# For Ferret Lovers -videos and photos included-



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

So, I have been made aware - on a great many occasions - that my ferrets are quite popular among some users. So I thought I'd make a ferret video and photo spam place. Plus, I LOVE to share my sweet little fuzzbutts. 

I was also wondering if anyone else had ferrets to share photos and videos of. 

I will also be happy to answer questions on care and training and such if I can, and about my own fuzzbutts. 

So, videos! I'll get right to the point now, videos and photos of my two squirts. :3 My little fuzzbutts are the sweetest ferrets ever, in my opinion. They don't smell bad since I have them on a proper diet, and they never, ever bite other than play noms that don't even leave a mark, and don't hurt. They loooove people, other pets(especially dogs and cats), and especially love young children who we are VERY careful of, more for the ferrets sake in this case...This does not mean all are like this, it depends mostly on how you raise them, but by nature are not vicious or mean, just curious and rowdy. 

This is Cooper in a homemade dig box with, yes, ferret litter. lol A lot of those "Dust free" litters really aren't! I had to shake and vacuum until I saw no more, he loooved it. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmtbCRGwfiY

This is Ren, she found a ball to play with. She's in the dog bed having a ball, excuse the pun. =P
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YBmb2Ubx1U

This is Cooper killing Mister Sticky. No, we did not let him have it, it was just such a funny accident I had to film him messing around a bit before tossing it away. YES ferrets DO make noise, more than just the famous "Dook" sound. They hiss, they squeak, they whine, they "Cackle" or "Bubble" as I call it, and even make sounds similar to...well, a friend of mine said he sounded like a seal. This is Cooper hissing a lot while playing like that, his hissing is actually not anger, which it can also mean, but a request for rough play. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFspfvLNlsI

I think this is my most popular video. Sorry, I don't know how to make music loop so it stops short. This is Ren and Cooper playing with snow in a bucket. =) It's fairly bouncy, sorry, I was having some trouble keeping still.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zrJ3tbP1XQ

This is Cooper picking on Leo the Cat. A bit in there somewhere he actually tackles Leo when he walks back into the room. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fESeqcOvYU0

This isn't really a video so much as a recording, these are some other, much more rare sounds, that ferrets also make. He was about ten-twelve weeks old here, and he looooves water, those are his "I'm oh so comfy" sounds. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsRWuDqNdCY


Just to prove Cooper loves his swimming time(no we don't wash with soap very often as it's bad for their skin, but they can swim in plain water all they want), I got this video. He just floats along, it's quite funny. As you can see, Ren doesn't like it as much. Well, she DOES, she just hates getting her tail wet as you can visibly see. xD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZp6AO_IGs0

Now, onto photos! :3
This is Ren and Cooper in the bath. Again. Ren looks miserable, Cooper is falling asleep. She's NOT as miserable as she seems, I promise. But it's so funny how she looks when wet. She kinda gives in once the tail is wet.


This is Ren in the middle of what is called "The Weasel War-Dance" it is what they do when they get REALLY excited and happy. She was playing with a feathered cat toy. lol I know it's not the best, getting action photos with my camera isn't easy. Impossible to get good ones more like.


She did eventually get that toy!


Yeah, Ren didn't want to wake up yet. xD Yes, see those teeth? They're not rodents, they're carnivores. PURE carnivores for those who didn't know that tidbit. They do eat rodents though. Mine get other meats...grandma doesn't want frozen rats in the freezer. =)


Cooper getting an oatmeal soak. Soap is a rare option, but oatmeal, yes that's what the murk and junk is, is very good for their skin so long as they don't eat it. Which they don't. =)


This is Ren with my little cousin about a year and a half ago. Ren absolutely adores kids. She's very careful around them too. My cousin on the other hand, has to always be watched or she tries to put them in boxes and doll clothes...


