There isn't one up right now so here's a thread for ferrets, weasels, otters, etc. Skunks, though not technically mustelids, are welcome too.
Pics, questions, discussions, everything mustelid!
>>2120446
How do I get my chubby ferret to lose weight?
I keep hearing that they need a constant supply of food but how the fuck does he lose weight then if his chubbyness makes him less inclined to play?
>>2120452
Hmm, none of my ferrets have ever had a problem with overeating (I free feed them.)
My first suggestion would of course be exercise, but if he's lazy and doesn't want to play, I'm not sure what you can do. Is there anything he just goes super nuts excited for?
You could also try feeding him smaller meals throughout the day, if you're available to feed him every few hours, to limit his food intake. I realize this might not be realistic if you have work or school, though.
What kind of food do you give him?
Other than that, perhaps talk to your vet about it. They might have some suggestions.
All right, so. Recently Yo-yo's developed some hair loss on her back end right above the base of her tail. We all know what that means--she probably has adrenal disease.
She's going to the vet tomorrow afternoon to get checked out, but I don't have high hopes that her hair loss is being caused by something else. If she does have adrenal, she probably will need surgery.
I love her and I'm very scared for her. Please wish her luck, guys.
>>2120459
Good luck qt
>>2120452
Are you feeding him raw or kibble? What kind of kibble?
Slowly decrease the amount of food you give him to something appropriate for his age/size. The reason you're supposed to leave it out is because ferrets are very active, sometimes they prefer several small meals to one large one. Food passes through their digestive track quickly. You can leave food out all the time, just decrease the amount.
When you play, make it engaging. Cycle your toys so there's a different set every few days or week. Don't just leave him to play with his toys, play with him. Some ferrets might have fun with water, ice, ball pits, or dig boxes along with regular cat/dog toys. Make sure there's some tubes too. If none of that works, you could try taking them outside but there's the issue of finding a good harness and all the risks that come with taking them outside. Good luck anon.
>>2120452
Pics of him please
>>2120509
Thanks bro.
Sadly, the place we took her to didn't seem to know much about adrenal disease. I was disappointed with their knowledge and their recommendation; I was expecting at least a blood test, but they basically just said "see if it gets worse" and suggested an ultrasound if it does (which is one of the least accurate ways to diagnose adrenal.) They also said "it could just be seasonal hair loss" which is true, it could. But they said if it goes away on its own, that means it's seasonal hair loss and NOT adrenal (but hair loss from adrenal can come and go with hormone changes, so that seems like a bad assumption...)
I was really disappointed, since previously we've seen a vet at this place that was really good with ferrets. I guess she doesn't work there anymore?
So anyways, Yo-yo has an appointment to see another vet at 2:30 this afternoon for a second opinion. I at least want to get testing done so if she does have it we can catch it early and start treatment. I'll update when I know more.
>>2121168
Good luck anon. One of my ferrets is starting to get older so I'm worried it'll happen within the next few years. Hopefully this new vet is better.
>>2121168
Is there any sign of scratching at the base of the tail?
>>2120456
Apologies for replying late and thanks for the advice
He used to go nuts if I would take my shirt and wave it above his head, but now he just shows interest..
That's difficult, since he has a "brother" who shares his cage, and his bro is actually pretty healthy weight wise.
I used to give 8 in 1, which is what I'm sure made him fat, since his brother went through an even more serious weight problem with that kibble
I did talk to the vet though about his brother, and he gave me some horrible horrible advice which worked, saying only feed them twice a day like a dog.
I luckily found out before the vet did any harm. Though I will say ferret no.1 lost a ton of weight..
At the moment I'm feeding Kaytee, which I checked the ingredients for, and it seems it's a kinda that doesn't have shit like corn, which I heard Kaytee uses. They swapped to it almost immediately which is odd.
>>2120517
Kibble. As above, they got fat on 8 in 1, at the moment giving Kaytee
Hard to do with his cage mate, but I'll try..
I'll definitely try that! Thanks for the advice. I never thought to hide some toys for different days, I always have them all available and wonder why they get bored.
>>2120520
Don't have any on hand, but when I get the chance I'll snap a few.
Thanks all for the advice
>>2121266
Thanks.
New vet was way better, seemed a lot more knowledgeable and spoke to us at length about options for testing/diagnosis and treatment. They also handled Yo-yo very well and seemed to care a lot more about her (and about our peace of mind) than the previous place did.
Yo-yo didn't get the blood test done yet, though. The adrenal panel blood test is one they have to send off to Tennessee for results, and because the lab isn't open on the weekends, they didn't want to draw blood and send them a sample only to have it sit over the weekend.
So on Monday they told us to call to make an appointment for the blood draw (they'll need to sedate her to draw blood,) and they'll send it off to the lab for results. Fingers crossed.
>>2121287
Sometimes? She does itch/groom herself (including the area at the base of her tail,) but I'm not really sure if it's any more/less than she normally does it. There isn't any rash or redness on the skin or anything, but it does seem a little dry.
>>2121506
You might want to try switching foods. The Kaytee ferret food(s) are some of the least quality available.
