AZ Heat

Okay so we made it to Blog Paws Thank you for having us. We got to meet Marjorie from @DashKitty and attended a couple of interesting sessions. Marylin was part of Pawject Runway and rocked the Elizabeth Taylor Diva look. We didn't win but we had a lot of fun.

This was a first conference for the kitties both of who did wonderful to the point that Boyd was happy to perch on top of the stroller as we wandered the exhibit hall and made some great connects.

I promise as soon as I have more than a few minutes of internet I will get all the logs ins done.

Was planning on being in Washington state as of this writing but the Universe has other plans for me one of which is Jury duty so that means I need to find a way to keep my fur kids safe. The first option that came to mind was a hotel room for two nights. Granted that would make sure I had a shower so that I don't stink and a soft bed and wifi but it also means a pet deposit and dipping deep into funds that are already getting low.

The other option is a pet sitter or boarding we will have to see how that prices out.

So that leads me to the main reason for this post.

We've been camping at a place called Snyder Hill and for the most part have the place to ourselves. Meaning there is the occasional over niter and then there is the wildlife. We've seen coyotes, birds of all sorts, ground squirrels that look like miniature prairie dogs, lizards, but thankful no snakes.

Camping is great when the temps are around 80 degrees (26.6 C) but that is even too high for ferrets who do okay up to 78 degrees.

So how does one get around temps that soar to above 100 degrees (37.7 C)?

First and foremost is the van has all the doors open while this would normally drain the battery I have a solar battery maintainer that is doing a great job of keeping the battery where it should be and second the interior lights are off.

Next is to put a tarp over the ferret's side of the van with the silver side out. Believe it or not it does help to drop the interior temps a few degrees.

Then WATER and plenty of it. If I have bought a bag of ice I make sure they have a few cubes in their water dish and a bowl of just ice.

I keep a close eye on them and if I see they are panting too much I give them a dip in a tub of water. Think how much you love going for a dip when it is hot outside. While Marylin isn't overly fond of it. Messes up her perfectly groomed hair. Marcuz loves his pool time and will roll over into a semi sitting position and just chill for a few minutes.

Normally I do the squeeze the extra water off maneuver but not on days like this. I get them to drips before putting them back in their fan cooled cage. Yes they have their own fan, spoiled much? You bet.

Instead of hot blankets for them to lay on they have a product called a FrogTogg(r)it is made for humans and is for keeping cool. A friend gave me one and I cut it into three pieces two of which are just the perfect size for ferrets and one larger one for me. Although I think they have gotten the most use out of all the pieces.

Last night (July 7) I was worried about Marcuz as he was having a hard time with the heat and hadn't been sleeping well. I made a platform out of the cage door with some fabric on it for him to lay on and then putting the soaked FrogTogg(r) on top of him like a blanket. Marcuz faced the fan and fell asleep with a smile on his face. I just wish the lighting had been better for pictures.

Needless to say I didn't sleep well as I kept a watchful eye on him until he woke up and went to his hammock and pulled himself into it and went back to sleep breathing a lot easier than he had been earlier.

While it isn't the greatest set up it is working for now. But once I can get solar power I will have an AC unit that can be turned on to keep the heat at bay.

The cats are liking the fact they can be outside the van more like under it during the day and Boyd likes to be on top of it just after sunset.

More to come:

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo and the Furry Crew

Lift the Ban!

New York City’s Board of Health is going to have a hearing on January 21, 2014 with regards to lifting the ban on owning ferrets in NYC.

New York City has had a ban on ferrets since 1999 when then Mayor Giuliani and a ferret enthusiast got into a heated debate on the radio. Since that time ferret owners in New York City  have been considered criminals and could have their ferret(s) confiscated if found. 

Which means that many ferret owners are taking risks every time they take their beloved fur ball to the vet where they could be turned in to the authorities or worse the vets who look the other way are not fully trained in ferret care and often charge outrageous sums for the green papers hoomans give each other.

They have already had one hearing on December 9, 2013 which opened up many of the debates that California Wildlife and Game commission has used to keep ferrets illegal in that state.

