to:    Wayne Rothe <>
 
 
>>Farrah to eat anything other than dry cat food. She won't take the bits of
meat, vegetables and fruit I've tried to give her<<
     It's okay for ferrets to eat only dry cat food, as long as it has 32% or
more protein and 18% + fat and poultry/byproduct as the first ingredient.
 
>>I thouight ferretslike Linotone. We now put some in her food so she's
getting some.<<
     don't add too much - a pump a week or a drop or two a day is all they
really need.
 
>>I know ferrets sleep a lot, but this one sleeps constantly. We're in a cold
climate and our thermostat goes down when the house isn't occupied and I
thought maybe she does that to keep warm as she sleeps tunneled into a pile
of clothes or some place warm. Anyone know about this?<<
     Ferrets sleep 16 or so hours a day on a regular basis.  They like to
sleep in dark places and love sleeping inside old sweat suits and shirts.
 
>>Also, we don't know how to house train Farrah. She usually goes on paper
we're set out for the purpose, but she still goes in other places as well.
 What's the best way to train her?<<
     IMHO, ferret are not 100% housetrainable.  They will never be as good as
a cat outside their cage.  Keep using the paper or confine her to her cage
until she does use the litter pan and THEN let her out.
 
>>Also, she's been biting and licking herself on her body. Might she have
fleas? How does one find out and what do I do about it?<<
     If she has fleas, hold her over a piece of grey paper and brush her
coat.  If little specks like salt and pepper fall on the paper, she has
fleas.  Otherwise, she is engaging in the pastime of many ferrets -
scratching for the fun of it.
 
Pam Grant
[Posted in FML issue 1137]