Did I mention ferrets are pure trouble? Well they are! This is Cooper when he was six months old. He had done this three times. I thought I picked up all the toilet paper rolls, but Leo the Cat tossed one down the stairs right after I finished clean up and Cooper ran in like a bull. I took a photo of shame before removing it this time. He has not done it again since then. ^_~


Now for some baby photos. Unfortunately I don't have any good ones of Ren when I got her at three months old...but Cooper I got when he was six weeks old. This was a mistake as they should not be sold until eight weeks or older. He's a "Marshalls Farm Accident" Marshalls being the ferrets you see the most in pet shops, sometimes they send out a baby too young with older babies, a dangerous mistake they should not be having. Thankfully I knew a bit about what I was doing and bought him...pretty much saved his life since he did not know how to eat or be a ferret. Anywho, this is the night we got him, he was so darn cute. I see the appeal of having youngsters, however even if you know what you're doing it is hit or miss on them surviving even at six weeks, so don't do it. Cooper had been starving for three days before I got him, poor baby, had to force some water. Often they have issues or die from not being weaned and taught by mom.


Cooper investigating Leo the Cat for the first time, Leo was already used to Ren and had proven to be the sweetest and most gentle cat, though he was not raised with weasels. He loved EVERYONE. Leo passed away last February, the ferrets both mourned him severely after he didn't come back from the vet visit. It was awful, the three of them were like...the Three Musketeers, always in trouble together, playing together and sleeping together. 


This was Ren the second day I had her. She was also not well cared for unfortunately, but I got her taken care of. She was filthy with claws too long and was a bit malnourished, though it's hard to see she was all bones with her winter coat. 


She's beautiful now though, eh? She's a bit static-y here from the tunnel though. lol She's not as mean as she looks, she's the sweetest thing ever.


This is Ren caught making trouble. lol I snuck up on her from the stairs and she spun around right when I snapped the photo. She was trying to rip open the bag of toilet paper...she knows better, but eh, they're ferrets! Nothing but mischief, and thieves to boot. ^_~ Be aware, they will steal your socks, gloves, hats, even your underwear and leave it out for all to see...Diapers, toys of all kinds, small things like wallets and objects like it, CD cases made of fabric...Brushes, the occasional TV remote...and so on!


Our neighborhood watch. lol


This is one of those...perfect timing photos. Cooper thought I caught him being naughty(he just got dry and thought to sneak back in the tub, but there was no water...he spazzed when he saw me looking and slipped, hence the funny tail-flip photo)


And I leave us off with some Winter Comforts. It's a bit different this year, but just as comfy looking. I hope everyone in the cold areas of the world are keeping warm and comfortable! =)


----------



## jpepe1 (Dec 16, 2013)

That was a wonderful post.My wife and I have a ferret rescue where we take in unwanted ferrets and those that have escaped and gotten lost. It's a joy to see such well cared for and loved ferrets.Made my day Thanks


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

Well thank you for the comment, and thank you more for taking in ferrets who need help. It's just such a common thing, they're often about as abused as goldfish(you know, kept in a bowl without a filter because people -chose- to be ignorant and not research, they're are often fed cat food and human junk foods and not meat or high protein kibbles like they should have and end up with cancers, insulinoma, fried spleen and kidneys...poor guys), but are rarely found in time, or found at all. =(

I try very hard to do everything right by them. I research and look up stuff on them almost daily and have for more than two years, since just before I got my first sweet girl. It never hurts to keep checking info and learning. My vet told me Ren is a "Perfect Specimen" for a ferret. lol He never says much on Cooper though. T_T I know he's got a big head and a bit of an over-bite(and he had Rat Tail but it grew back fully within a few weeks...although some grew back blonde which looks odd on his black and grey tail), but he's so preety and sweet. Ok, he does like Cooper, he's always cuddling him a bit when we go. lol And he does say both have lovely coats and are a perfect weight and bright, and since he's a specialized vet, that makes me feel pretty good. :3


----------



## rsskylight04 (Nov 9, 2013)

Ferrets are awesome! I had a ferret years ago. When ever I would take a shower he would break into the bathroom and jump in. I let him run around quite a bit, but whenever I needed him back in his cage all I had to do was open a jar of mayo. Guess I didn't provide the best nutrition, but I really didn't know. 
Thanks for the very entertaining post.


