5. Almost ALL cages require feeding areas to be adjacent to latrines;
either beside them on the floor of the cage, or above them on a shelf.
Beside the fact this GREATLY increases the chances of contaminating the
food, ferrets have an extremely sensitive sense of smell.  Image how you
would feel if forced to eat your dinner in the bathroom of a restaurant,
then multiply it by a factor of thousands.  Ferrets eat in close
proximity to latrines because they have no choice and have adapted.
However, I have found ferrets allowed to free roam tend to eat at the
food location FARTHEST from the latrine.  I have also found older and
sick ferrets eat BETTER when the latrine is a considerable distance
from the food dish.  Even in multi-level ferret cages, the food is
never more than a few feet from the latrine.
 
6. Privacy and security are not just the presence of nesting boxes,
although that is part of it.  Ferret cages are open-air affairs, having
ALL four sides and the roof constructed of wire mesh.  This allows people
to observe the ferret well, but it NEVER addresses the ferret's need for
privacy and security.  In a free roam situation, a startled ferret can
flee from a sound, then, feeling protected while hidden behind something,
will poke their nose out to see what is going on.  What can a caged
ferret do?  Few have a nesting box to hide in, and most have to try and
hide in a hammock or behind a litter box.
 
All these problems, and more, result in stress on the ferret.  Short-term
stresses generally result in a flight or fight response.  Long-term
stresses are a different matter.  They increase the long-term (chronic)
production of adrenal cortex hormones, which tend to inhibit the
production of hormones from the thyroid gland.  Both, when occurring
during growth and development, can retard growth.  In many ferrets, it
can also result in GAS depression.  GAS (General Adaptation Syndrome)
occurs in most chronically stressed animal species--including ferrets.
It can cause depression, lack of interest, stress-related disease,
ulcers, aggression, and other negative behavioral changes.  I know of one
veterinary research group investigating GAS involvement in the formation
of adrenal gland tumors (they are certain it is a risk factor, and
suspect it may be a triggering event).  Mink may be a part of the answer.
Mink tend to display stereotypic behaviors, such a self-mutilation,
excessive grooming, and pacing, which are thought to result in a hormonal
"reward" within the brain.  Ferrets, having been domesticated for 2500
years, have probably had most stereotypic behaviors bred out, so they
display symptoms of GAS instead.  Interestingly, some animal behaviorists
feel that while stereotypical behaviors should not be allowed to develop,
they argue the actions are a successful coping mechanism to combat
stress.  The killer, they argue, is GAS, which inhibits the immune system
(the immune system doesn't JUST combat disease, but the initiation of
cancers also), stresses organ systems, and generally reduces the lifespan
of the animal.
 
Enrichment helps to solve at least part of the problem.  Enrichment
reduces stress in a number of ways, it increases bonding between the
ferret and the owner, and it can provide the ferret owner with hours of
pleasure knowing their ferrets are absolutely enjoying themselves.  In my
next posts, I shall address specific enrichments, and how they can combat
problems of caging and other problems, such as overcrowding and lack of
security.
 
Bob C
[Posted in FML issue 4186]