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Hobnob
Aug 23, 2009 22:54:06 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Aug 23, 2009 22:54:06 GMT 1
Poor little Hobnob needs some positive thoughts, and is a very stiff and sore little ferret. While I was out earlier today my son and a workman came to the house and somehow the terrier was let into the main part of the house, knocked down the ferrets cage and managed to get at Hobnob - aka Ferdie Ferret. He is lucky to be alive, and feeling very sorry for himself, but a little brighter tonight. Fortunately, the other ferret, Choccy Chip, wasn't harmed, but has taken up residence in a hammock I made for them, rather than curl up with her injured brother. Told my son that, as he now has his own place, he can take his wretched nightmare of a terrier home with him, too.
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Hobnob
Aug 24, 2009 21:26:43 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Aug 24, 2009 21:26:43 GMT 1
Delighted to say that Hobnob is on the mend today, much to my relief. However, despite the puncture wound in his side, he has been sleepin in the strangest position, and draped sideways over the hammock and with his bottom sitting on a shelf in the cage! Perhaps he finds that more comfy?
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Hobnob
Aug 24, 2009 21:31:07 GMT 1
Post by brackensmum on Aug 24, 2009 21:31:07 GMT 1
aww - only just seen this Al as i been off on holiday and its been a mare trying to catch up :lol:
Glad hobnob is feeling better today
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Hobnob
Aug 25, 2009 19:44:03 GMT 1
Post by marypoppins on Aug 25, 2009 19:44:03 GMT 1
aww poor Hobnob.
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Hobnob
Aug 25, 2009 23:42:43 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Aug 25, 2009 23:42:43 GMT 1
Hobnob seems much better tonight. I've managed to concoct another hammock in the cage, as he was adopting some very strange poses and sleeping with his head in the one hammock and under his sister, with his body hanging outside! They are now sleeping curled up in a hammock each. Hobnob doesn't seem to be eating quite normally yet, but he is drinking well, and 'producing' fairly normally!
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Hobnob
Aug 28, 2009 23:53:37 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Aug 28, 2009 23:53:37 GMT 1
Despite having fully recovered now, Hobnob and his sister, Choccy-Chip, went to visit the vet this evening. This on account that I was fairly sure they had acquired a few fleas! Having frontlined all the dogs last week, and noticed the ferret pair doing more than a normal amount of scratching, I phoned the vet yesterday to ask what I should use on them. Apparently it is a drug called 'Advantage' for ferrets - and at monthly intervals for three months. 'Could I collect some?' I asked. 'Yes, but you will need to bring the ferrets into the surgery because it is a prescription drug, and we have to examine the animals concerned,' I was told by the receptionist. There was nothing for it but to make an appointment, and before being forced to rename the pair 'Itchy' and 'Scratchy'. Fortunately, they are both used to obliging me by climbing out of their cage as soon as the door is opened, and into their carrying box to hunt for treats amongst the shedded paper in that, so off we went to the vets. Driving there, it struck me that normally they go into that box while I clean out their cage, and when the box is reopened, they emerge thoroughly exited and ready to play-fight, race and roll around in their fresh bedding... Not quite the same as emerging onto a vet's examination table and in the presense of a stranger! Would the car journey have upset them? Would they fancy a taste of vet's fingers? I couldn't be sure, so suggested the vet might wish to put a glove on to handle them before I opened the box. ;D He was quite a young fellow and, I suspect, unfamiliar with handling such little critters with sharp fangs. Off he went into another room to get the flea treatment as I opened the box. The pair blinked in the light, as they uncurled their long bodies from the robble of sleepy fur, raised their heads and yawned... Yes, those teeth sure look sharp, and I had to smile as the vet stroked the backs of their necks with the end of a pencil, rather than trust a finger near them. They were fine with that, so he snipped the end of the tube of anti-flea treatment, and applied half to the back of each one's neck. Neither seemed keen on exiting the box, or bothered by whatever he was doing. We weren't in the consulting room five minutes, then it was back to reception to settle up... Er... I am sure they said the vet had to EXAMINE the ferrets before prescribing? I am almost sure the receptionist's computer screen said something about examine and treat...? I was so taken aback by the bill that I didn't ask for a printout... Yes, it really was £34 to put a couple of spots of flea treatment onto the back of the necks of two ferrets and poke them with a pencil! I dread to think what it would have cost if they'd bothered to climb out of their box! At least when they got home and realised their cage had been cleaned out and a huge pile of fresh shredded paper awaited them, they were far more forthcoming, and had a great game and lots of fun in that before crashing out, draped over their hammocks. Delighted to say that neither have been scratching since they returned, though, so I guess it was worthwhile. I now have about three months to save up enough to have Hobnob vasectomised... At least the vet I spoke with on the phone was sufficiently familiar with ferrets to know that yes, I did mean that and not castration, and why! Being new to ferret keeping, I'd only recently learned that, and from a chap who'd taken his to a vet for that op, only to have it returned castrated instead, and about as much use as chocolate teapot!