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

Well, if it makes you feel better...if I ever need to trick Cooper, like the time my grandpa left the back door open and he got loose and ended up under the deck in my neighbors yard...I use peanut butter. In his two years he's had a few licks of peanut butter maybe four times. It's far from good for them, but it did save him from being eaten by the neighbors dog. He was still a kit and would -not- come to me, he teased me and kept going back under, kicking dirt in my face and I couldn't get in there!

Mine will also climb all over you if you have soda or a bag of chips. Especially orange soda. We don't give it to them or let them get it(we have discovered that leaving things out of the cupboards is bad and are kinda paranoid about leaving anything out, so we don''t now lol), but the way we found out about it was ma had a glass of it and they got on the table and stuck their faces in and went to town. We had to call a vet to make sure it wouldn't kill them, even though they only got a few quick licks before I got a hold of the stinkers. @[email protected]; Who knew? 

They're trouble makers, and love things that just aren't good for them. Problem with both is it risks giving them diarrhea, even a small amount of it can. So, for future reference, should you ever get another ferret or ten, try making treats like...chicken fat or turkey fat, or some form of animal fat. It's better for them as a treat(key word treat, though animal fat, the good stuff, is highly good for them but only certain kinds). Mine have been officially tricked into thinking raw steak fat is a treat they shouldn't have. x) Which is fine as a treat but with beef, not good as a...full source of food. Also chicken livers which is a rare treat BECAUSE it's kinda costly, but fairly good for them.

I'm sure even people fully knowledgeable have mishaps or make mistakes on things they think are good for them. lol


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

The two squirts are going to get a bath today. We're doing the preening thing. lol Clipped claws, got 'em all brushed and they will be again, had some fun, now for their first real bath in about five months...because Cooper stinks, though Ren really doesn't. Over the last week Cooper seems to be getting a tad....musky around the face area where they still have their scent glands. This is the first I've smelled it, but hey! Hopefully it's one of those...boy things that just happen sometimes.

Anywho, photo. I love to get one of them itching their bellies. I missed this one a bit, Ren was initially on her back completely chewing on the center of her belly. They always get really wild and bounce around...and then stop for an itch, it's just too funny. Perhaps I will get you guys some wet woozel photos later, they're quite funny after a bath, but they're hard to get since they're so wiggly when wet.

Ah, the cat scratcher, I think I vacuum that up twice a day. If the cat isn't making a mess, the ferrets do, though they don't knit so much as climb and jump all over it. :3




Neighborhood watch again. A Cooper has been spotted...and knows it!


Halloween in style, that's what I got the hat for, initially for Cooper, but here's Ren in it. lol She's trying to look at the bell.


They just look so fat and fluffy with their winter coats, don't they? :3 Cooper actually was a bit chunky there for a while, but Ren really wasn't, it's all fur.


Hanging out with Leo the year before last.


Ah, I forgot about the time Cooper fell asleep trying to get in grandma's shoe. LOL This was when he was...oh, five month old I think. He no longer fits. He's no longer that dark either. =( I kinda miss it, but eh! They do sometimes change color, Ren got both darker and lighter, just in different areas.


Tunnel kisses. :3 If I'm not mistaken, you can actually kinda see Cooper has blue eyes. He had them as a kit and they never went away, but since ferrets are practically blind as is and have huge pupils, it's really hard to tell. They're extremely light sky blue. 


Always bickering in the tunnels. Ren likes to pester Cooper, she goes in, he follows, she turns around and they nom. lol No, they never hurt each other, not intentionally, they just like to mouthe each other. It's a bit of a game to them.


----------



## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

heehee.... so cute!!! That tunnel looks like so much fun! <3


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

I miss being able to fit in the tunnels at restaurants and stuff. lol Tunnels are a blast.

