> ---------------------------------------
> From: Mason Weinrich <[log in to unmask]>
>
> Many people talk about punishing their ferrets (if they do something
> wrong) with cage time.  However, this is the same place that they are
> put many times without doing something wrong, except for having owners
> who need to go out.  It seems to me that the ferret would have a hard
> time separating these two.
>
I use caging as a punishment for certain offenses, and it never seemed
to confuse Hershey or Nestle' at all.  It's not the caging they see
as punishment, but the manner of caging.  For nipping, she gets picked
up and shaken a bit, thwapped on the nose, and tossed into the cage
where I ignore her for a while.  I think a large part of the punishment
inherent in that is how she are caged, and that her sister obviously
isn't getting the same treatment.  For using an improper corner, I
stick the offender in the cage where their box is, put her in the
appropriate corner, and don't scold her.  I sit there with her until
she at least sniffs at the corner to show me she no longer needs to go,
but does know why she's there.  I also don't ignore them for a time
for that.
 
> While Slinky is a great ferret, he certainly has done things wrong and
> has needed to learn.  However, I have never put him in his cage as a
> puinshment.  In fact, when I put him back at the end of playtime, he
> always gets a little treat (a raisin, bannana piece, drop of linatone,
> etc.) and lots of "Good Slinky"s so he knows it is nothing he did
> wrong!
>
Same here, when the caging is just for bedtime.  I make it very clear
that they are not being punished at that time.  That way they don't
get confused when I do use the cage as punishment.  It's just like
sending a child to his room as punishment.  He knows that tucking
him nicely in for bed isn't punishment, even if being sent to his
room a certain way is.  My most common bedtime treat for them has
become a Tartar Control Pounce cat treat.  I brush my teeth before
bed, so I figure it is a good idea for them, too.  I always worried
that giving them something sweet and sticky like a raisin would not
be good for their teeth right before bed.
 
E.S., Hershey and Nestle'  (NY)
 
[Posted in FML issue 0807]