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Hobnob
Aug 29, 2009 17:36:18 GMT 1
Post by marypoppins on Aug 29, 2009 17:36:18 GMT 1
£34 oh my that's one expensive flea treatment there. At least they're feeling much better.
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Hobnob
Aug 29, 2009 17:46:33 GMT 1
Post by RuthE on Aug 29, 2009 17:46:33 GMT 1
I'm glad Hobnob is on the mend, and at £34 I think your vets are cheaper than the small animal vets in this area! Do you find that frontline is effective on dogs? I know there is some resistance amongst fleas to the cat version in this area. Luckily now we only ave house cats we don't have to worry about treating fleas.
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Hobnob
Aug 29, 2009 23:24:50 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Aug 29, 2009 23:24:50 GMT 1
Frontline seems to have sorted the dogs okay here, Ruth. Scampi had been rolling in something, probably a dead rabbit, and was crawling with fleas the other day, but they all seem to have gone for now.
Ferrets have been on form today. They are really funny the way they adopt the oddest poses to sleep. Both managed to squeeze themselves into the smaller hammock earlier. It was hard to tell which bit belonged to which one, although Hobnob's front paws are dark chocolate and his sister's are cream.
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Hobnob
Sept 7, 2009 19:47:31 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Sept 7, 2009 19:47:31 GMT 1
When I went to clean out the ferrets today, Choccy Chip was fair bouncing, dived out into the box, and I suddenly realised Hobnob looked 'odd', and hadn't woken up when the cage was opened. Although still breathing - faintly - his body was totally limp, and despite stroking him, lifting him up, and even blowing up his nose, he remained limp in my hands, and with his mouth hanging open. At that moment something crossed my foot. I'd forgotten to fasten the ferret box and Choccy had escaped! With Hobnob appearing to be unconscious, and probably in a coma, I didn't bother closing the cage while I caught his sister and put her back in the box, this time locking the catch. I couldn't understand what could have happened to Hobby, as he'd been fine just an hour before, and when I'd popped up the workshop. He'd even been play fighting with his sister can coming to the bars to take a piece of ferret biscuit. Again I took him out of the cage, this time attempting to massage his chest, in the hope that would help. No change. Just this long, muscular, and well fed, glossy furred and otherwise very healthy looking ferret body, but totally limp and breathing so shallowly as to be barely perceptable. I wondered if he'd make it as far as the vet's, but phoned them, only to feel very frustrated when they were engaged. Needing the loo, I laid Hobby back in the cage and dashed to the loo, then rang the vet again on redial. Still engaged... And at that moment a movement caught the corner of my eye. It was Hobby stretching himself! He then gave a huge yawn, had another stretch, and I was just about in time with a cloth bag to catch him as he slid his body over the edge of the open door, and before he landed head first on the floor! He's now totally back to normal, but I never realised ferrets could sleep quite THAT soundly! :0 He didn't half give me a scare!
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Hobnob
Sept 8, 2009 13:32:48 GMT 1
Post by petdesigns on Sept 8, 2009 13:32:48 GMT 1
Wow, that got the blood pressure going!!! I bet he did that on purpose and he and his sister were p****** themselves laughing all night!!
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Hobnob
Sept 8, 2009 19:48:16 GMT 1
Post by lastresort on Sept 8, 2009 19:48:16 GMT 1
Aww, I want pics of ferrets in hammocks and I have to ask...Why do ferrets have vasectomies? (and yes, I get the bit about preventing pregnancy LOL)
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Hobnob
Sept 8, 2009 20:50:14 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Sept 8, 2009 20:50:14 GMT 1
It is because the jill ferrets need to mate every season or risk getting infections of the uterus and possibly dying as a result. A vasectomised hob ferret is necessary, unless an entire one is used - in which case the inevitable young arrive! Castrated males simply have no interest in mating, whereas the vasectomised ones are just infertile. The alternative form of 'birth control', is the allow the hobs and jills to live together and, when young are born, the hob tends to eat them!
