning. The ferrets don't even like
> us that much. We've got into debt with vets bills, had our carpets (and
> security deposit) destroyed, lost valuable photographs. I dread to
> think what will happen to our future children's health if we still have
> ferrets.
>
> I am at the end of my tether and I don't know what to do.
>
> Anthony.
Well Anthony... I don't know where you are but find a Ferret Shelter/Rescue
in your area and turn the little guys over to them. I'd suggest giving the
shelter $50 per ferret as a donation and to help with their vet visit which
the shelter will do, as with all new ferrets. The donation most likely will
be tax deductible at that. Do NOT give them to the county shelter. They
will end up killing the guys. If you need help finding your closest rescue,
just ask. The list will here will find one fairly close to you. Before you
do lose your temper.... do this. I feel you do not love the ferrets and
this should be easy for you. If you can't do the "all at once" donation,
try to give what ever you can or set up a monthly donation at an amount you
can afford.
Try: http://www.motorcityferrets.org/
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| Alisa |
Maybe it's time to go back to the basics.
When my ferrets pooped one too many times in the downstairs of the
house, my husband "snapped" and banished them to the upstairs for a
little more training. For the next few weeks, I worked on one room,
then two, gradually increasing their space as they only used their
litter boxes.
To be fair, my four ferrets are pretty poor at hitting the litter boxes,
and I've think I've hit on the reason: they don't like some of the
little boxes we are providing for them.
Some people here might have good ideas about litter boxes, but I think
they have to be clean (I hate cleaning litter boxes, but when I don't do
it every day or almost every day, I pay!) at least and big enough for them.
Slept-in bedding (like towels or t-shirts) can work well to deter
pooping, as long as the scent has been removed (you can use Nature's
Miracle) and the bedding already smells like a sleep-spot.
In terms of the stink, I notice that you have carpet (looked at your
photo.) I lived with my ferrets in a carpeted room one summer, and I
have to say the smell was pretty bad... you may look into some carpet
pet-deodorizers. You should also clean the litter, bedding and
occasionally the ferrets to control the odor.
I'm not the best at giving advice, but if you start retraining your
ferrets, spending lots of time with them and giving them lots of love,
you might find that they can behave better than ever!
Good luck!
~Alisa
ps I've had homework and other articles ruined because of glasses of
coke getting knocked over. Once, one of my ferret pushed an important
notebook off the desk and onto a misplaced poop and pee--- all of us
have lost things to our ferrets... it's part of pet ownership and being
responsible for our belongings. I'm sorry your wife's schoolwork was
damaged....
Anthony Clark wrote:
> A difficult post to write, please bear with me.
>
> Last night I snapped. Our youngest ferret, Pickles, decided to relieve
> herself all over my wife's college coursework. I'd spent a whole day
> cleaning carpets, vacuuming, washing skirting and cleaning kitchen
> floors. The apartment looked and smelt great. After a few minutes of
> the four girls ( http://katyana.com/gallery/Pets/109_0932 ) being
> uncaged there was a urine smell in certain corners, poop seemingly
> everywhere and of course the apartment stank again.
>
> I can't take all this mess anymore. No one comes over to our apartment
> because the piles of poop are so obvious and the stink is so bad. I
> have to spend my entire weekend cleaning. The ferrets don't even like
> us that much. We've got into debt with vets bills, had our carpets (and
> security deposit) destroyed, lost valuable photographs. I dread to
> think what will happen to our future children's health if we still have
> ferrets.
>
> I am at the end of my tether and I don't know what to do.
>
> Anthony.
>
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| KG |
IF everything you say is true, consider surrendering them to a
shelter.
I don't think ferrets have much of an odor. I do poop patrol daily
with a handheld carpet cleaner and nature's miracle. Baking soda in
the litter box helps contain the smell between changing litter boxes.
Dumping them once a day is better and a complete change of litter once
a week. Change their bedding a couple of times a week. If you must
use a ferret deodorant spray on them, spray a papertowel and wipe them
down. Wiping them down with a wet cloth can help. Baths too often
make them smell worse.
No serious poop problems here that can't be cleaned up at the end of
playtime. Carpet is cleaned every three months. We frequently use a
playpen to contain some of the animals. You can use 4 plastic pcs of
peg board to hold it gogether and get a pc of linoleum to keep the
carpet safe. Add a litterbox, bowls for food and water, a blanket or
sheet to burrow in, and toys and tubes. Even my ferrets who jump out,
will come back to the playpen.
