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Hobnob
Oct 12, 2009 17:30:36 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 12, 2009 17:30:36 GMT 1
They are both curled up in the knitted bag now, with Choccy on top of Hobby, and like a pair of hairy snails. There is now a hole in the one bottom corner of the bag and Hobby's nose has poked out of that. I don't suppose that bag will last much longer. It is getting a bit too cold at nights now to contemplate moving the budgies into the planned aviary in the feed shed, so it is likely that the ferrets will now have that, as they will be fine, with their fur coats and predisposition for curling up in cosy nests. I gathered up some bits of drainpipes left lying around by the builders earlier today, which they are sure to enjoy playing in when they move.
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Hobnob
Oct 12, 2009 19:04:55 GMT 1
Post by sleepylee on Oct 12, 2009 19:04:55 GMT 1
The ferrets are funny The ferrets are free I just had a ferret Climb up on my knee! At least I believe That's what's wriggling there And I am trying to stop Going goodness knows where!
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Hobnob
Oct 16, 2009 0:08:50 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 16, 2009 0:08:50 GMT 1
Hobnob did it again earlier today, turned comatose and when in his hammock, but with his front end hanging out. While Choccy shuffled around behind him, he slowly began to obey gravity and until finally the whole of him landed in a floppy, furry heap on the floor of the cage! No, not even that woke him, nor me picking him up to try and see if he was okay? I could probably have draped his body around my shoulders like a living fur collar and he'd not have woken up! He has since, and when hungry, and is not the worse for his hammock exit. Indeed, he was up at the cage bars begging titbits just now. He seems to like a particular bit of the dog food... perhaps just to get his own back on the old dog, who is convinced the ferret food is much tastier than his own.
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Hobnob
Oct 20, 2009 14:14:17 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 20, 2009 14:14:17 GMT 1
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Hobnob
Oct 20, 2009 14:22:15 GMT 1
Post by petdesigns on Oct 20, 2009 14:22:15 GMT 1
I can't read that as a non-member
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Hobnob
Oct 20, 2009 15:14:48 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 20, 2009 15:14:48 GMT 1
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Hobnob
Oct 20, 2009 23:01:19 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 20, 2009 23:01:19 GMT 1
For those who can't access the thread, it goes something like this... (As posted by me on the Merc owners forum and seeking advice.) Don't laugh but...
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... there is an escaped ferret loose in my old W124. What I need to know is, can it escape via under the dashboard into the engine compartment, please?
I have hunted (with the doors and windows closed) under all the seats and inside the spare wheel and rear seat compartments; through the accumulation of clutter and litter, and listened at the door panels, but to no avail.
I guess it is possible that it has worked its way up into one of the seat cushions from the underside (is that possible?) and has curled up and gone to sleep, but I'm in no condition to remove a seat to look there!
I am not particularly bothered about having a loose ferret in the car, as I've baited a cosy nestbox with some fresh chikenbreast, and feel sure that, as long as it is in the car, and hasn't escaped or become trapped somewhere, as it is quite a large polecat x ferret, sooner or later it'll get a whiff of the chicken and emerge for a scoff, and then likely bed down in the box to sleep it off. However, I am concerned if it can get up behind the dash and upset the electrics - an expense I can do without. I doubt it would chew on anything unless stuck or trapped, or such things it might chew smell or taste like flesh. Being a canivore with very sharpe teeth, I'm also concerned about it escaping from the car and someone attempting to capture it, especially a child. Mind you, it is piddling down with rain here, and I can't see the ferret wanting to venture out onto wet tarmac in preference to wherever it's holed up... Any clues?
Thanks in anticipation, and I hope I have posted this in the right place, as it doesn't seem to fit in any of the normal maintenance help forums?
Oh, and btw, the ferret is called Hobnob.I received the info that it couldn't escape into the engine compartment, but could possibly access the instrument panel behind the dashboard, along with a few other witty comments and suggestions. I then posted the following answers to questions and updates... Second question first, I was aiming to relocate two ferrets from the house to their new quarters down in the feed room at my holding. I put their cage in the back of the car, returned to the house to get other things I needed to take down there, like a bag of carrots for the horses, and when I returned one of the cage doors had sprung open, and only one ferret was still inside.
