From:
SBrown9530@aol.com
Date: 2004-12-02 13:54:41 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Re: Help - Suggestions Please-Pacing
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <87.1bfe3b5c.2ee078a1@aol.com>
In a message dated 12/2/04 2:28:13 AM Central Standard Time,
sukiec@optonline.net writes:
Yes, it makes sense to make sure that a medical problem isn't playing into it
through hormonal changes or pain, and maybe if you give folks an idea of her
capabilities and likes it would be possible for folks to help you work up ways
to make her life more interesting. I know that some can be a challenge that
way. We've even had a small aquarium for a ferret who was very ill and very
old because she still had decent eyesight for it as long as it was right next
to her cage. Others like hanging toys, or music, and all like bouts of
attention and spoiling. How much activity and interaction is she getting outside the
cage? For how long? What does she enjoy?
================
Kelli has been a loaner all her life, living her first 2 yrs. in a garage
with little interaction with her previous family and has never been around other
animals. The few times I've tried to introduce her to other animals, she
attacks them. When she gets out she immediately runs to the cat food bowl and eats
while I'm getting her gravy ready, she eats her gravy, explores, I'll play
with her until she gets tired, then shortly crawls into her blanket to go to
sleep. We wrestle with stuffies, I hold/pet her until she wants to go to sleep.
Earlier this AM, after eating her gravy she explored the livingroom,
kitchen, and hall, then crawled into her blanket, where I let her sleep for a bit,
then I put her back into her cage and she is still sleeping at the present time.
Remember she's blind, and it seems she's having trouble remembering where
the ramp is to go to the first level of her cage. Do ferrets get senile with
age?
As far as her likes, she hunts for stuffies to chew on, which I fear will
cause a blockage. She does get around well, considering she is blind, being able
to climb up on things. She does not like chew weasels, or anything hard to
chew on, only soft, material objects. It's kind of hard to move objects around
in her exploring area, as she knows where everything is and I don't want her
bumping into things.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Sandi