# ferret help urgent



## crafty (Aug 13, 2007)

ok so i was getting some ferrets next weekend 
so i was expecting some just not right now
anywho 
iv just been out to drop the kids home and when i got back the guy i was getting my ferrets off has been down to the house and dropped two off with the gf 
on the plus side she didnt pay for them they seem healthy alert and very playful
the down side is iv got no where to put them as im not picking all my gearup till tomorrow after work 
at the moment iv got them in a 4x2x2 viv which iv taken the glass out of and secured a full mesh front on 
i just dont know if this is gona be ok for them
its two females mother and daughter (thats what the gf was told anyway)
is this gona be ok for them untill tomorrow night?
what can i feed them on in an emergency?
how do i tell if they are really both girls?
any help would be greatly appreciated


----------



## thehoghut (Dec 6, 2007)

Hi there,you can feed them complete food biscuits for cats.


----------



## thehoghut (Dec 6, 2007)

they will be fine with the viv for now.look at sexing ferrets on the net.its easy enough.
cool......i have ferrets.


----------



## thehoghut (Dec 6, 2007)

sorry cant edit right now and watching tv:lol2: 
how old are they?


----------



## crafty (Aug 13, 2007)

mother and daughter 
three years and 5 months
there not even the ones i was gona buy


----------



## Dirtydozen (Feb 7, 2007)

if they are boys they will have balls lol
you can just feed them dog or cat complete and some sardines or cat food. They will be fine in that viv for tonight defo dont worry about it


----------



## Dirtydozen (Feb 7, 2007)

you will be able to see a little bit further towards the front of them on their underside if they were boys mate


----------



## thehoghut (Dec 6, 2007)

well seems a bit of a sham to drop them on you like that.Not that i breed mine but if i did and someone wanted a them i would supply pics and details.But if they were for free and you like them and decide not to take them back i would suggest getting futher details on them.Are they vacinated as they need the vacinating for various things like distemper?Are they neutered ?as the female can die if they are not mated when in season.


----------



## crafty (Aug 13, 2007)

ok thanks for that guys 
havent kept ferrets since i was a kid 
that was quite a few moons ago and then there was 8 of them and they had the full run of a huge shed


----------



## thehoghut (Dec 6, 2007)

i have albino and beautiful chocolate colored ferts


----------



## crafty (Aug 13, 2007)

thehoghut said:


> well seems a bit of a sham to drop them on you like that.Not that i breed mine but if i did and someone wanted a them i would supply pics and details.But if they were for free and you like them and decide not to take them back i would suggest getting futher details on them.Are they vacinated as they need the vacinating for various things like distemper?Are they neutered ?as the female can die if they are not mated when in season.


yeah gona ring the guy in the morning 

oh and the vets to get them checked over
were gona keep them all being well the gf has fallen in love with let littleun
the mothers a bit more nippy but nothing i cant handle and shes mine


----------



## thehoghut (Dec 6, 2007)

just a reminder if you do move them outside keep them warm by covering the bed area underneath the hay,blankets ect and a protective cover as its bitterly cold this year and a bout of human flu can kill them so do not handle if anyone gets flu.


----------



## crafty (Aug 13, 2007)

thehoghut said:


> just a reminder if you do move them outside keep them warm by covering the bed area underneath the hay,blankets ect and a protective cover as its bitterly cold this year and a bout of human flu can kill them so do not handle if anyone gets flu.


i thing were gona keep them inside untill we know the score 
and theyve had a check up at the vets


----------



## thehoghut (Dec 6, 2007)

they can be nippy and its usually just play a sharp NO or sound of a cat hissing should soon stop that.its just playful but better to teach them to stop.I have never found it painful as none of the ones i own nipped me and meant it anything other than a playful gesture


----------



## thehoghut (Dec 6, 2007)

yes best to wait until you have somemore details to keep them in.