As for the first question, it turns out that the pet carrier door can't open when it is in the footwell because there's no room. Reckon it's a good idea, though, so off to borrow a live capture rat trap from a chap down the allotments... Oh, the ferret's now taken the chicken breast up into the passenger seat, so likely won't be hungry for ages now though...
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To update anyone interested, I discovered it was inside the passenger seat, so managed to block its escape from there whilst it was napping after scoffing a chicken breast, and whilst I drove the car down to my holding to see to other livestock.
That done, I baited a trap in the front footwell, then removed the barriers allowing it to access the front of the seat. I did think that, having been shut in there a while, and shaken up by the drive, it might emerge, but only its head did, and one tentative front paw, before it disappeared again up into the seat. Decided to leave it alone and trust the trap would capture it while I had a much needed cuppa.
Halfway through that there was a knock on the door. A neighbour from a few doors down saying, 'Do you know there's a stoat in your car?'
'No! But don't worry, the ferret should dispose of it,' I replied, and got rather a funny look from her.
A few minutes later, her husband's at the door, trying to reassure me that his wife was being serious, and wasn't seeing or imagining things, except he'd seen it too, and it wasn't a stoat but a polecat. He'd seen them on Springwatch on the TV.
He ushered me off the doorstep to where the car was parked and, bouncing around having a great game of gymnastics in the rear was Hobnob. I explained what had happened, and how I'd set a trap to capture him, but didn't aim to open the car with him in that state of excitement at his new found playground, as he might escape into the road.
Thank goodness it's still raining here, or an audience could have turned up to gather around the car watching his antics, and how he'd discovered the folded up carpet in the rear was great for playing roly-poly down.
When setting the trap, I also tossed a few, shredded paper stuffed old wellies around the car. Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time, as he just might have decided to bed down in one, if the trap failed. He's certainly been in them. There's shredded paper everywhere in the car now except inside the wellies.
After all those games, he decided to try out the driver's seat for size, and I spotted him leaning with his back against that, little legs apart, and giving his wedding tackle a good groom. Of course, I didn't have the camera on me, so fled back into the house for that, hoping the light would still be good enough to get a picture. (There wasn't enough light, sadly, and the camera doesn't have a flash.)
Upon my return, he'd moved. This time he was standing up with his front paws on the steering wheel and straining to look out of the windscreen. (Can a ferret hot-wire a car? He's obviously taken a shine to it!)
I'm having another cuppa now, and hoping that he'll either investigate the trap or decide one of the wellies is a perfect bedroom.
Oh, and Malcolm, you are right, what goes in does come out, but fortunately there was plenty of rubbish/litter in the footwell and ferrets always tend to go in one place. It will give me a good reason to have a muck-out once my little friend can be persuaded to be caught.
******************************************* Latest update... Hobnob's now practising for the next ferret olymics. Spotted him draped over the bottom of the steering wheel attempting a somersault. He landed in the driver's foot well but was unhurt, judging by the way he then leapt up onto that seat, climbed up the back of it onto the headrest, then slide down the seat again, repeated the action, and finally disappeared back into the footwell and under the seat...
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The trap has been sprung, but Hobnob's not in it. He seems to be in a very deep sleep up on the fibre/felt mat that is on top of the metal plate under the front passenger seat. I can feel him - just - but can't manage to get a grip on him to remove him, which is a pity because I am fairly sure he's in one of his comatose states. Couldn't feel any bits of chicken, so guess that's inside him... Or else evacuated in the litter of the passenger foot well.
Re-set and baited trap with Aberdeen Angus lean minced beef...
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Hobnob
Oct 21, 2009 0:09:31 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 21, 2009 0:09:31 GMT 1
I have made a discovery... Ferrets have brains and can tip over a live capture rat trap, thus tipping out delicious minced beef onto the floor to be scoffed at leisure... Oh, and I THINK he's back in the passenger seat again, and stuffed to capacity!
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Hobnob
Oct 21, 2009 11:26:18 GMT 1
Post by nicki on Oct 21, 2009 11:26:18 GMT 1
Well I needed a laugh this morning and that has just made my day Life with a ferret sounds "interesting"...and I thought the dogs got up to mischief
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Hobnob
Oct 21, 2009 12:40:19 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 21, 2009 12:40:19 GMT 1
Pleased to say that Hobnob is now back behind bars! He was asleep on the driving seat at some ungodly hour this morning, and I managed to grab him before he came around.
