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Subject:
From:
Pamela Greene <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 15 Oct 1996 09:49:22 -0400
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Audra Grassley wrote:
>I found the bottom of their hammoc chewed to no extent. [...]
>Could someone please tell me if this is normal eating habits or if they are
>in need of some other supplement in their diet?
 
It's "normal" -- sort of.  Some ferrets just like to chew cloth, especially
when they're bored.  It doesn't mean they need any supplements, but you will
have to keep a close eye on their bedding to make sure they don't get a
blockage from it.  Switching to a different kind of fabric might help, too.
 
Marti Smith wrote:
>Subject: Heartworm medicine
>Yes, as it seems they take it once a month for 12 months.
 
You don't want to give heartworm preventative if the animal already has
heartworms -- you have to get rid of the worms first -- so once you're using
the preventative it's safest to keep it up and make sure there's no chance
of a worm sneaking in before you start it again.
 
Wellington Veras wrote:
>should i take her to a vet ao can i try cutting [her nails] myself, and if
>so, how.
 
You can do it yourself.  Find a gooey treat she likes, such as Ferretone,
Laxatone, or peanut butter.  Put her on your lap, head toward you, belly up.
Smear some of the treat on her abdomen and point her nose at it so she
starts to lick it.  She should be distracted enough that she doesn't notice
what you're doing to her feet.  If that doesn't work and you have enough
hands, you can try scruffing her while clipping, maybe with a bit of treat
thrown in for good measure.  Some people even manage to clip a few nails at
a time while the ferret is asleep.
 
Assuming she's pretty young, take heart.  Her nails will always be growing,
but they won't be as needle-sharp when she's older.
 
Cherrissa wrote:
>I just switched skippy's food from Iams regular cat food mixed with Purina
>Kitten chow to Iams Kitten food mixed with Eukanaba.  Of course she doesn't
>want it.. So I mixed some Purina Kitten chow in with it.  and of course she
>doesn't want it..
 
You're switching much too fast.  Ferrets are notoriously finicky eaters.
Start wout with her usual mix of Purina kitten and Iams cat, with just a
little bit of one of the others mixed in.  Gradually take out one of the old
foods as you add more new food, over the course of a week or two.  Once
she's eating the mix of, say, Iams cat and Eukanuba, do the same thing again
to switch the Iams cat to Iams kitten.  It may take a long while, but if you
switch gradually eventually she'll accept the new one.
 
This supports the idea that you should feed your ferrets a mix of several
foods, so they never get too attached to one.  We mix three or four, and
rotate one of them every time we buy a new bag, so by now even our pickiest
eater will try just about any kibble that shows up in the food bowl.  (They
all turn their noses up at fish-based foods, though.) Our first bag of TF,
none of the woozles had even sniffed it before, was accepted into the mix
without a hitch.
 
William L. Beckerson asked:
>she or he (its hard to tell when the fur ball is so small)
 
Look on the belly, an inch or two in front of the tail.  If you see what
looks like an "outie" belly button, it's not -- it's a male.  Otherwise it's
probably a female.  To confirm, look in a once- or twice-used litterbox.
Females leave puddles on top of piles, males leave them a couple of inches
apart.
 
--
- Pam Greene
Ferret Central <http://www.optics.rochester.edu:8080/users/pgreene/>
            or send INDEX FERRET in email to <[log in to unmask]>
[Posted in FML issue 1723]

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