Here is a chart that ranks ferret foods based on what's best for them, nutrition-wise, and explains what you should be looking for in a good food for your ferrets: http://moredooks.herobo.com/search.php?chart=ferret
I personally currently feed mine Simply Nourish Souce Rabbit+Chicken recipe, but soon will also be mixing that 50/50 with Wysong Ferret Epigen 90.
You might find that with a higher quality diet, he might lose his excess weight and have more energy for playing/exercising.
>>2121997
Why sedate her for bloods?
>>2122003
Because drawing blood from ferrets is difficult because they're so small, and they don't have the specialized equipment for proper full restraint. It's so she doesn't struggle and hurt herself while they're drawing blood.
>tfw california doesnt allow pet ferrets
i used to have a ferret before i lived and he was the cutest thing ive ever seen.
dogs and cats can fuck off.
jk i have a dog and i love him but i want a ferret so bad.
>>2122038
*lived here
>>2121998
I heard Wysong changed their ingredients in 2014 and added shit like sunflower seed extract and other bad shit for ferrets that made lots of ferrets sick
Also the site seems to be recommending cat food with %20 vegetables that ferrets can't digest
>>2122354
Why is sunflower seed extract bad for them? If is just that it's a plant source, or is it specifically harmful for some reason?
>>2120446
What's the bottom right hand one? Is it a wolverine?
>>2122559
Yeah, it's a wolverine.
too fat?
>>2122739
If he's thinner than that, he's probably pretty ok. some male ferrets are just a bit on the chubbier side naturally.
I'd still switch over to a higher quality food and see if that helps with his weight, though.
>>2122685
Fat animals are the best.
I wonder if they'd make good pets.
>>2123208
I see I'm not the only one dreaming about them. Seeing cute videos and pictures of them, I think it's possible to befriend them and pet them, sure. But I don't know about yours but in my country it's nearly impossible to get one... And I wouldn't want to get them just to make ME happy. So I suppose it will just stay a dream.
>>2122685
>>2120452
Are your ferrets implanted or castrated? Also, did they already do their "sloughing"? (don't know if it's the right word). A ferret implanted will stay bigger than a castrated. Also he doesn't seems that fat, if it can helps you.
Also first Anon, how does your ferret feels about walks outside? Maybe he would like it very much, and it's a very good way to make him exercise. But not all ferrets like that.
>>2123208
Yes and no from what I see and hear.
They're slightly more common as pets in east Asia where they are native, but even there they aren't super common as pets. They're incredibly curious and playful, like ferrets, but larger. They seem like the kind of pet you would have to watch like a hawk around anything you even remotely like, as they're likely to break it, but they also seem like the kind of pet who would give back a ton of love and affection, seeing as how social and physical they are. They also seem very intelligent.
This dude in Japan has two of them as pets in his apartment though, and they seem to do alright.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-bIq4m1sqo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRS9kV4Tb5Q
>>2124624
>they fetch toys from Kleenex boxes
>that's cute
>are they making purring noises?
>can't tell because music
>they seem pretty neaIS THAT A FUCKING KANGAROO?
>>2124635
It did kind of just jump out of nowhere. It's a wallaby though. Basically a small Kangroo.
Ok, Yo-yo had her blood drawn today and they're sending the sample off to the lab to get tested. We should get results back within a week. Fingers crossed.
>>2124640
fun fact there is a species of wallaby where the males have 11 chromosomes and females have 10 chromosomes.
>>2124759
so the males are all tarded?
>>2124771
na they just have a different chromosomal system with females i think having XX and males having XY1Y2. I'm way to high to deal with level of bio right now so if you want to know more just google swamp wallabies.
![m3u2zjI[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/REH1ADm.jpg "m3u2zjI[1].jpg")
This thread needs more martens
This thread needs to stop dying, like seriously.
Yesterday I went to the ferrets' shelter where I already got my two ferrets. It was just to say hello and enjoy the company of furballs that are not mine, but shit. There is this little dude that lived all his life in a shitty cave without company or toys, then was abandonned at the shelter. Did that make him bloodthirsty, biting or worse? Nope. He's a joyful little thing, always playing and sometimes affectionate.
And he has been in the shelter for nearly one year. Why. It just breaks my heart. How can a ferret so nice could stay there for one year? His story really hit me. I've been thinking about it a lot lately. There is also this other little dude that looks a little like Raoul but darker. I CAN'T.
Sorry for this, /an/ . I just needed to tell this to someone.
http://youtu.be/hy6oaDzy0-Q
>>2124726
Hope she's ok.
>>2126201
My favorite mustelid
>>2126208
The ferret rescues in Michigan irritating. There's one that never responds to emails (many complain about this), and they won't let anyone over an hour away adopt them. I live over an hour so I can't get any there
There is another rescue who never responds to email or phone. But she updates her available ferrets on petfinder. She has a girl ferret who can't be cage with others, I want to take her and I have separate cage, but she never responded after I fill out her questionnaire
All the normal shelters never have ferrets...Which is good though
>>2124624
I hate to be that guy, but theres something that seems wrong about keeping otters in an apartment. Dont they need to swim and stuff?
regardless, it seems like he's doing his job taking care of them they seem pretty comfy
Muthafuckin grison up in this bitch
>>2126433
Stupid question maybe, but they don't answer on the phone either? Well if you can't adopt anywayn why bother I suppose. :/ Why the "one hour away" rule? Do they keep track of the ferret, come see it from time to time etc?
