Getting Older

 

 

So Saturday was my fifth birthday. Which means I am now on the threshold of becoming a senior pet. With that hooman has more concerns about my health.

I am already considered to have Adrenal Disease since I have an enlarged spleen but am not showing any other signs such as hair loss like Marcuz is.

Hooman has started doing weekly testing of my blood sugar to make sure I am not showing any signs of Insulinoma.

I am also starting to show some signs of tooth decay even though hooman does brush my teefs. It will be one of the many things we will discuss with my awesome vet Doctor Doverspike in March of April depending on when we can get an appointment with him. Hooman doesn’t want to take any chances with our healthcare  and I really don’t like the lady vet that did my ultra sound.

I will also have to start seeing Doctor Doverspike twice a year if not more depending on my age but then I won’t be going alone since Marcuz will be turning five in September.

Here are just a couple of pics of me getting my bifday treats. Yum! 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Manny

Be The Change: Getting a New Pet: Adopt

Today is Be The Change post day along with my birthday. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write about as I have some other posts that might have gone up today but they can wait until next week.

This week I started featuring adoptable ferrets on Tuesday and Thursday and that got me to thinking about all the potential new pet owners out there.

Ferrets are in the third most owned pet category and unfortunately many get surrendered to rescues and shelters soon after they are gotten because the new owner didn’t do his/her research about ferrets. They only saw the cute little baby face in the store and had to have it.

Pet stores often don’t have information set out for the new owner to see what it might take to raise these little guys and are all to helpful in picking out the new accessories: Cage, bedding, litter, food, ect.

What is worse many of the pet store employees know nothing of ferrets and pass on bad advice/information they have gathered from others.

· Albinos are mean False a mean ferret is because he/she has been abused or isn’t feeling well

· Albinos are dumb False I’ve had albinos and they are not dumb. After asking more questions it was more likely the one they had dealt with was either deaf or blind.

· They are cage only animals False ferrets need a minimum of 2 to 4 hours a day out of their cage to be happy and healthy.

· They can eat cat food if this is to expensive True/False Cat food used to be the only food a ferret owner could easily get but research has found that it isn’t nutritional for them as the specially made ferret foods. Cat food can be used as a short term emergency food if you run out when the pet store is closed.

· They don’t need vet visits False Ferrets need Rabies/Distemper shots yearly and in some areas a heartworm preventative. Yearly visits help catch other problems early.

· They don’t have any issues due to disease, hereditary or other misinformation. False ferrets are prone to insulinoma, adrenal disease, and a long list of other diseases. Some are more prone to deafness and a few to blindness from birth.

These are a few of the statements I have heard at one pet store. I surprised them with Manny and Marcuz being well behaved and walking calmly on their leashes. They asked me a lot of questions about the ferrets they had.

One of the ferrets would always bite them when they went to clean out the cage. I asked one main question. Do you clean the cage after lunch? The answer was yes. I explained then maybe they needed to wash their hands better or use a hand sanitizer as the ferret just wanted to taste whatever they had had for lunch.

It is important that not only do the potential new owner do research before making that impulse buy about ferrets but that store employees be educated with the basic information to help eliminate these furry springs being given up because the new owner cannot/doesn’t have the time to learn/have them in their life.

Today is also Petfinder’s  Birthday and they are having a party in which they hope to have 15,000 pets adopted this weekend. If you are interested in adopting a new pet whether it be a ferret or not check their site out and see what shelter/rescue is near you.

But above all else do your research into the pet/breed you are thinking about getting. Not all pets/breeds are for everyone and why should these fur babies get left behind cause someone didn’t do his/her research?

Today I’ll highlight 5 adoptable ferrets that are new to the petfinder site. You will have to click on their picture to find out more about them.

