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Modern Ferret News Mailing List Issue #29
http://www.ferretnews.com
September 9, 2002
by Mary R. Shefferman and Eric Shefferman
contact: mary modernferret.com
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Hi
This issue contains the second part of a three-part
article by Mary on reducing stress in ferrets. This
is an important concept that we've been repeating
again and again over the years in our magazine. For
some of you this will be familiar and for some of you
it will be all new concepts -- either way, it is well
worth reading to help get you thinking about ways to
improve your ferrets' lives.
We've had a difficult week this past week (see the
Update on Modern Ferret section) and have to do a lot
of catch-up work on several projects that have strict
deadlines. As soon as we get caught up a bit, we'll be
able to bring the archived articles on the web site up
to date (for people who joined us after we sent out
the newsletter with the first part of Mary's article).
On Friday, the truck arrived with the printed
copies of the regular edition of our fun new book:
_500 Things My Ferret Told Me_.
To celebrate the new book, and to make it easier for
you to get copies for yourself as well as gifts for
your ferret friends, we have a special introductory
offer: buy 2, get 1 FREE.
To order the book, see:
http://ferrettradingpost.com/500ferret.html
For more information about the book, see:
http://www.asktheferret.com
Enjoy this newsletter and start thinking about
ways you can reduce stress for your ferrets!
- Eric
----- The Modern Ferret News -----
>>> In this issue: <<<
==> Stress Reduction - Part 2 of 3
by Mary R. Shefferman
==> Update on Modern Ferret Things
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======================================================
==> Stress Reduction - Part 2 of 3
by Mary R. Shefferman
-- Repeating the Introduction
We often think that because ferrets don't have jobs
or deadlines or bills that they don't have stress.
They sleep in hammocks, have all their food and water
provided -- and they get to play a lot. But stress for
ferrets is not the same as stress in humans. The kind
of lay-about life most ferrets have can actually be
stressful for them. As much as they are our pets now,
that's not what nature designed them for. Ferrets are
designed to hunt, which takes both physical and mental
exertion. If their basic needs aren't met, they can
get stressed.
Reducing stress might not have a direct effect on any
specific disease, but a ferret that is not stressed
will have better overall health, and may do better if
he or she does get sick.
There are several things you can do in your home
right now that could help reduce the overall stress
levels of your ferrets.
In Part 1 of Stress Reduction, we discussed play,
darkness, and loneliness.
-- New Ferrets
Adding a new ferret to your group can be stressful
for everyone -- all the ferrets and you. Gradual
introductions, where you allow the ferrets more and
more time together, will help them get used to each
other. You have to allow them to work things out on
their own for the most part. There will be some
dragging around and hissing and squabbles, but most of
the time ferrets will work things out. You will almost
always see some loose stools, some diarrhea. This
should go away once the ferrets have integrated. There
is always a possibility that a new ferret could bring
an illness into your home. You need to be aware of
that. But also be aware that not all diarrhea that
occurs when you add a new ferret is from illness.
Often it is from stress.
-- notes --
1. As always, monitor the condition of your ferrets
carefully. It is better to err on the side of caution
and bring your ferret to the veterinarian right away
if you suspect illness or if your ferret isn't eating,
drinking, or going to the bathroom properly.
2. While adding ferrets is usually fun for the owner,
make sure that it is fun for the ferrets too. Make
sure that there is enough room for them both while
caged and while out so that they have the opportunity
to have some space for themselves (if they want it).
Overcrowding can be just as much of a stress as
loneliness.
-----------
-- Change
Change in and of itself isn't necessarily stressful
-- some amount of change helps to mentally stimulate
your ferrets -- other types of changes can be
stressful. Even excitement is stress. Positive change
can cause stress as much as negative change. Whenever
possible, implement change gradually. If you're giving
your ferrets a new cage, move the old hammocks and
blankets into the new one -- unwashed, so the ferrets
still have their familiar smell. The same is true of
a new house or apartment. Make sure you keep some of
the toys, blankets, hammocks etc. unwashed, so the
ferrets still have a familiar smell around them.
* New foods can cause physical stress. Almost without
exception, if you add a new food -- even if it is an
excellent food -- your ferret will have a few loose
stools. The digestive tract has to adjust to the new
food, and during the adjustment period, you will see
some diarrhea. You can help by adding the food to the
mix gradually -- starting with 10% of the new food and
slowly working your way up to the portion you want to
be feeding. As your ferrets get used to the new
nutrient contents and ingredients of the new food,
their stools will return to normal.
Provide different flavors and types of foods early
on. Ferrets decide what is and what isn't food by the
time they're about six months old. During this time,
you should try to expose your ferret to different
types of food. If you've adopted a ferret who is older
than six months old, try offering a variety of foods
while he is well. This may take time. This can help
prevent stress down the road if you need to change
your ferret's food or if you need to feed a bland diet
after surgery or during an illness. Offer different
brands of kibbled foods, offer foods like chicken or
turkey baby food, Hill's a/d, cooked meats, eggs, and
other foods (duck soup, Bob's chicken gravy).