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Hobnob
Oct 21, 2009 14:59:51 GMT 1
Post by nicki on Oct 21, 2009 14:59:51 GMT 1
oh great news - were you out with torch "lamping" Glad he's safe now - I hope Choccy Chip was pleased to see him ;D
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Hobnob
Oct 21, 2009 15:18:02 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 21, 2009 15:18:02 GMT 1
No, Scampi had a 'chip alert'. He's a little 'odd' these days, and demands that he must urgently go at odd times. Funny how they coincide with food having been dropped on the pavement and likely wafting its scent in with the draughts. The food then seems to make him forget the urgency of the lamposts calling! I think Hobby was safe enough in the car, just wasn't so sure if my wiring could withstand any attemntion from him! They are both back in the house again for now, but I really must move them into the bigger cage down in the feed room. They'll also be able to run around in there without doing any damage or getting lost or hide in things, which they easily can in the house.
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Hobnob
Oct 21, 2009 15:53:49 GMT 1
Post by reclaimingrebus on Oct 21, 2009 15:53:49 GMT 1
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Hobnob
Oct 21, 2009 20:31:42 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 21, 2009 20:31:42 GMT 1
There have been precious few adventures for him since he was recaptured, unless in his dreams, because he's hardly woken since he had his breakfast! Here he is behind bars on his back... And here curled up with Choccy Chip... I suspect he must have be worn himself out playing and exploring his overnight quarters. Sorry about the quality of the photos, the light was not very good, and the person behind the camera even worse.
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Hobnob
Oct 22, 2009 8:48:46 GMT 1
Post by Florrie on Oct 22, 2009 8:48:46 GMT 1
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Hobnob
Oct 22, 2009 9:11:27 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 22, 2009 9:11:27 GMT 1
I am now building myself up for another attempt to move the pair down to Llys Trerobert - only this time the pesky pair will travel in the ferret box, not the cage, so I don't risk them popping open a cage door in the car again!
They'll be much easier to photograph once down in the feed room, even though it will, again, be in a temporary cage there, as their proper quarters has yet to be framed up and wired etc.
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Hobnob
Oct 22, 2009 14:55:12 GMT 1
Post by Florrie on Oct 22, 2009 14:55:12 GMT 1
bet you miss them ( we will)
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Hobnob
Oct 22, 2009 17:34:00 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 22, 2009 17:34:00 GMT 1
I won't miss the whiff of ferret poop, I assure you, or the bits of food and shredded paper they chuck out of the cage! But seriously, I will only miss their antics in the evenings, because I'll be spending more time down at LT once we move our workshop and store down there. I can also supervise any of the volunteers on the various projects, and who don't know what to do, better from there, too. Saturday morning, Peter is bringing his children along and I promised to show them how to groom a pony while he fixes up some racks to hang tools and things on, amongst the many other tasks still to be done down there. Peter is great, because he doesn't need supervising, sees what needs doing, and just gets on with it, but not so sure about his kiddies around a pony. Yes, I can see me enjoying my retirement pottering around down there, Vivienne. ;D ;D ;D (Only a bit over a year to go!) As for members missing Hobby & Choccy, I am sure that there will be lots more opportunities there for photos of them getting up to all manner of mischief. You never know, Peter might even build some ferret gymnasium equipment to go into their new home, although Hobby seems quite happy to play on an old carpet and car seat!
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Hobnob
Oct 23, 2009 16:28:09 GMT 1
Post by petdesigns on Oct 23, 2009 16:28:09 GMT 1
OH yes, please, the Hobnob and Choccy stories will HAVE TO be continued!!!
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Hobnob
Oct 23, 2009 19:09:10 GMT 1
Post by Old Dragon (Al) on Oct 23, 2009 19:09:10 GMT 1
I'm hoping to move the pair over this weekend, however, their proper new cage has not yet been made, and neither has the loo cubicle been framed off from the main part of the feed room. I am hoping nobody minds if a pair of ferrets can watch them using the dunny? Who knows, perhaps those doing so will enjoy watching the ferrets... ;D (I just hope the tempory cage I've been given for them will prove able to hold them without them escaping!) Need to make new hammocks for them before they go down there, as they have wrecked the ones they have at the moment. Might try a different design next time. Or perhaps find some old boot socks to hang up? They love getting inside things. Anything from a cardboard box to a piece of pipe. Things to climb or slide on go down well, too.
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