On The Radio!

I meet Steve Dale at Blog Paws and we hit it off and he asked to do interview with me about ferrets and today the bit aired.

Please take a listen.

 

Have a Chittering Day,

Jo

Wordless Wednesday

 

 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

“I’ve Never Seen…”

 

Most people finish that sentence with “Ferrets walking on a leash.” or “I didn’t know you could train them to do that.”

I believe if more ferret owners did take their beloved ferrets out in public more than a more people would have the opportunity to be introduced to the world of ferrets.

I am big on educating people about ferrets and the fact they aren’t for everyone. Those cute little balls of fur they see in the pet store grow up and required a lot of care.

Some myths are:

They are smelly.  While unfixed ferrets have a very distinct musky odor. those that have been descented and fixed have less of an odor but if bathed too much the skin replaces the oil that has been washed away with more oil which can lead to a smelly ferret. As can an unclean litter box.

They are cage only animals. This is one myth that makes me roll my eyes at the person telling me this. Ferrets are active critters that love being able to explore their surroundings and need at the very minimum 2 hours a day out of the cage to play.

They can’t be trained. Ferrets can be trained to use the litter box and with a lot of patience and rewards can learn to do some simple tricks. They can also be taught to walk with a leash and harness.

They are rodents. This one gets me really worked up. Ferrets are not rodents they were domesticated over three thousand years ago to hunt rodents. They belong to the same family as the weasel, mink, and otter.

They are great pets for children. I personally don’t think they are good pets for any child under the age of 10 and don’t believe they should be introduced to a family with a baby.  I am sure there will be others that disagree with me.

 

What other myths have you heard about ferrets?

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Wordless Wednesday: Where is the Ferret?

 

 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Review: The Cat’s (Ferret’s) Trapeze

 

The boys and I toured the Catification lounge that was sponsored by Jackson Galaxy at Blog Paws. The boys tried out quite a few things there.

Marcuz loved the cardboard boxes.

Manny decided to chill out in one of the cat bed offered through Modern Cat.

While Manny took a nap Marcuz checked out another cat item.

but he wasn’t impressed with the cushion so he pushed it out and curled up to take a snooze.

There was a lot more stuff in that lounge but the boys were ready to move on to other adventures at Blog Paws. I filled out a form for a chance to win one of the many items and I won The Cat’s Trapeze.

What a great item. The boys love the little hammock that hangs on the bottom to take naps in. The first level should have some pillows or something in the zippered area I leave it open so the boys can hide in the pouch.

At the moment I haven’t let Marcuz see that there is another level to the trapeze as he would be climbing it all the time but once I get their room finished and have an area fixed that has a large pillow under it then he can climb it all he wants.

 

Disclaimer: I won the Cat’s Trapeze and the review is my opinion of the item. There is no compensation for doing this review. All links are done because I believe that those who offered such a fun place for my boys to play deserved to be recognized.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Wordless Wednesday: Staying Cool

 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Heat Kills

 

It is summer in the United States and the temperatures are soaring to high numbers. I have talked about this before but it bears repeating. Ferrets do not do well in temps over 68 degrees.

That means traveling is curtailed until the temps are lower or find ways to make it uneventful. But it also means making the home comfortable as well.

I live in Pennsylvania and the house I live in does not have air condition. While I do use fans to cool off the boy’s area it isn’t always enough. I get asked about the two thermometers in their room. One is by their cage and the other is on the wall near the window.

This way I know what the temperature is near the outside wall and by their cage. This allows me to implement my summer plan as needed.

The first thing I do starting in May unless it has been warmer in April is to start making frozen water bottles. I usually have 5 to 8 bottles made by June. These are covered in clean socks that have lost their mate. These are made from 2 liter soda bottles, gallon water/milk jugs, and 12-16 oz bottles that have held soda/tea/water.

Keeping an eye on the thermometers I know when to place these premade ice blocks in strategic places such as in front of the fan and in an area where the boys can climb over them while playing. When the temp in front of their cage reaches 65 degrees I place a worn towel in the cage with one of the gallon jugs. This gives the boys a place to sleep/cool off and the towel absorbs the condensation.

While we are traveling it is a bit harder to make sure the boys don’t get overheated. It got warm in Utah while we were at Blog Paws and stayed warm all the way home. But I had made a purchase of crate fan and extra batteries.

Also the Ferret Chariot has air conditioning. The boy’s crate was placed on the back seat in the center so that the crate received a good amount of the cool air from the air conditioner and the crate fan was on high for most of the trip.

In both cases the boys get frequent rub downs with soaked washcloths to help them maintain their temperature.

There is a wonderful product on the market now but it is only made for dogs called the Chill Spot. We are hopeful that they will be able to downsize their product for cats and ferrets as all pets need a place to chill out.

Remember Heat Kills within moments. Never take your pet for a ride and then leave them locked in the car while doing errands. Even with the windows cracked your car is an oven baking your pet from the inside out. What a cruel death. Show your love by leaving them home where they can stay cool and alive.

Disclaimer:  I received no compensation for mentioning Chill Spot in my post. It is my opinion that this is a cool invention and hope to see them succeed in the pet market.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Pets at Home

 

Ferrets are similar to cats and dogs, they can be trained to use a litter tray and require a few hours of exercise each day. Having access to toys with not only keep them fit and healthy, but also ensures that they don’t get bored. They are naturally inquisitive and require stimulation to be happy. They’ll play with almost anything, so it’s important to ensure that the toys that they have access to are durable and safe.

Make sure toys do not have any loose parts – toys with smaller parts that could break off easily can be chewed and swallowed. Ferrets like to explore and so an effective way to keep them entertained is to provide them with cardboard boxes. PVC pipes and ferret tunnels are also a good idea, as are hanging tubes and hammocks. Cloth bags are ideal for both hiding and sleeping.

Plastic and soft toys can be fun, particularly toys with squeakers or bells. It is important to provide an array of different things that will stimulate and entertain your ferret. Rotating toys will maintain their interest. They like to climb in and out of holes and hide so you’re on to a winner with anything that encourages exploration and adventure. Rope bridges and scramble nets are also great ways to keep them occupied.

They are mischievous and are likely to find entertainment in a whole variety of things. However, to ensure their safety, it’s advisable to provide a range of toys specifically designed for them in mind. This also means that you’ll be able to leave them unsupervised with peace of mind.

If you are thinking about owning a ferret, adopting is a good way to provide one with a second chance. They will often already be house trained, and the adoption process is straightforward.

Disclaimer: This is a paid guest post and the opinions in the above post do not necessarily match those of Enlightened Ferret.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

updated 7/16/2014 removal of a dead link.

Blog Paws 2012

 

Wow I can’t believe that it’s been here and gone already. So many great things happened and are still happening for Enlightened Ferret.

First traveling with the boys in the Ferret Chariot was a grand adventure. We ended up on the wrong route but Doreen from Doggies and Stuff and I enjoyed our adventure.

One of the most breath taking views was going over the Rockies on Hwy 40.

 

 

 

 

 

Then we stopped at a rest stop only to find we were at the point of the Continental Divide.

Once at the hotel Manny was quick to check out the pillows

 

 

 

 

 

We got to see Tilman on his skate board

 

 

 

 

 

I also got to meet Steve Dale who writes a column for the Chicago Tribune and gave me a wonderful opportunity that I will tell you about later. 

We were also a finalist for the Nose to Nose awards and I made the boys tuxs for our walk down the red carpet. Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of them but I am sure they will show up on other blogs, twitter, and/or Face book.  We also didn’t win but that is alright as we had a blast being there.

As always I learned a lot from Blog Paws and I am still processing everything.

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo