To Michelle & baby with boo boo: My 3 week old kitten had a
similar problem with his eye. He had just begun to open one
eye but his other eye looked abnormally larger (large lump
where is eye was forming). He also had matter in his eye area.
I took a washcloth and wetted it with warm water and wiped
his eye area to clear away any debris. It could be the tear
duct is clogged and is causing the inflammation. Using the
warm, wet washcloth to gentle wipe the eye area may help
keep the ducts clear and help soothe and heal the eye.
He gradually was able to open his other eye after several
days of frequently applying the cloth. His eyes are perfectly
normal today. I hope this helps your baby.
To Janice Underwood & others about nutrition:
Janice, I hope your little one, V'orri is feeling
better after undergoing such a stressful operation.
I have a request that I hope you can help with.
You mentioned that you are working on nutrient
comparisons in commonly used ferret diets. I would
greatly appreciate it if you could share some of
your findings on what the max. protein levels
are for healthy maintenance for younger ferrets vs.
older, less active ferrets. Since I have both, I
feed them according to their age & activity level.
My concern is, what is too low a protein & fat
level for ferrets? My 2 yr. olds eat Iams kitten,
while my 4-6 yr. olds get a mixture of less active &
maintenance cat food (Iams). Is the less active with
28% prot. & 14% fat too low even though it is high
quality protein and mixed in with the 32% prot. &
21% fat of the reg. cat food?
Also I would like some opinions about the preservative
Ethoxyiquin. It is found in both Hill's Science diet
& Iams cat food. I have heard several reports that it
is harmful to ferrets. Is this just rumored opinions
or is this based on scientific evidence? I would
appreciate any information on this subject. Thanks.
To Melissa & Potpie; Maybe a bath given once a week
might be too much & could strip the natural oils
from the skin. There are shampoos made especially
for the musky odors of a ferret. I've never tried
any but I have tried a shampoo that contains lanolin
that helps the dry skin and is made for ferrets, kittens
and puppies. There is a spray made for dry skin that
is applied after the bath and rubbed into the fur,
and is usually carried by most vets and pet supply
stores. About your problem with your ferret digging
in the potted plants, I had the same situation.
I have several large plants that I can't put on
shelves. I took a piece of pliable cardboard or
poster board, and wrapped it around the pot so
that the height was enough that the ferret couldn't
climb over it & get into the pot. I taped the cardboard
securely onto the pot with strong masking tape. I also
wrapped twine around the pot to hold the cardboard on in
case the tape failed to hold. I decorated the outside
of the cardboard with sticky shelf paper to make it look
alittle nicer. This has worked for me, I hope it helps.
About the digging at the carpet, there have been several
suggestions on the list. Spraying the area with Bitter
Apple or laying a piece of plexiglass plastic cover
on the area are just a few. Good luck!
To Anon regarding cats vs. ferrets: I've had my own
experience with the curiosity of cats. When my kitten
was about 2 months old, I tried to introduce him to
my ferrets. I slowly lowered the kitten down to let Teebone
sniff him. Instead of a curious sniff he latched onto
the kittens paw. Luckily it was not a bite, just a sign
that he didn't consider the kitten a friend. About 4 months
later the kitten was 5 lbs. heavier and alot bolder.
He came into the ferret area after I chased him out.
He was hiding behind a box when Weezul slowly meandered
by the box. I don't think the ferret saw the cat, I think
he picked up his scent. Weezul leaped behind the box
and latched onto the cats' retreating hind leg.
All I saw was fur and claws and heard the pitiful howl
of the cat. I finally got them separated, Weezul
without a scratch on him and the cat with a long
gash on his leg. The cat still has not learned. He
is always at the closed door to the ferret area,
waiting for that rematch? Some ferrets get along
beautifully with other animals, but not my wild men.
 
                            Judy Gallipeau & the wild bunch.
                            (Cats, I thought cats were for
                             dessert?)
 
[Posted in FML issue 0727]