Some of those debates include that we, ferrets, enjoy gnawing on little children and news stories have shown up where we have supposedly attacked children. One in particular that happened in Missouri has never been completely substantiated one way or the other as to if that ferret did indeed do what it was accused of doing be for being murdered in a horrific way.

We don’t gnaw on children. We might lick off any food residue on their tiny hands. Or if they are infants in a car seat on the floor and they are making squeaking noises we might think they are a kit (a baby ferret) and will try to take them to where we feel they will be safe. Or we might think they are our favorite toy and try to replace it back in our hide hole.  Hooman has often over the years said that ferrets and small children do not mix.

Like most animals we can be prone to certain viruses and rabies is one of the most common viruses out there. Depending on the research there hasn’t been more than 20 cases of ferrets having rabies  since 1954 in the United States that may because there are vaccinations for rabies. Responsible hoomans take us in for yearly vaccinations.

Our hooman would not be able to travel to different places or take us to ferret shows without us being vaccinated against rabies and distemper.

As for breeding. Many of us come from large chain pet stores and we have already been fixed and have had our anal glands removed. While not having our anal glands does help lessen our signature musky smell it does not eliminated it as the musky scent comes from the oils in our skin. That smell is what puts us in the category of mustelidae.

As for getting out of a building and setting up a colony of feral ferrets seems farfetched as we don’t tend to do well in temperatures over 70 degrees and with some of the below zero temps not many would survive. But one of the possible upsides to that scenario is that New York City might not have the rat problem as we were originally domesticated to hunt rodents.

Our hooman describes us as a kitten and a two year old rolled into one and we never grow up. I guess that means we are constantly looking for new things to play with when we are not sleeping.

We can be litter trained like a cat and walk in a harness on a lead like a dog. We are inquisitive to the world around us and have a short lifespan.  Why should the New York City Board of Health deny ferret owners the right to have their pet without worry. I am sure there is a larger cat and dog population in NY then there are ferrets but until the ban is lifted no one will ever know for sure.

Maybe, just maybe if New York does lift its ban California will take notice and start working towards legalizing ferrets there.

We at Enlightened Ferret would love to have some of our New York City friends attend this hearing and if you have met us let the board of health know just how unique and well mannered we were to you and your pet as we have met many of you through Blog Paws.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Manny

Wordless Wednesday: Baby It’s Cold Out

 

 

I believe the fur kids have the right idea since it says it is 12 degrees out but with the wind chill it feels more like –4.

 

Manny in hooman’s sweatshirt

Marcuz snoozing in the hammock with his fleecey blanket.

 

Marylin was buried deep in the laundry basket I couldn’t get a good picture.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Woozel Wednesday : 8 Days

Can you believe it? Only 8 more days until a mob of pet owned hoomans gather just outside of Las Vegas.

The woozels are getting their own groove on by being themselves.

Marylin: Learning the art of the Diva Stink Eye (DSE) as I dared to snap a photo when some hairs were out of place

Technorati Tags: 2014,blog hop,blogging,BlogPaws,Manny,Marcuz,Marylin,Diva,Curioustiy,Sleeping,Naptime,Woozel Wednesday,Wordless Wednesday,Photos,Ferrets,Hooman

Marcuz: Being the nosy part of the business

Manny: Knows the need to be well rested before getting to Blog Paws 

 

then there is me the hooman that seems to be going a mile a minute *chitters*

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Getting the Z's in before Blog Paws

 

Wish I could just drop and snooze like my fur kids. I love their little kissable paws though.

 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

 

Jo

Harness Training

Now that I know I will be going to Blog Paws with my kids, it is time to get them use to their harnesses again. Normally I would’t have to do this as we would have been on many outings during the winter but this winter was brutally cold and full of snow.

 

So my fur kids got to stay inside just being lazy if you can really call it that. Lol. I mean ferrets sleep around eighteen hours a day and the other six hours they play and get into mischief. More about that later.

So my kids haven’t been in their harnesses since October, well Manny was in his to go to the vet in November but that doesn’t count. So on Sunday I got out their harnesses and of course they had to check out the bag they were in and make sure theirs was in it.