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Hobnob
Sept 8, 2009 21:09:02 GMT 1
Post by lastresort on Sept 8, 2009 21:09:02 GMT 1
I didn't know any of that. Poor girl ferrets. I can see now why a vasectomy is needed. The alternative is horrid.
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Hobnob
Sept 18, 2009 22:56:04 GMT 1
Post by tissy on Sept 18, 2009 22:56:04 GMT 1
I was reading your post about the comotosed Hob thinking "OMG this is going to be so sad" preparing for the inevitable - only to find he was asleep!!!
Goodness knows how you felt LOL!
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Hobnob
Sept 18, 2009 23:17:17 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Sept 18, 2009 23:17:17 GMT 1
I have since learned that this happens quite often with ferrets, but it scared the living daylights out of me! Apparently, Hobnob's mother is the same, hence why she was called 'Sleepy' although usually when I have contact with her, it is feeding time, and she's leaping around the cage like a monkey and swinging from the bars, so I've not seen her in a comatose state. Hobnob I caught in the same state again yesterday, but he woke up as I was stroking him and checking how much of his size was down to his coat, and how much just big ferret! We thought he'd got himself stuck earlier today in the hole between the platforms in the cage! I was starting to wonder how the devil we could extract him when, ever so slowly, and like a thick, hairy glob of treacle, he started to slide through, with his front paws outstretched until he landed in a heap on the bottom of the cage! The sooner their proper enclosure in the feed room is made, the better, although I think he must be full grown by now! I was looking at his father and having a feel of him this evening, and he's a big hob ferret, but not as big as his son! Perhaps it's got something to do with all the sleep he gets! His mother is a little slip of a thing by comparison. Had to make them a new hammock yesterday, and from the leg of a pair of my son's old jeans, as they had wrecked the last one. I threw that in the rubbish bin, but when my ex turned up to take the dogs out for a good walk, the JRT pup must have got a whiff of the old hammock and she dived into the bin after it - or more likely the ferret she thought it contained! No way would she release it without an effort, and despite my ex waving her lead at her! Both ferrets are now curled up on top of one another in the new hammock. It's impossible to tell where one starts and the other ends, but there's a long chocolate tail hanging out of one end, and a nose visible at the other that look like suspiciously like Hobnob's - and the hammock is the knee to ankle bit of my 6' tall son's old jeans!
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Hobnob
Sept 24, 2009 9:30:34 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Sept 24, 2009 9:30:34 GMT 1
I was sitting here the other evening chatting online to Mary when I suddenly spotted a ferret had escaped the cage. It was the jill, Choccy Chip. She'd managed to move one of the platforms in the cage, revealling a gap not much more than an inch square. How on earth she managed to squeeze out through that, but she had.
This morning she managed to learn how to open the cage door, and escaped again! Luckily, she climbed into a cardboard box, so was easy enough to recapture and return to the cage - this time with a new clip fitted to the door. She was less than pleased! I'll be very glad when the pair of them can go to their new quarters in the stable's feed room.
While the morning's excitment was going on, Hobnob did his usual thing of sleeping his head off in the latest hammock. Typical male, eh?
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Hobnob
Sept 24, 2009 10:20:33 GMT 1
Post by reclaimingrebus on Sept 24, 2009 10:20:33 GMT 1
I never knew ferrets could be so entertaining !
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Hobnob
Sept 24, 2009 10:42:13 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Sept 24, 2009 10:42:13 GMT 1
Neither did I, Elaine. In fact, last night I was chatting with Mike, a local chap (not SIMike) who has kept ferrets for over 20 years, and asked him what it signified when a ferret waggled its tail, and he had never observed that before, saying he had always kept his in a large run in a shed, rather than his home, therefore missed some of the entertaining things. He asked if Hobnob's tail was bushed out when he did this, but it isn't. In fact, I've only observed him doing it when his tail's been dangling over one of the platform edges, and it is more like the shake a lamb does when suckling from a ewe than a dog wagging its tail. I've seen it a few times from Hobby, and usually when I am by the cage and talking to him and offering a bit of food. Never seen the jill ferret do it, though. Right now the pair are play-fighting - again.
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Hobnob
Sept 25, 2009 8:43:25 GMT 1
Post by Florrie on Sept 25, 2009 8:43:25 GMT 1
never a dull moment in your house then
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