  Rosaline from South Hadley, MA

Dweezel from Sandusky, OH

Tiki from Murphysboro, IL

Wiggles from Lahaska, PA

and lastly but not least is Sid. An Albino from Cleveland, OH

Note: Shelters and Rescues when you post on Petfinder.com it is great to add pictures but you need to give more information about these little guys. I know sometimes there isn’t any information but just putting the very basic and generic information may not help these little guys find furever homes.

Have a Chittering Good Day

Jo

Ad

Manny’s 1st Birthday

     Manny is a Marshall Ferret and when he came to live in this crazy household he came with a birth certificate stating that his birthday was January 3, 2010. Which makes him a year old today.

     I am not able to spoil my ferrets too often which is a good thing but on special days like this I make a point to do so. So Manny got to have me all to himself today. After his breakfast and my morning coffee I got Manny “Dressed” in his belled collar and red harness. The moment I slipped that collar on he knew we were going out cause that is the only time he has the collar and harness put on him.

     The moment I put him down so I could get the carrier down he was trying to climb up to it and people swear our animals don’t know what is what. I unzipped it and he ran inside and laid down with a look that said “Okay hooman let’s go!”.

    First stop was our local Agway to pick out a new toy or two and of course some treats. Manny picked out a Skinneeez for cats™ duck from their barnyard series and a shiny green mouse along with some Greenies treats.

     Second stop was the park where Manny insisted that he wanted to walk and explore his surroundings. I would have more pictures but the cold (29 degrees) sucked the batteries and I was only able to get these two. Manny found a patch of ice and had a blast skating on it by using his butt as a rudder until he was finally able to get his claws under him and then he ran all over the ice.

     Finally we came home and Manny and right away took his new duck and hid it in one of his hidey-holes before I could get a picture of his loot. He got a few treats before Marcuz woke up and now he has climbed into his hammock and is sleeping.

Have a Chittering good day,

Jo

My Bifday

     My hooman already told you it was my bifday today. It’s actually my gotcha day but does it really matter? I got lots of treats and got a lot of attention today.

     The silly hooman made my brofur and I these silly hats cause she said that they don’t make them small enough for us ferrets. She even made one for Trixie who let her take a couple of pictures before eating it.

     I got a couple of treats in my food bowl that isn’t the norm for my hooman so I knew something was up. I wanted to go for my walk today so I was climbing my cage demanding to be let out. She kept saying she had a couple of things to do first. One of which was to get that camera out. UtOh dat means she is going to be snapping that thing all the time.

 

     Well I guess since most of the pictures were of me I’ll let it slide this time. I even gave her a couple of cute poses. I felt good today and raced up the drive way twice and climbed out of the playpen.

 

     Then Manny and I got to play in the playroom for a little while. My hooman said it was to wear Manny out a little bit if that is even possible. I was mad at her cause she wouldn’t give me any treats no matter how much I begged but I fooled her I had a couple hidden in the other hooman’s shoe. Bandit® treats get chewy after a day out of the bag.

     Finally she took us back downstairs along with that camera and the stand she uses occasionally. Trixie followed us down trying to smell Manny and I. Once downstairs she put us in Trixie’s crate while she set up the camera. Trixie and us had a nose-to-nose chat while she did this.

     Then my hooman left us there in the crate and disappeared. I heard her go back up the stairs and then come back down. She had something in her hand but I couldn’t really see what it was but Trixie must have smelt something really good cause she was trying to get it and my hooman told her she would be in trouble if she didn’t stop. Amazingly Trixie did stop and let my hooman put it down on this dark cloth. She took a couple of pictures before getting Manny and I out of the crate.

     She put those silly hats on us and then let us see what was on the cloth. Oooooooooooo Treats lots of them on top of what my hooman called a bifday cake. Don’t worry she didn’t let us have too much of it. She cut Manny and I each a small slice and let Trixie have a whole one.

   

     In the center was this gooey stuff and it was good but it was even better after I put a greenie in it. My hooman made this little wooden ferret and painted it. It’s cute but I prefer my treats next to it. I was stuffed so my hooman put the last of my treats in my food bowl for me to nibble on later.