Ah, I've been doing a little project with my squirts over the last few months. Getting them on a nice raw diet along with their normal kibble. I wanted to make their life as it should be and give them what their bodies desire and need. It takes a while when they're not used to it, and mine were not raised on it, nor did I know you had to be patient when starting them on it as kits, I just thought they'd refuse it fully and starve, so I gave up(wish I hadn't, would have been SO much easier to get them going then than it was now, and I likely would have saved a fortune on commercial ferret foods...they can cost more than twenty dollars for a three pound bag of the good stuff! And it only lasts a month, IF that. Now accompanied by the raw diet they last much longer). But after some reading and tips from a ferret-lover, we've got them going. We started out with ground beef, took them a week to get over themselves and just dig in. They'd eat it, but they'd take a few hours. After that they'd eat it when I put it in, once they were used to it I started them on turkey, took them a while there too, but not as long. Then we moved to something a bit more out there: Duck and venison with ground hearts, liver and ground sheep bone...they hated it, but they'll eat it. It was one of those already mixed order in raw foods with the roughage, and I'm not so sure on it so I don't think I'll continue it. 

So today we finally found a place they sell organs and stuff(guess we shoulda checked walmart lol), been looking forever since organs are needed as a big part of their diet. Picked up some chicken livers, hearts and gizzards. I gave them a liver after I drained the excess blood(there was a lot of it, yuck, obviously left some but not a POOL of it), cut them into four large pieces(those things are huge, I thought they'd be smaller...), and heated them up a tad, added a pinch of duk soup...and surprisingly, they dug right in immediately. I thought for sure the new meat would be another week long battle, but Ren went over, kicked Cooper out of the way, and pulled out a big chunk and bit in half and ate it. I had trouble cutting it...just goes to show how powerful their jaws are, they're MADE for that stuff. So hey, got the best part of their diet added within the first few seconds, no fight. :3 Now I just need to get them to eat things with the bone-in. Also have to make sure Ren shares with Cooper, who will likely end up being the picky one. xD Otherwise he would have butted in.

My little update for today, I hope it didn't gross anyone out. It sure grossed me out, but I haven't the right to put them on things I'm more comfortable with over things that are really good for them. =) So here we are! I wanted some lamb meat and heart for them, but ma boycotts anything baby, and I am inclined to agree when there are meats that are actually better for them and more natural...like turkey and chicken, and eggs, which we're gonna start soon as a once or twice a week thing, that should be fun. I bet they'll fight me on it...but then I thought that with chicken livers too, and I had a right to since they fought me all the way on everything else! They must be good...


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

This is kinda a duplicate post for the ferret lovers. I also posted this in a picture thread elsewhere. lol 

Ferrets...Ren was throwing a tantrum because I caged them while I cleaned my tanks. Can't have them out for that because they would get squashed while I carried heavy things and can't see my feet. They are -always- under foot. It's funny though, Cooper is usually the one who throws tantrums, not Ren, she does so rarely. And she made a huge mess with her food and rolled in it, little butthead! Some of these photos just came out hilarious though. I HAVE to share them.


She really wants out. lol It looks like she's snarling, but she's about to bite the bars. 


This one made me laugh so hard. She's like "Heeeeey you guuuuys! LEMME OUT!" They were out all day yesterday and all night because...I was so tired from some bad news I forgot to put them to bed. ^^; She really shoudln't be complaining so much!


Did I mention ferrets are NOT rodents? The teeth say it all. lol I'm so glad they never use them on me, they can break bones. THIS is why...if you get a ferret, you MUST bite train and socialize it...otherwise someone, if not you, will end up on the receiving end eventually, and they hate letting go.