Marylin still hasn’t decided what she thinks about them as they aren’t really stylish at all and she tends to be a bit of a Diva at times.

Manny pulled out his blue one that I am going to have to replace soon which I don’t know how he is going to like that since his harness used to belong to his big brother James of Jessie who went OTRB a couple of months after we went to Bark World. Manny will pout if I put the wrong harness on him. Guess it is like Linus®’s blanket for him.

Then there is Marcuz he has to have red or as close to red as possible. Maybe it is to show off his fiery personality.

While there are other styles of harnesses out there I prefer the H style as I can adjust it to the right size for each of my kids. Marylin should be done growing but that doesn’t mean she won’t put on weight like Manny and Marcuz do during the winter and then lose a few pounds in the spring when they blow their coats.

It only took Manny and Marcuz a few minutes to adjust to wearing their harnesses again but Marylin isn’t liking her’s and when I took it off she tried to hide it. The second time I put it on her she did the “I can’t walk with this on.” pose and when I took it off she tried eating it.

 

So while the boys are like okay when are we going somewhere Marylin is still at the training stage for now and I will work with her every day so that she gets use to wearing it again so that she will be safe when she meets her adoring public in May. Well I did say she was something of a Diva.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Did You Know That Ferrets Get Colds

 

I just got over a bad cold. The kind where your head feels like it is going to explode. What many people don’t realize is that ferrets can and do get/give human colds. They can also give it back to the human if precautions are not taken to prevent the spread of the virus.

The precautions are the same ones you would take to prevent other family members from getting your cold. Hand washing is the number one thing you can do. I also have hand sanitizer in every room so that I can use it frequently before and after touching my fur babies. I also tend to wear a mask as not to breathe too many germs on them. The ideal situation would be for someone else to take care of them until I was well over my cold but ideal isn’t always possible.

Colds can last anywhere from seven to ten days and that does not include the time it takes to incubate. So your ferret may already be headed to having his/her own cold before you even see signs of your own cold.

So how do you know if your ferret has a cold? Pretty much the same way you know you have one. Runny nose/eyes, sneezing, sleeping more than normal, not wanting to play, and eating less. Treating a ferret with a cold is pretty much the same routine you do for yourself. Lots of fluids, a soup called Duck Soup (not made from ducks), warm bed and as long as they are eating and drinking well there should be no need to see the vet. However, if a ferret has stopped taking fluids/eating for more than 24hrs or has diarrhea you need to at least call the vet and ask questions to determine if medical treatment is needed. Dehydration is major concern as it can happen quickly and can lead to death if not treated immediately.

The same can be said for the flu. Did you know that the ferret was used to create the flu vaccine? The ferret's body system works similar to the human body. The ferret is also susceptible the Swine flu and can be fatal if not treated quickly enough. The swine flu can be fatal to the ferret if it is not managed well.

It should also be said that if a ferret already has an underlying issue such as Adrenal Disease or Insulinoma the cold/flu needs to be addressed ASAP as these diseases lower the immune system and the simple cold is not so simple in these ferrets.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Review: Pop Up Ball Pit and Thru A Way Tubes

As many of you know, Marshall Pet along with the PetBook Lady sponsored me last year to attend Blog Paws. After the event, I was given many of the items that were in the small animal play area, as it couldn’t be reused. Much to the delight of my three fur babies as by far their favorite items were the pop up ball pit and the ferret thru a way tubes.

The look of pure happiness on their tiny faces makes me smile as they race through the tube I worked into one of the holes in the pop up ball pit. Although Marylin thinks the tube is hers completely and defends it against her brothers until they just jump over the top of the pit and do a rear sneak attack.

    

I often find them sleeping in the pop up ball pit along with their own additions to the pit. Which have included, jiggle balls, mice, blanket, rattles, and pillows.

Made from sturdy materials the pop up ball pit holds up well to ferrets jumping over the top and racing through the holes. The Velcro® strap on one side makes it easy to attach it to the side of the play area fence or the side of the crate. My one complaint is that the pit doesn’t hold a lot of balls and the few that it does hold are easily kicked out the holes.

