KS - you may already be doing this - I would let him live with you and
be around you when you are doing your day to day things, whatever that
is. Move his cage to where he can see you. Maybe put it in the bedroom
(if you aren't like some shelter moms here who don't even have a
bedroom!).

I've had to sleep with my hand in a hammock before with a fuzzy wrapped
around it when the mate died and she didn't want to eat, sleep, move,
do anything. It worked. But sometimes I hear that even if you do
everything right, they will themselves to die.

Is there maybe a spark in him when you show him to other fuzzies, or
show them to him? Maybe a ferret (or five) to sleep with might help
him get through.

I want to say this is the most non-accusing way I can, especially on
the FML. For people who are boarding animals, even those who have been
boarded before, do a trial run the month before you are going to leave,
even if it's just a move to your friends house, to see how your fuzzy
reacts. Ferrets are so fickle. I hope he does well and that you can
figure something out soon.

The other thing is - how long do you have until the owners come back?
If it's just a matter of not wanting to eat, but the ferret is
otherwise healthy, tube feeding will not really damage a ferret
short-term. I tube fed a ferret for over 2 months once.

We use a large (to a ferret) catheter for tube feeding. It works well
but when you tell people that it's a catheter and that you are using it
for tube feeding they look at you a little weird. Because it is not a
quality of life issue, but rather a "the ferret will get better if it
sees it's owner" issue, I would not feel terrible continuing tube
feedings.

Good luck!!!

Laryssa

[Posted in FML 6118]