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

So, woke up around ten today, came down, got a drink and sat here to read up on a few things. I kept hearing this noise...scratching sounds and things moving about. Thought my cat was having her daily moment of "Make noise and run around like an idiot knocking things over" as usual....then I saw her sitting behind me in her chair and heard a can fall in the kitchen. I go in there and it's COOPER! My ferret for those of you who don't know. He climbed up pa's coat to get on the counter, the little turd...and what's worse, he has this obsession with peanut butter and someone left the lid off and didn't put it away. Even without the risk of pets...eww, bugs, leaving food out can draw rodents...ich. So yeah, he's obsessed with it, LOVES it, I know he got some because when I picked him up I could smell it on his breathe. 
I may have to call the vet, so far he seems alright...aside from explosive diarrhea. x.x Keeping him hydrated, which is easy because he's as obsessed with big bowls of water as he is with peanut butter. Had to go around the house with bleach wipes to make sure I got it all thoroughly so pa doesn't get sick. That was unexpected, how'd he get out? No idea. o-o; Someone must have opened their door. I told everyone they were free roaming in their ferret room, thought I locked it too...so someone did a stupid. =-= They're not supposed to be out in the house unless someone is there to monitor, and nobody was. 

There we go, story of the day. No new photos or video though, sorry! =( My cameras uh...the thing that hooks to the camera to download photos onto the comp seems to be broken.


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

Oh, I missed the best photo ever the other day. Cooper was standing on his hind legs just staring at one of my tanks. Just...for several minutes and it finally hit me "GET VIDEO!" When it should have hit me like "TAKE A PHOTO" lol wasn't enough light for a video, so I stood to turn on my light and Cooper came to me. Ruined it, I coulda just taken a photo with the flash. T____T It was the cutest thing in the world, ever. Just sitting on his little butt, tail out behind him, little front paws hanging in front of him while he looked up with those big long whiskers sticking out...-melts- 

I've never seen him do it like that before, it was like he was mesmerized. I think it's the first time he's seen neon tetras. Ferrets see in reds and blues and otherwise have terrible eyesight, they're practically blind. lol Neon tetras are red, blue and silver, so they must have stuck out to him very well with that white background.


----------



## jpepe1 (Dec 16, 2013)

Don't worry about the peanut butter it's fine for them. You probably already know this trick but just in case,when it's nail clipping time rub some peanut butter on their belly they get so preoccupied with the cleaning and eating of the peanut butter they forget you are clipping their nails.


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

Not to yell or anything but, truly just trying to teach you a bit(I do a lot of educating people on ferrets and their care since so many just don't realize what they think is ok, is actually very, very bad)...
Peanut butter is absolutely not ok for them in any way, even as a rare treat. In fact it can kill them if given to much, or given it even as a treat too often. It can cause diarrhea, which it did to poor Cooper, which can be fatal to them within a mere day if you can't get it stopped. They have very short digestive tracts, basically it's only about three hours from eating to pooping, and so they cannot handle such a huge loss of fluids. 
It has too much sugar which causes insulinoma later in life, an incurable and common disease because too many people feed their ferrets stuff they just shouldn't have. It can fry up their kidneys and hearts nice and fine. =/
It's unfortunate too many don't know that. I didn't know before either, but really didn't give peanut butter more than...well, a few times, one being when my grandpa let him out on accident when they were watching him for me, he went to visit the neighbors dog, who wanted to kill him, and I couldn't get him out from under their deck....But they don't even get that as a rare treat anymore, it's all steak fat or turkey fat clippings as their treat.

Ferrets are obligate carnivores. Plant-matter foods, grains, wheats, sugars and carbs, all terribly bad for them. =( They lack a cecum and therefor cannot digest things like that or most fruits/berries and they can cause blockages, prolapses, and stones, even fry their organs. A lot of these take time...but many can hit hard within hours, days or weeks. Peas are on the especially bad list, same as they should be for cats and dogs....a lot of times they cause bladder stones. Eesh, my cat died from that when we switched him to Blue Buffalo foods, didn't know peas were so bad. Our vet said some do great on it, others get snags that are costly to fix, extremely painful, and sometimes cannot be fixed. Bad, bad. =(

