Hi all!

I am new to the FML but just wanted to drop a line or 2.

I have taken in 2 of the McKay ferrets, Alexander an albino and Simon
a panda. They were both babies when I got them - about 2 months old.
Simon was a REAL handful at first! he was ripping up the cage,
scattering food, dumping the water dish and throwing litter EVERYWHERE!
Well, I now let them roam the ferret room and just leave the cage door
open so's they can go in and out as they like. He's stopped throwing
food and litter around and I got a water bottle instead of the dish
which has worked very well! Simon was hard to hold in the beginning,
but Alexander was a little love right from the start. He would follow
me all over and liked to crawl up inside my PJ legs. I got Alexander to
give kisses on day 2 of having him. We are still working on Simon. He
wants to grab and bite, but I think it's cuz he's so excitable. He DOES
let you hold him now tho. Have had them for about a month now. I am
starting to try to feed my ferrets a raw diet. Has anyone else done
this? It makes good sense to me. So far I have them nibbling on some
cooked turkey wings. I've tried some canned cat food, but they won't
go near it. Only Alexander, the baby seems to like the turkey. If I
can get them to try some of this stuff, I'll try the raw meat in a few
days. My older ferrets won't eat anything but their kibble. I have 3
older ferrets. Socrates and Hamlet like raisins, but Romeo will not
eat raisins and only likes ferret treats.

Oh, and I let them have the run of the bedrooms, the hall and the
bathroom in the mornings when I'm getting ready. I've trained them
to come to TREATS! TREATS, TREATS!" that I call out when it's time
for them to go back in their room. They all come running - Simon is
a little slow to come, but he's catching on (or paying attention any
ways - I think he has FADD - Ferret Attention Deficit Disorder!!!). I
teach them this so if they are lost' I can easily find them! They all
seem to like to sleep in the cage too - even if the door is open for
them. The have tunnels, a shredded paper box, other boxes w/plastic
bags in them and toys too but they like to sleep in the cage in the
soft bedding, hammock or sleep sacks. I've even hung a cube from the
ceiling outside the cage and they can crawl into it just fine, but they
like the cage. I use the cube as a swing! hamlet loves to be put in it
and to swing! He pops his head out the hole and just watches everything
going back and forth!

Toodles!

Dawn

[Posted in FML 5763]