The thru a way tubes are made from a heavy plastic wrapped around plastic wrapped wire and stretches a long ways. With work one end can be worked into one of the holes of the pop up ball pit but you need to inspect it frequently as the end wire tend to poke through the plastic and do have a sharp point to them. This was an easy fix for me as I just used my jewelry pliers to bend into a circle that I then crimped shut and So far no more problems with it poking though the plastic.

 

Ferret paw rating 5 out of 5 for both the Pop Up Ball Pit and the Ferret Thru a way Tubes.

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Did You Know?

Did you know that a bunch of ferrets are called a Business? In the world of ferrets, pet hoomans say it is their Buzyness that earned them that title.

Did you know that a ferret can learn to use the litter box like a cat? Or use puppy pads.

Did you know that a ferret’s tooth grows from the tip up?

Did you know that baby ferrets called kits have 30 teeth by the time they are 3 months old and should have lost their baby teeth by the time they are 9 months old?

Did you know that adult ferrets have 34 teeth?

Did you know that a ferret can be trained to walk on a leash?

Did you know that a ferret can sleep up to eighteen hours a day?

Did you know that a fixed boy ferret is called a Gib and a fixed girl is a sprite?

Did you know that ferrets are illegal in New York City, Washington D.C, California, and most military bases?

Did you know that the ferret have been domesticated for over two thousand year?

Did you know that the ferret’s Latin name Mustela putorius furo means stinky little thief?

 

Now you know.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Wordless Wednesday: To Cold

 

 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Wordless Wednesday: Happy New Year (The Morning After)

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year!

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Wordless Wednesday: Naptime

 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Wordless Wednesday

 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Sleeping Beauty

 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

 

Jo

Update on Grace

Photo from Washington Metro Area Ferret Outreach.

Grace is off the I.V. support and is eating on her own. Her blood work is slowly improving every day but she still has a long ways to go.

She is starting to act like a ferret by exploring her surroundings and finding comfortable spots to take naps. Her favorite place seems to be on Claudia.

Don’t know the story of Grace? Check it out here

Ferrets normally sleep between 14 to 18 hours a day but I am sure that Grace is sleeping a lot longer than that as she regains her stamina and strength.

If you look you can see where she is starting to get new hair and her ribs aren’t sticking out so far any more.

Enlightened Ferret is proud to help Grace by donating a portion of our sales from Ferret Fabulous Finds Auction House 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Wordless Wednesday: Sleepy Heads

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Wordless Wednesday: Wod Youz Looking Atz?

 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Review: Heated Pet Bed

In November, I won a medium sized heated dog bed that I was going to give to my roommate for her dog. Only her dog was scared of it so I figured I’d let my ferrets try it.

The first thing I really liked was that there was almost no wasted packaging with this product from KHpet. 

The next was the fact that the instructions were to the point and easy to understand.

After following the instructions and allowing the bed to warm up I let my ferrets check out the flat, fleece covered bed.

Marylin wasn’t impressed by it and left to play with some other toys. Marcuz wasn’t too sure of it and kept running across it before flopping for a second to feel the heat before taking off again.

Manny loves the bed and seeks it out when he is ready for a nap.

Some of the great features of this bed:

· Inflates as it warms up

· Easy release valve

· Turns off automatically

· Warms to the temperature of the pet

· Has removable fleece covering

· Bed can be wiped off

· UL approved

With winter now upon us, it is nice to have a place where the kids can pass out when they are a little chilled and I don’t have to run a heater constantly in their room reducing my electrical bill.

While Marylin and Marcuz were not impressed initially with the bed, they have taken to sleeping on it with Manny. As far as Manny is concerned, I got the bed just for him.

As a side note, the bed has proven to be a great place to get good still pictures of Manny modeling the clothing I’ve been making for other ferret owners.  

Disclaimer: I won this bed and the opinion is completely mine own and I have not received any compensation for this review.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Wordless Wednesday: Brotherly Love

 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo