From:
Melissa Litwicki
Date: 2004-10-22 17:57:58 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Ways to provide darkness?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <Pine.BSO.4.58.0410221347570.23027@naughty.monkey.org>
My ferrets always had their own room and never shared living quarters with
anyone else, which may not be possible for many people. The room was
their 'cage,' (they were rarely, if ever, locked up in an actual cage) and
had windows to the outside as well as an open door to the rest of the
house. A modified baby gate kept them in there when we didn't want them
out, but I never spent time in there working, reading, etc, so the lights
were always off. The room was full of cat condos, hammocks in covered milk
crates (one of the greatest cheap sleeping options ever), blankets,
towels, etc - including inside dark closets - there was always a pitch
black place to sleep, which my ferrets always chose.
I certainly let them out at night when our house lights were on, and
didn't bother to limit light from streetlamps or the open door to their
room. Out of my relatively small sample size of 5 ferrets, none developed
adrenal disease (including the MF sprite who came to me with adrenal at
the age of 1 but never re-developed it, and died at 7+ of kidney disease).
It is my general belief that exposure to natural light cycles (lots of
windows), in combination with a plethora of dark hidey-holes, and absence
of forced unnatural light in their living area, was sufficient for my
ferrets. I certainly don't believe my observations are anything other
than anecdotal, but that's what worked for us and what I'd do again.
On another note, after feeding my cat raw chicken for years, I'd also
ideally feed any new ferrets a raw diet, which, like the entire 'ferret
room', is certainly not possible for everyone!
Thanks,
Melissa
> --- sharonl1@frontiernet.net wrote:
>
> > I understand that 14 hours of total darkness is one
> > of the best things we can do for our ferrets,
> > but.... how do people accomplish that?
>