From:
Pam Sessoms
Date: 2001-10-19 14:37:00 UTC
Subject: Orphan kits again
(sorry for the cross-posting)
Thanks for the helpful replies so far. It is sounding quite grim. So far
I have not heard from anyone who has ever successfully handraised kits
under 2.5 weeks old, and no one has heard of anyone else doing it
either. I am still kind of hoping to find a lactacting jill to take the
kits, but I realize that chances of this are small too. I have a few
feelers out but am not terribly optimistic. I just read the following in
_Reproduction, Development, and Inheritance in the Ferret_:
"The chances of successfully handrearing kits under three weeks of age are
so remote that it is unfair - to them, to you, and to those who must work
and/or live with you - to even try."
It also says:
"Unlike kittens and puppies, which can be entirely hand-raised, kits will
die without their mother's colostrum, and it is shameful cowardice to let
them die agonizing from starvation because you can't bring yourself to
have them put to sleep."
So, does this mean, as I fear it does, that not only would these babies
need to have a lactating jill, but also one who is still actually
producing colostrum? Their mother died two nights ago, and I assume they
did not get any milk at all from her. I know that in baby foals, this is
a bad situation that must be corrected incredibly quickly.
James Fox's book _Biology and Diseases of the Ferret_ DOES say they have
managed with incredible difficulty to handraise ferrets from birth, but it
required real ferret milk for at least the first 10 days of life.
Substituting anything else caused death of the litter. So, that's
starting from when they were born, in a lab environment, with talented and
experienced people doing the job.
What a sad, sad situation. If anyone has any thoughts on finding a jill
that could take the babies successfully, please let me know. We have a
couple of folks willing and able to transport this weekend if there is
hope of saving these babies. Babies are in Greensboro, NC.
Best wishes,
-Pam S.
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