     I guess it’s worth being called an old man for all these goodies. This was also my first bifday pawty. I wonder how often we get bifdays?

James 

Paws: Do forget to leave me comments to be included in the giveaway.

James’ Birthday

     It is amazing to me that out of my original eight ferrets I still have James. He has always been the most easy going guy I’ve known. He would let others go ahead of him for food or water. It didn’t matter who his sleep buddy was or if they wanted to sleep on top of him that was all right too.

     Most of you know I was worried about how he would deal without Lance so I started spending more time with him outside mostly to give him something else to do other than wonder around the playroom looking for his buddy. It has been a great experience for Manny, James, and I. We start at the bottom of the driveway and take our time walking back up.

     James likes to play in the tall grass checking to see if there are any holes he can go down. Manny thinks he is a lot bigger than he really is and will try to chase after one of the ATVs that go roaring past.

     Once James has gotten his legs stretched out he will walk a bit faster up the driveway and heads for the outdoor pen for a few minutes of rest and relaxation. Which isn’t easy with Manny trying to get James to play all the time.

     Yesterday for the first time James ran up the driveway to the playpen where he rested for a little bit and then was the one to climb out of it ready to do it all over again. It was good to see that he had worked some of that stiffness out of his back legs.

     James would be 70 years old in dog years I don’t know if it is the same for ferrets or not but he gives me dirty looks when I call him “My old man.”

    It’s James’ birthday today and the kick off of cents for seniors. We have all felt the squeeze of the economy. Some more than others but the big dollars go for more essential things such as food, housing, and vehicles leaving less to give to charities that we might want to support.

     With that in mind we decided it would be easier to donate a few cents towards a goal of $500 to help senior ferrets that no longer have a forever home for one reason or another.

     Heart of Ohio Ferret Association and Rescue was created in 1996 and is a non-profit shelter that relies on the kindness of strangers. They also put on the largest ferret show called the Buckeye Bash. While they have many ferrets that are adoptable and can be found here.It is the hospice ferrets  we are interested in helping.

     These are the old folks of ferretdom and for different reasons have come to live their last days/months/years with a caring person who gives them love along with whatever medical need they have.

     As stated on their site: For each donation of $10 we can provide food and most medications for a month. The love and attention is free! At this time they have 50 seniors in their care. Won’t you donate a few cents to the fund and wish James a happy 10^th birthday.

     We are doing a give away once we hit the smaller goal of $25 so be sure to leave a comment to be counted in the give away you don’t have to say if you donated or not. We will be giving away a small box of goodies that will include a $5 pet smart card and other surprises.

Jo

Happy Birthday James and Other Big Things.

 

          May is James’ gotcha month and he is a whopping 10 years old. He is slowing down a bit but is still able to put Manny in his place when his rambuncous behavior gets to James.

     I spend a lot of time with James as I know our time maybe limited and I want him to remember that even there is a new guy in the house he is still my fur kid and always will be.

     It is the little things that remind me of how old he is. I had to lower his sleeping ball so he could climb in and out of it without having to jump.

     He takes a lot more naps than he used to and I am having to add baby food to his diet so I know he is getting enough nutrition. Though he is slowing down he still loves to do things such as steal my calulator, and nom on Marshall Bandit® Beacon and Raisin flavored treats. He also loves his walks outdoors.

     Happy Birthday James my old man I love you.

 

     We at Enlightened Ferret are planning big things for June. More about that to come just know it will include some fun stuff.

 

     Please welcome a newbie to twitter his name is Snot face critter and has wrapped My pet blog around his tiny paw. For those that don’t know the markings or colors Snot face has blaze markings with white mitts the dark coloring of his fur would likely put him in the sable class.

  Check out his introduction from his new mom at Blog Paws   I am pretty sure I have an idea of how he got the name Snot Face but that isn’t for me to tell. 

 

Jo