I"m biased, 18 ferrets, 2 mink, 1 skunk My roommate has 30 or so
ferrets, 1 mink, 2 dogs, rats and 1 snake.
I had a teenage son, now 20, who managed to fill the house with kids
several times a week. Some of the kids were afraid of the ferrets,
but no one ever said they stunk so bad they'd never come to the house
again. We weren't the cool parents either. More the fun, wierd ones.
KG
Anthony Clark <anthony-pleasenospam@katyana.com> wrote in message news:<LoeTa.1007$H91.21936@news.itd.umich.edu>...
> A difficult post to write, please bear with me.
>
> Last night I snapped. Our youngest ferret, Pickles, decided to relieve
> herself all over my wife's college coursework. I'd spent a whole day
> cleaning carpets, vacuuming, washing skirting and cleaning kitchen
> floors. The apartment looked and smelt great. After a few minutes of
> the four girls ( http://katyana.com/gallery/Pets/109_0932 ) being
> uncaged there was a urine smell in certain corners, poop seemingly
> everywhere and of course the apartment stank again.
>
> I can't take all this mess anymore. No one comes over to our apartment
> because the piles of poop are so obvious and the stink is so bad. I
> have to spend my entire weekend cleaning. The ferrets don't even like
> us that much. We've got into debt with vets bills, had our carpets (and
> security deposit) destroyed, lost valuable photographs. I dread to
> think what will happen to our future children's health if we still have
> ferrets.
>
> I am at the end of my tether and I don't know what to do.
>
> Anthony.
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| jumpingmouse & kylie |
I agree with the others who have replied to you. Maybe your time for having
ferrets is just over......that happens. I think at different times in our
lives we have different needs in our lives......maybe you just need to have
your house back to yourselves. I think we all get irritated and tired at
times, but I suggest strongly that unless this feeling has passed that you
contact one of the shelters on this list and consider giving your ferrets
up:
http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/database.html
As far as I'm concerned, as long as you have not harmed the ferrets in any
way in your anger, there is no reason to flame you. Please do something,
tho, before you do lose your temper with them.........not good for them, not
good for you. If for some reason there is no one listed on there who is
close to you, please post back here again and see if we can help you get a
new home for them.
jumpingmouse & kylie
"Anthony Clark" <anthony-pleasenospam@katyana.com> wrote in message
news:LoeTa.1007$H91.21936@news.itd.umich.edu...
> A difficult post to write, please bear with me.
>
> Last night I snapped. Our youngest ferret, Pickles, decided to relieve
> herself all over my wife's college coursework. I'd spent a whole day
> cleaning carpets, vacuuming, washing skirting and cleaning kitchen
> floors. The apartment looked and smelt great. After a few minutes of
> the four girls ( http://katyana.com/gallery/Pets/109_0932 ) being
> uncaged there was a urine smell in certain corners, poop seemingly
> everywhere and of course the apartment stank again.
>
> I can't take all this mess anymore. No one comes over to our apartment
> because the piles of poop are so obvious and the stink is so bad. I
> have to spend my entire weekend cleaning. The ferrets don't even like
> us that much. We've got into debt with vets bills, had our carpets (and
> security deposit) destroyed, lost valuable photographs. I dread to
> think what will happen to our future children's health if we still have
> ferrets.
>
> I am at the end of my tether and I don't know what to do.
>
> Anthony.
>
>
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| oldmolly |
"Anthony Clark" <anthony-pleasenospam@katyana.com> wrote in message
news:LoeTa.1007$H91.21936@news.itd.umich.edu...
> A difficult post to write, please bear with me.
>
> Last night I snapped. Our youngest ferret, Pickles, decided to relieve
> herself all over my wife's college coursework. I'd spent a whole day
> cleaning carpets, vacuuming, washing skirting and cleaning kitchen
> floors. The apartment looked and smelt great. After a few minutes of
> the four girls ( http://katyana.com/gallery/Pets/109_0932 ) being
> uncaged there was a urine smell in certain corners, poop seemingly
> everywhere and of course the apartment stank again.
>
> I can't take all this mess anymore. No one comes over to our apartment
> because the piles of poop are so obvious and the stink is so bad. I
> have to spend my entire weekend cleaning. The ferrets don't even like
> us that much. We've got into debt with vets bills, had our carpets (and
> security deposit) destroyed, lost valuable photographs. I dread to
> think what will happen to our future children's health if we still have
> ferrets.
>
> I am at the end of my tether and I don't know what to do.
rehome them.
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