* Changing water may have a similar effect. Even if
you are improving the quality of your ferrets' water
(from plain tap water to filtered, for example).
Moving from one area of the United States to another
can mean that the chlorine content of the water
changes; this can have a strong effect on your ferrets
-- and you.
:)
-- Stay Tuned! Part 3 of 3 of this article will be in
the next Modern Ferret News newsletter!
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If you've been reading this newsletter and would
like to see what Mary and Eric do in a real printed
magazine, you can go to our online store and order
a single copy.
http://modernferretstore.com/24/cat24.htm
Modern Ferret Magazine issue #32 features:
- A Dozen Helpful Hints from Bob Church
- Bob Church's Forgotten Ferret History
- Insulinoma to Diabetes: Scoots's Story
- plus ferret cartoons, funny stories, and more!
*and* a very special Patriotic Pin-Up Centerfold!
Note: you'll want an extra copy to be able to hang
this centerfold in your office!
You can also order a subscription, back issues,
and other Modern Ferret products from the site.
http://modernferretstore.com
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==> Update on Modern Ferret Things
Please tell other ferret people to go to our site
ferretnews.com and subscribe to this newsletter!
The more the merrier!
Good News and Sad News This Issue:
-- Our New Book (Good News)
On Friday, the truck arrived with the printed
copies of the regular edition of our fun new book:
_500 Things My Ferret Told Me_.
To celebrate the new book, and to make it easier for
you to get copies for yourself as well as gifts for
your ferret friends, we have a special introductory
offer: buy 2, get 1 FREE.
To order the book, see:
http://ferrettradingpost.com/500ferret.html
For more information about the book, see:
http://www.asktheferret.com
-- Sad News
Our ferret Balthazar passed away last week. Just days
before he died, he was happily bounding around the
house and full of energy.
He was such a terrific little boy. We got him while
working on Mary's birthday in 1997. We were doing a
Pet Expo to promote the magazine and were next to a
ferret breeder (Triple F Farms). Mary and I held Bal
all day (he loved to be held while sleeping), and the
breeder put him aside at the end of the day. The next
day Mary held him all day again and at some point she
named him "Balthazar!" Once he had a name, we had to
take him home.
He loved people and had a great disposition. When we
moved out of my mom's house right after we got him,
he got all excited with the newfound extra space and
ran up to Mary and nipped her. She yelled at him, "No,
you don't do that!" He pouted a little (he loved Mary
very much) and after that he never nipped at anyone
ever again.
When Balthazar was a baby, Ralph (another ferret --
we miss them all so much!) used to be very rough with
him. Mary would pick up Balthazar and comfort him.
He grew up to always love being held by Mary.
Balthazar grew up to be a big (but not too big),
friendly boy who loved to be held (especially by
Mary). He was our best TV ferret -- he was on tons
of shows and always came off looking great because
he loved being held by Mary and he had the cutest
little white paws.
We used to call him our little Bal-Bunny because he
was so gentle like a bunny rabbit. He loved so many
simple things. When refilling the food bowls, he would
always come over and beg for food. You could just keep
grabbing food from the bowl and handing it to him and
he would get all excited as if you were giving him the
best treats in the world.
On Tuesday morning of last week, he was acting
lethargic and wasn't interested in food. We
immediately brought him to the veterinarian.
He had a high fever, and they couldn't take an X-ray
until the next day when they had his fever under
control. The X-ray showed a "something" inside of him
that looked wrong and they drew bloodwork to see
if it was safe to do surgery on him. On Thursday the
results of the bloodwork were really bad -- it would
not be safe to do surgery on him. While we were
preparing to go visit him (our vet is an hour away),
Balthazar died.
This was totally unexpected. He hadn't wasted away
at all -- he was very solid and strong. Last Sunday
he was leaping up onto the couch in a single bound.
We miss him terribly. Being so used to having a lot
of ferrets, it was quite hard to just have four. With
Balthazar gone, there are only three: Trixie, Koosh,
and Gabrielle.
Trixie is blind and acts much older and slower than
the other two. Balthazar was the in-between who would
both race around with the energetic ferrets and curl
up to be warm with Trixie.
This is a quote from our new book with a photo
of Balthazar when he was a little baby.
http://asktheferret.com/cgi-bin/cpshop.cgi/500ferret319
This is a more recent photo of Balthazar on the
cover of Modern Ferret.
http://modernferret.com/mfm027/cover27_300.jpg
We miss Balthazar very much, but it is for ferrets
like him that we do this newsletter, the magazine,
and all the other things we do. So that people like
you can take better care of and have more fun with
your Balthazars.
That's it for this issue!
Stay tuned! More great stuff is on the way!
Remember that shopping at
http://www.FerretDesigns.com
and at
http://www.FerretTradingPost.com
helps support this newsletter and keep it free.
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them), and so much more -- all done from a fellow
ferret owner's viewpoint (because we're ferret
owners too!).
Read more about it at
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Copyright 2002 Modern Ferret magazine.
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