.... So the second shelter doesn't answer either BUT is social media active? What. I really don't understand. And not answering at all is very rude. Does she has complains like the other shelter?
And yeah, it's better that way for normal shelters. In my town when they have a ferret they put him... Right next to the rabbits. The rabbits smell the danger and are stressed as fuck, but "ferrets are rodent, right?" Right. They also feed them bad cat food, put wood shaving in the cage (again : RODENT!) and don't give them any bedding. They don't have ANY knowledge at all about them. And most of the time if the ferret shelter doesn't act fast, the ferrets are gone after one or two days in shitty families because "C-CHEAP FERRET!"
God.
For the Anons that want to say "But Anon, they get adopted, it's good right?", like I said, they have no knowledge at all. They let go female ferret not neuthered, without any advice to the new owner. Guess where this is going.
Phew. Again sorry for this long post. Hey, yesterday I was lucky enough to get Isidore to sleep on my lap for one hole hour. It happens like, once every month, if I'm lucky, and it never lasted an hour. He was so cute. I was sitting down on my bathroom without any support on my back, but it was so worth it. These moments are so rare and precious, I wouldn't have move even if the house was on fire.
Pic of the little rodent sleeping, but not on my lap. Why is the camera always far away when it happens?
>>2127261
First shelter has not answered phone or email. I hear many people praise both shelters but I think the first one is inactive. They don't update anymore. I guess the hour away rule was intended to keep adopted ferrets close by for home inspections
Second shelter has responded to email asking me to fill out questionnaire, but I never get reply back. She updates on Facebook and petfinder
But there always are ferrets for sale on Craig's list... Sadly. Mostly from people selling ferrets to get their money back. I only would accept a rehome fee of $75 or less, but now I'm not looking for now
When I go play with ferrets at pet stores people walk by always say either "those are cute, what are they?" or "ew, I hate rodents". I carried one over to a black guy and he ran scared out of the store while his friend laughed, they didn't know what ferret is.
Here is my (ex)skunk as of a couple weeks ago. Mika is so chubby
>>2126433
Do you know Motor City Ferrets? That's where I got mine. They are admittedly bad at communication, despite being a neccessity in the area. It sucks.
>>2127279
Again, if talking about MCF about the '1 hour' rule, they never did a home visit with me. They say it's because people get ferrets and contct them saying they decided they don't want them during the period you can return them for a full refund. They can't drive an hour out there to get the ferret and they don't want people dumping them outside.
>>2127279
Home inspections is such a thing... That we don't have here. But well I suppose the rule is logical, for that reason.
It's "funny" that you talk about rehoming and fee, I just saw an ad where the woman wanted to rehome her ferret for... 150€, so nearly 170$ for a ferret with nothing : not castrated, no vaccine, nothing. The cage was a rabbit one, and was full of shit on the corner, brown, weird stains everywhere. It broke my heart.
I tried to speak with her a little, trying to make her understand that no one, even the n°1 ferret lover in the world, will pay 170$ for a one year old ferret with nothing on him. She lowered her price to 110$.... Which is still a lot. "But he comes from a very good breeding with a pedigree!" Sigh. Like you said, she wants her money back, nothing else. She had the nerve to tell me that the rutting wasn't so bad. Tell that to Isidore's ear, then. (violently tore appart by rutting ferrets, before I knew him) she also admitted that if she didn't find a good family, the fact that he's not castrated would bring attention of potentials breeders. God help me.
Your skunk is so cute! Is it very different from a ferret?
Pic : Isidore stealing one of my shoe, because he can. Had to fight a bit to get back that one.
>>2124624
Terry Nutkins (pick related UK wild life legend)
once worked with otters at a wildlife sanctuary, claimed they were very friendly, so one week they had a woman stay and work with them, did not get on with the otters at all, as a gift to say thankyou for letting her stay and helping her she gave Terry her coat/anorak.
The first time he wore it he was attacked by a big female who proceeded to bite off the top joint of both his thumbs, he burned the coat as soon as he got back from hospital...
Every post about ferrets is so long
>>2126851
Yeah I've thought the same, but then, I'm sure as long as they're given enough stimulation they're happy.
They don't NEED to swim obviously, just like a cat doesn't NEED to climb trees and shit, they're just made for it.
Personally I wouldn't keep one in an apartment if I had the option to own one, but yeah, that guy seems like he gives a lot of his time to his many pets.
This dork grew a mohawk!
Ok, blood test results got back yesterday. They said they're NOT indicative of adrenal disease!!! One thing was slightly elevated but they said it's not unusual. They recommend bringing her back in 6 months or so for another blood test just to be sure.
That said, I'm pretty relieved. Yo-yo's ok!!
>>2132813
Cute!
>>2126920
Is that a fossa?
>>2132898
That's a tayra.
I want a pet stoat