Meats, proteins, fat, bones, good stuff, especially organs from fowl like turkeys, chickens, ducks, pheasants, and also from several types of rodents like rabbits and rats. Eggs are good too, we're going to start our weekly egg nom soon ourselves, the yolk is especially good for them. SOME plant-matters are ok as an -extremely- small portion of a raw diet to replace feather or fur(aids in digestion and healthy poop!) if not fed whole animals. Instead I let their kibble do their thing after they eat some tasty meats, occasionally I will give them pumpkin, which I'm still not comfortable with...but it's a lovely way to right the entire digestive system, stops diarrhea and constipation. =) 

A lot of people grew up seeing ferrets that liked things like...cereal, crackers, cookies and pasta and chocolate and weird stuff. It's funny that they like those odd human foods though, isn't it? But it's very seriously bad for them. Some can handle them better than others. Kinda like some dogs can handle chocolate whereas others, even a large dog, could eat a single hershey's kiss and be poisoned by it. Doesn't mean it's ok for them.

With the claw clippings, I used to use ferretvite. Little ferretvite on the belly once every two weeks or so...problem is, ferretvite has a lot of sugar in it and therefor can cause insulinoma. I'm currently searching for something they like just as much, but is -truly- ferret safe. :3 I was aimed at Ferretone, but it's...well, it's soy stuff. c.c Basically we just have someone scruff them while we clip. Takes a bit longer since they get tired of it and try to skeedaddle. They don't realize if they'd just hold still I could be done in less than a minute. :3


----------



## jpepe1 (Dec 16, 2013)

I don't disagree with you but the small amounts I'm talking about have never caused issues here.I'm not too old to learn though.I've lost many a ferret to insulinomas and if by eliminating these treats help decrese this I'm all in. It's my understanding that carbohydrates are a trigger for the development of insulinomas.Unfortunately I'm on my way out(job interview) but would love to pick this up again.Right now we have a total of 11 ferrets in our care and I'm thinking maybe we need to update our notions of ferret care and nutrition.We've been using Science Diet Feline maintenance with our vets approval for around 25 years and would like your opinion on that.Talk Soon


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

Yeah, carbs can lead to it and other organ issues too. Their bodies just can't handle that stuff. But sugars, sugars are a big hit to the system and a huge cause of insulinoma. Thing is, it's not an all thing...like as an example not everyone who over-eats on sweets is going to get diabetes and such. But since ferrets are so prone to those issues, it just makes it that much higher of a problem. 


And...did you say ELEVEN? I WISH! Me and my pair have been wanting to expand for a while now. It's just, at the moment I couldn't risk it, if something nasty happened I'm in the red on the money situation and would have to make a very hard choice if it came again. Ren had some issues when I got her with her weight, Cooper had some fur issues we thought may be adrenal, turns out it was just one of those things that fixed on its own. Big bills though, plus the dogs surgeries year before last totaled more than $7K... Who knew it could all hit at once and reduce savings to below zilch? LOL

And even I am still learning. I've been doing a ton of research and am by no means an expert...but there are a couple things that I know for sure. I've been thoroughly researching their diets and things that can cause problems, and are most likely to. Friend of mine just had her ferret diagnosed with Insulinoma. Perfect diet and care...but gave ferretvite daily as a treat which they're positive caused it.
Ferrets love things they shouldn't have. My Cooper, he loves peanut butter, sure...and in small amounts in a not often thing -probably- wont do him any damage, but very well could...however, last Thanksgiving we discovered he likes dried cranberries, and by accident when ma spilled a bag while making dinner. There's a prolapse waiting to happen! Was an odd random thing. lol Thankfully he had no problem, but wow. Since they can't properly digest that stuff, sometimes it gets stuck on the way out and takes the intestines with them, or blocks them up completely. c.c Ren doesn't like anything odd. Oh, wait, sweet things like cookies and crackers, and for some odd reason orange soda. Thankfully she's one of those grab and find a place to hide, THEN eat after much searching around for any watchers kind of ferrets. We never give them, but sometimes the kids sneak into the TV room to eat where they're not supposed to and drop something. x.x; Which is why they're banned from eating in there in the first place. LOL 

