From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2010-04-22 18:56:06 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Ferrets and language comprehension
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi, Sukie and everyone else,
> We have found that with a lot of repetition and simple
> sentence structure our hearing ferrets understand a good
> number of words, understand a basic subject-verb construct,
> and understand conditionals such as "Meltdown get Warp,
> then Meltdown get treat" and act on them. (Meltie dragged
> young Warp out from under the bed then looked up at
> Steve and licked her chops.)
We had an identical experience with Tenchi when we first got Adric.
We had just the two at the time (our first two ferrets) and hadn't
ferret proofed as well as we should have done. Tenchi clearly
understood "Get Adric, get treat." He'd scruff little Adric and drag
him over to either one of us and then wait for his treat.
Our current three clearly think "good girl" means a treat is due.
Call out "Zephyr, treat!" and watch how fast she comes running. Chin
Soon had problems going into and out of the litter pan when her
insulinoma was bad. Since surgery last year she's had no symptoms at
all but sometimes looks like she's going to go next to rather than in
the litter pan. A firm "Go in!" and she'll jump into the litter pan.
She knows a treat is at stake :) We even trained Nyssa to roll over
on command like a dog. She'd then do an extra half roll for a belly
rub, the reward she wanted.
Ferrets understand a lot more than some people give them credit for
and can be trained to do a lot more than go to the litter pan. What I
have learned, though, is that when a ferret is in ill health all that
training can disappear.
All the best,
Caity and the terrific trio
[Training is not normally an FHL topic but at times it
can affect health. We have had ones who were taught
some simply body parts who would nose-bump agreement
to questions like "Chest ouchie?" for an asthmatic when that
kicked up and she needed Benedryl, and "Belly ouchie?" for
one with genetic GI malformations who was helped at times
on demand by Carafate's soothing. Both disliked the meds'
tastes but liked their effects.
The after insulinoma retraining Caity mentions is pretty
often needed if substantial hind end weakness existed before.
That a sick ferret will no longer observe training can be one
type of useful hint for when to get to the vet as Caity herself
hints here.
--Moderator]
------------------------------------
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:
ferrethealth-digest@yahoogroups.com
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/