----------



## crafty (Aug 13, 2007)

ive lost count how many times i was nipped as a kid so imnot to worried about it 
the gf on the other hand is convinced shes evil:crazy:


----------



## thehoghut (Dec 6, 2007)

i think were in for a good(bad)winter


----------



## thehoghut (Dec 6, 2007)

can always find treats a distraction if your g/f worried about being nipeed.


----------



## thehoghut (Dec 6, 2007)

must just go check mine are not too cold and they have plenty of warmth.i may as well have them in for a bit before bedtime.


----------



## Mez (Feb 19, 2007)

just let them run around the house?


----------



## BigDave (Sep 29, 2007)

hi i have a young male ferret he lives in the house he has a large storage box for a bed he was a bit nippy for a start we got some Wilkinson`s household pet behave training spray a little of that on your hands feet and anywhere els they attack like corners of the room it works wonders i think its bitter apple based i find kitten food over 30 pc protein a good cheap feed Ive been told the warehouse at paddock head sells cheap ferret food also good luck with them


----------



## Marinam2 (Sep 4, 2007)

Dirtydozen said:


> if they are boys they will have balls lol
> you can just feed them dog or cat complete and some sardines or cat food. They will be fine in that viv for tonight defo dont worry about it


Shows how much you know. Testicles will not be visible on male ferrets at this time of the year as they retract back up in to the body for "winter storage".
However after saying that male ferrets have a clear penis that kinda looks like a belly button and you can feel like a rod if you rub that area as a ferrets penis is always erect. Females for obvious reasons don't have any of this.

Personally i would have left the glass on the viv no doubt they have found their way out this morning.... 

Marina


----------



## Mustela (Dec 21, 2007)

Ok firstly.
Do not feed your ferrets cat food. Most cat food is of a vegetable based protein and this is seriously harmful to your ferrets. Ferrets need meat based proteins, fresh meat ie (liver, kidney, mince meat, chicken wings, rabbit etc) at least 3 times a week, and they always need a constant supply of complete ferret mix (kibble). They have a very high metabolic rate and digest food un around 4-5 hours. They eat little and often which is why it is important that there is always food and water available. Cat food can cause bladder stones, which will result in your ferrets being in extreme pain and if left untreated it will eventually kill them. I can't stress to you how important it is to get the correct diet with a good balance of nutrients they need. There are a number of different complete ferret mixes that you can buy. James Wellbeloved is a good one, also Frankie Ferret or TPP. Please don't feed them cat food. I rescued a ferret recently who was quite literally urinating through her skin, her fur was bright yellow because she couldn't pass water due to bladder stones after being fed by her previous owners on a cat food diet. She had to undergo a serious operation which could have been easily avoided should she have had the correct diet. The stones they removed from here were HUGE, the size of stones that are pulled out of human bladders, she must have been in awful pain.
Ferrets are not cats, they have entirely different nutritional needs.
You can tell if they are both female quite easily, hobs (males) are considerably larger than jills (females) and you'll notice their testes quite visably if they are of sexual maturity.
If they are both female you will also need to have them spayed. I don't know whether you are aware of the dangers of leaving a jill in season?... Jills will usually come into season in the spring and they will not come out of season unless they are give a hormone injection (jill jab) to bring them out, or they are mated to breed, or mated by a vasectomised hob (which will bring them out of season minus babies). However, the best thing to do is to spay. Jill jabs and mating via a vasectomised hob can sometimes result in phantom pregnancies which may cause pyometras (puss filled uterus) which will kill your jill if not treated, and if this happens they will need spaying immediately anyway. It is extremely important that they are not left in season or they are likely to die.
You can tell when your jill is in season as her vulva will become very swollen and red, and you'll notice a discharge. Her scent will also be stronger.
Ferrets can be kept outside or inside, but they need a suitable enclosure which is dry and free from wind and bad weather, with suitable bedding. Hay and straw is ok but it's not ideal, it can irritate their eyes and it has also been known to get stuck in various places. I know of at least 3 cases where a hob has had a piece of straw stuck in his penis. Ferrets would much rather sleep in hammocks or blankets. They need at least an hour of excercise a day... any more questions, feel free to ask.

Emily


----------

