I just saw a post on another list about some ferrets killing a
chinchilla (the woman had them housed in the same cage, albeit with
a level between them). Well, a ferret got through and killed it.
I have seen lots of posts that say you can't have ferrets and _____
(usually birds, rodents, etc.). I think that if someone is a
responsible pet owner, it's easy to tell if your ferret can access
those types of pets. After all, how safe is a bird, rodent, or other
animal if the lid cannot keep out a ferret?
I have 8 total ferrets now, and on the floor they run right next to
a wire rat cage with five female rats. No issues. There are also
habitrails with some lab mice and some pet store mice, and a hamster.
No issues.
Even when the hairless rat got out and played with them "accidently"
(she thinks she is a ferret) she would get scratches but the ferrets
would not kill her. Other ferrets, yes, probably. If anyone would like
pictures, I have them. Angel the ferret who passed away from lymphoma
earlier this year, lived below young Meadow the hairless rat. And she
didn't like sharing her stuff with her, and nipped at her a lot. Rats
have thick skin like ferrets do, and so Meadow didn't care, and finally
Angel would go back to sleep and I'd find them both together (not by
Angel's choice). That was when I got two female companions for Meadow
and it kept her in her cage for the most part from then on. (They were
in the top of a ferret nation cage and Meadow could get out).
Meadow also happened to get out when my eight (at the time, when
Peepers and Angel were still alive) were around on the floor....I came
in and saw the smartest, most "violent" ferret I have known chasing
Meadow. Well, Meadow had some scratches on her (superficial) and some
chew marks!!! But wasn't torn up or anything....and she kept trying
to go over and assert dominance over the ferrets!!!
I am not sure, but I think had she not tried to do that, she would
have been toast....
I think it all depends on what the said rodent/animal's behavior
triggers in the ferret. If it acts like a ferret, they probably
aren't going to kill it.
By acting like a ferret, I mean - fighting back, playing rough even
though small, etc.
By acting like a rodent, mice and chins and most rats (the hairless
one is very....odd) will act flighty and cagey. This in turn, causes
the killing instinct to trigger (IMO) and this is of course, ONLY if
the ferret actually has that instinct in it. Out of all of mine, only
Okojyo will try to kill things outright.
It's been documented that in young lions and other predators, the prey
behavior of running DOES trigger them to kill - and when prey stands
still, younger predators often do not know what they should do...
It all depends on what the said rodent/animal's behavior triggers in
the ferret. If it acts like a ferret, they probably aren't going to
kill it.
By acting like a ferret, I mean - fighting back, playing rough even
though small, etc.
It's been documented that in young lions and other predators, the prey
behavior of running DOES trigger them to kill - and when prey stands
still, younger predators often do not know what they should do...
I guess on to what I was going to ask. When the ratties get into the
closet after I'm done cleaning their cage, only ONE will not come out -
Cremora. She won't come out after hours and hours....a true "rat" LOL!
So I thought, I'll use a ferret, I have lots of them. So I put Okojyo
in the closet and I heard a short chase, and then I caught Okojyo's
butt end, and she had Cremora's scruff, so I got the rat easily!
But she was kind of rough so the next time I used Lucy. Lucy wouldn't
even try to go in the closet, but after about 5 times of me placing
her in the narrow way (its full of boxes) she went in, and found the
rat. Interestingly enough, this time Cremora started "talking" to Lucy
like she was arguing. I would imagine this is because Lucy didn't
immediately start chase like Okojyo. So Lucy just kinda stood there
from what I could tell, and eventually came back out. I had to put her
back in, and she did move the rat a little bit - but not much - and
then finally Cremora came near me, and Lucy didn't know what to do. So
I picked up Lucy and put her in the area I could not reach, and she
scruffed Cremora, but when I picked her up she acted like she thought
I was reprimanding her and let her go. I just set her back down by
Cremora and she scruffed her again and I got the rat!
I was just wondering - does anyone have any good stories of using
ferrets to retrieve things (anything) OR stories about your ferrets
killing rats, mice, (I know a lot of people's will kill mice - mine
will too, I am pretty sure) or stories about ferrets getting along
with rodents, birds, or other animals (not dogs and cats).
Sorry for the long post,
Laryssa
[Posted in FML 5796]
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