[Moderator's note: Much of this seems to have appeared in issue 2387, but
looks like enough has changed that it's a different post.  A third post
with just a few things changed won't be accepted.  BIG]
 
(This segment is a continuation of the 2nd)
 
I think that once you start making home cooked additions of people food to
your ferret's diet, and specifically LUMPS, you will find that your ferrets
are quite healthy, they never develop ECE nor coccidiosis, are flea free
and push out poop like four inch long cigars.  So easy to pick up and of
very low odor.  Use of LUMPS at the earliest stage of kit development
postpartum is quite remarkable in that you can bypass the biting stage by
transitioning the kit from its sucking reflex to its licking reflex.  Of
course, by making your own home-made daily ferret soup (LUMPS) - it takes
me about 2 and 1/2 hours every day to make 3 gallons of LUMPS and feed it
to our 40 to 50 ferrets at a rate of 6 oz per ferret per day - you know
exactly what your ferrets are eating.
 
There are some other advantages to making ferret soup and these positive
elements are described in my pamphlet that I've posted on Ferret Advertising
List No. 11.  Since our shelter houses such a large population of ferrets,
the cost savings we realize by making our own home-made ferret food LUMPS is
vital to our success, eventhough we supplement LUMPS with kibble dried
ferret/cat, puppy chow and cooked chicken and turkey .We know that what ever
may be lacking in the dried food we more than make up for it with LUMPS.
 
Judy Moon's Mazuri/catfood/skim milk in a blender as a food for her ferrets
is right on track with my ideas, but may be somewhat incomplete
ingredient-wise as well as application-wise.  I say that because she
remarked that she has raised many happly little NIPPERS.  The point I want
to reiterate here is the point I made above, to wit: start the kits out on
soup LUMPS before they are fully weened so that they are transitioned from
the sucking reflex to the licking reflex, completely bypassing the NIPPING
(and shortly later) biting stage.  This way she'll be producing "many happle
little LICKERS," not "NIPPERS."
 
[log in to unmask] and his experience with a ferret that buries its teeth to
the bone, let me briefly introduce you to Ferrets NorthWest's FNW 3-step
bonding procedure.  Maybe you'd find it useful.
 
Step 1.  Ferretone drop or two on the palm of the hand of any and all
persons who handle the ferret and at every meeting with a given ferret.  If
possible, hold the ferret against your chest, high up, resting on your
sleeve covered right forearm (never a bare arm to start with,) and speak to
the ferret anything that comes to mind so the ferret can smell your breath.
With one or two drops of Ferretone in the FLATTENED palm of your left hand
(allow no creases in your handpalm skin) the ferret will associate the taste
of your skin with Ferretone as well as the odor of your breath, clothes,
hair, etc.
 
Step 2.  Require that the ferret sleep in the same confinement nightly and
with an article of clothing that the owner has worn next to his skin and
possibly moisturized by sweat.  Here again is the association of smell with
the owner at the most relaxed time possible.
 
Step 3.  Harness your ferret very tightly with a leashless harness,
preferably a figure 8 leather harness.  Leave it on the ferret for four or
five hours.  Upon removing the harness, locate the fur that has been matted
down by the harness straps and position the ferret high on your chest, his
claws clutching your clothing and his nose just touching your chin.  Start
massaging the ferret with the fingers and thumbs of both hands about the
length of the matted-down fur on his shoulders, sides and back.  Most
ferrets respond to this massaging of their "itcy" areas by instinctively
licking and the ferret's tongue repeated laps the air, just as though he
were licking his own "itchy" areas.  However, since his nose is next to your
chin, he'll likely start licking your chin very, very forcefully for as long
as your "scratching" his "itch." Some of my big intact males have licked my
chin so hard and over such time that they leave a "hickey" on my chin!
Obviously the ferret is strongly bonding to you as he licks your skin nearly
raw.  Remember, scent and taste are the two most powerful senses in the
ferret.  Take advantage of them for bonding.
 
End of third, please see fourth following.
[Posted in FML issue 2391]