Hi! I'm Natalie. I'm a 24-year-old graduate student, and I I recently
adopted my first ferret, a 12-week-old sable female named Petunia (or
"Patty"). I have done a lot of research and read the Ferret FAQ, but
after spending a few days with my kit, I still have some questions.


1. My house is very small, and I've spend hours ferretproofing, but I
still have a lot of anxiety about letting Patty play by herself while I
study. I know she needs a lot of stimulation and time outside her cage,
and I know how important it is to interact with her. But I'd like some
reassurance that I don't have to watch her every second for her to be
safe.

2. The pet store had her on Marshall food. I'm trying to get more
animal protien into her diet and eventually switch her to an organic
food, but she doesn't seem to want anything but Marshall's. So far
she's turned up her nose at fresh chicken livers, chicken broth,
raisins and kitten food. How do I help her enjoy a wider variety of
food?

3. I spend several hours every day playing with Patty , but when I put
her back in her cage, she gets really upset. She starts rattling the
bars and barking and generally making me feel sad & guilty. I can't let
her run free while I'm at work, so how can I make her time in "bed"
easier for her? Would a bigger cage help, or more toys, or different
toys? Maybe music or TV during the day? Right now she has a jingle
ball, some hard plastic chew toys, and a ferret chew in there.

That's all for now, but I'm sure I'll have more questions in the next
few weeks. Thank you all for your help and happy ferreting!

--Natalie

[Posted in FML 6583]