Anywho, yeah...gotta watch out. I'm sure some can handle, but some can't. You'd be better off trying ferretone for the nail clipping times. It's not the best either, but it's better than peanut butter or ferretvite which is all sugar and some carbs I believe. I loved the stuff until my vet discussed more downsides than upsides to it with me. Ferretvite even helped us switch easier to the raw diet, I'll miss that stuff and how easy it made nail clipping...which really isn't that hard, just scary. =( I asked around about it too and found out he was right, he is a specialist vet but I like to double and triple check anyways. lol


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

Ren and Cooper the night before after a long day of play. As you can see, I left their cage open, as I do often, so they can get in and out as they please. I walked in and they were curled up in the carefresh ultra bedding(Haven't gotten it in a while, though they love it, because it's expensive! They miss the litterbox often so it's such a waste, but it was a nice treat for them). Unfortunately, Ren saw me and got up...well actually she saw me a couple times, but I held real still and she went back to sleep, but she heard the camera turn on, the stupid thing beeps. T_T It's quiet, but it was enough. Still, it's a cute photo. Ren's making her "I'm trying not to yawn" face. It makes her look ratty. lol 


They came out for a nice drink and some love after that. This is what I use for their water when they're out, anything smaller and they flip it over. Oh hey, anyone else have a ferret that does what Ren is doing with her belly when they drink? She sucks herself in until she looks like a skeleton and drinks while her upper side gets full, then walks around like a dork(all arched in the back and slow) until she stretches it down with a belch and goes about her normal business? ^^; She's so odd! She doesn't always do it, usually only with duk soup, but that's just water, only the third time I've seen her do that with plain water, Cooper never does it.


The little twerps found my new shoes less than an hour after I got them, and of course...they had to come chew on them. I don't let them, except for this photo(you can see Cooper knows better, but he's my chewer and not Ren! He got yelled at the other day for it though, so he's cautious but still tries when I'm not looking). I need to get them a kong or something of similar make without the holes in them. I'm afraid they'll get their heads stuck, still looking for good chew toys!


Sorry, this one is a bit out of focus...Cooper was begging to be petted. :3 When they want to be petted or picked up, they lay pathetically at your feet like this. x) And that rug is actually, or was actually, my bathroom rug, lovely to stand on over the tile when getting out of the shower. But they LOVE it, they roll on it and rub their bellies and slide around on it. Too funny. You can also see Cooper's bum and part of his tail is blonde...this happened when he decided to get rat tail a few months ago. We took him to the vet and they said it happens sometimes and either grows back or doesn't...his grew back pretty fast, but a lot of it came in extremely blonde, and extremely soft, like Ren is soft(Cooper has coarser, though still soft, fur...it feels coarse but it's not, it just seems that way because Ren feels like down). What scared me was he also lost a good chunk on his lower back, you can see the blonde there too. .-.; Well, it fixed, and the vet said he didn't have adrenal but may have had a vitamin deficiency, which was fixed since I had changed their diet three days after it started, he said that was likely it since it started coming back within the week. :3 Hard to believe he had pretty much no fur on it now, eh? LOL


Well, here's my cute ferret update! I need some more. This was the day they got the awesome treatment. Nails clipped, ears cleaned, teeth brushed, bathed and then taken to Petsmart on harness and leash for a good walk and some fun meeting people and playing on the cat playhouses. They looove to go out with me. The Petsmart near here is pretty good, and those two, Cooper especially, are celebrities there. Most of the workers know them, they see Cooper waddling towards the fish area and go "HEYYY IT'S THE FERREEEET! Hi Cooper!" He gets so happy. x)

Ren is already shedding out her lovely winter coat, Cooper hasn't started yet. They're both slimming up for the summer too. Ah, I'll miss my Winter Chubbies. x) I still can't get used to it, used to think something was wrong with them. They're pretty extreme with the loss and gain from the seasons though, it's understandably scary. They like to be slim for the summer. Well, sometimes Cooper gets fatter...and lazier. Ren is always running around.


