Cinnamon Sprite <[log in to unmask] wrote:
>A ferret chewing on something, imagine that. I've had ferrets that
>have chewed litter boxes, and a number of other items as well. I have
>one that once ate a hole the circumference of a grapefruit from a
>t-shirt. How she managed to not only swallow it but also pass it whole
>is beyond me. Point is, ferret's chew on things, that's hardly a sign
>of abuse or neglect.

This may not be a sign of abuse however this is a sign of neglect in
a pet store. Sure some ferrets chew just because, but most will chew
because they are bored or stressed. The point of my post is not to
point fingers good or bad at any pet store but to add that a ferret
that chews on plastic, bedding etc. and swallows this, it can become
a serious situation. If the object is too big it can become lodged in
the intestines and the ferret will need medical help from a vet. And
sometimes the only help is surgery to remove the object. Surgery can be
a substantial cost. If a new ferret owner buys this ferret and doesn't
know about blockages or simply doesn't recognize the symptoms this
could lead to a deadly situation for this ferret.

So to sum up: A ferret that is chewing on anything should be seen by a
vet to make sure there is no blockages. If this has occurred in a pet
store the same should hold for them. The object that is being chewed on
should be removed from the cage or ferret area. If it is a litter box,
as in this case, then another type of litter box should be tried to
stop the chewing. At no time should this behavior be ignored. Steps
should be taken to remedy the situation and get the ferret/ferrets to
a vet.

Lisa
AFA Educational Director
Oxford Ferret Rescue Volunteer

[Posted in FML 5407]