From:
"possum1213"
Date: 2009-03-08 23:47:23 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: doing darkness
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, Sukie Crandall <sukiec@...> wrote:
> With warmer weather approaching, the topic of doing darkness without creating other health problems arises, basically, how much is too much darkness, how much is too little, and how do you avoid things like lack of ventilation and too much heat.<
I think this applies whether it is warm weather or cold weather. Providing complete darkness can be taken to extremes, no matter the time of year. When ferrets are left in a covered cage with little, or no, air circulation, it can become a serious health issue. Not only are they not getting fresh air, but they are also breathing in the fumes from their own excrement, including ammonia from their urine. A room that is a comfortable temperature normally, becomes way too warm and stuffy when no air is allowed to circulate, and is a breeding ground for germs and illness. All smells become exaggerated when there is no air cirulation. It's like leaving something smelly closed up in your car. It is much smellier than leaving it in an open room with good circulation.
Cages too close to each other with no space between them, covering cages, and keeping the door closed with no air circulating is cruel, IMO. I don't believe that any of us would want to live that way, and the same applies to our ferrets.
Common sense is the key. I try to provide natural light as much as possible, day and night. I leave the fan on my central AC running 24/7, year-round, which circulates the air. I leave a celing fan running in my ferret rooms 24/7. I don't cover the cages at all. There are dark places within the cages, and around the rooms, for them. I turn off the lights and close the door at night.
There are always people who will take advice to the extreme.
Katharine
Florida
------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:ferrethealth-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:ferrethealth-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ferrethealth-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/