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

Hahaha, I was searching through my stuff and found a funny old video of Leo the Cat and Ren playing in the bathroom. This was before I got Cooper, JUST before I got him, and also before I was comfortable letting them run around the house freely. 

Leo was the most gentle cat in the world, I miss him so much(For those who do not know, Leo passed away February 5th, 2013). Seeing these videos makes me miss him more, but I can also see more and more just how awesome he really was with everyone and everything!

These two were always playing around and getting up to trouble, same with Cooper when he joined our rag-tag team of odd family members. I wish I could have gotten footage of them when they used to chase each other around the house several times. Usually with a ferret chasing the cat, but sometimes Leo would turn and chase them. Yet, every time I got the camera, they'd all stop and stare at me. 


And yes, those noises are Ren. She got mad when he jumped up on the counter where she couldn't go. xD Don't worry though, he came back! 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBCFblbsUSE


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

Ren and Cooper got their first egg today(mostly just the yolk), started that pretty late, didn't I? Cooper LOVED it, Ren not so much...but then it is their first one, I'm hoping she'll try some before Cooper eats it all, which he likely has by now...Trying to figure out how often they can have them at the moment, I know they're very good for them. 

I also got a video for you guys, oh my gawd it took more than a week to finish processing the lighting, you couldn't see it! It's of Cooper sleeping in his hammock, he just looks so cute with his feet hanging out. :3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8ixPdw2NuU


----------



## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

I was thinking about ferrets earlier this week when I saw your avatar and was like - Sylverclaws should totally make a journal of her ferrets! LOL
So a big thank you for uploading all these cute ferret pics! 
(also I had to be subbed to this...)


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

You're welcome. I love sharing them, they're not as common of a pet as some people think.

I have an update for the day on my two fuzzbutts. We took them to the vet for their annual distemper shots and a check up. Ren is much loved by my vet, he always, ALWAYS says something about how beautiful or perfect she is which makes me happy. He chuckled when I said "What about Cooper? He never gets a compliment!" =p 

So, Ren weighs one pound and six ounces, Cooper weighs two and a quarter pounds. They're both in perfect health he said, everything looked and sounded great...

Unfortunately Ren had an allergic reaction to the distemper this time, she did not with her first round of vaccines. She got agitated and itchy, and peed all over. He gave her a shot of cortisone and she got less itchy a few minutes after and then acted sleepy and drugged. Poor girl. We waited for a while to be sure, but she's alright! She's back to herself now, an hour later. Cooper had no problem, he never does...except the whole knowing he was next part, that's the first time ever I couldn't get him out of the carrier. xD He watched her get felt around and prodded by the vet and was having none of it. He climbed onto my head, as usual, and glared at the vet once done, but then the nurse walked in and I think he fell in love. :3 So yeah, they can have reactions to vaccines. Pro tip, stay for at least twenty minutes to half an hour after the shots to see if they have a reaction, otherwise if you just get it and go you risk trouble from a ferret who didn't have any prior, or did for that matter...they can fix it quicker if you stick around. 

Well, we're off to bed now. Wanted to stick around a while to watch her longer, she's just hanging out, Cooper is keeping an eye on her and grooming her gently, so he's taking good care, he knew she wasn't right before but he seems to have lightened up now. I think I'll read a bit of my book and watch her a bit longer, I get a bit paranoid with my babies. n.n;

I gotta get up some new photos, I'm hoping to use this thread to show how their coats sometimes change from season to season. If you missed my photos of them as babies, you wont be surprised, but if you did and look back you may be shocked at how dark Cooper used to be.


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

I found baby vids. =) Those are hard to find...but I found a bunch today. Look how dark Cooper was as a baby! Teeny tiny too. And he was a brat. lol I just...couldn't bring myself to be firm with him, but I did get there, had to. He doesn't bite anymore. Just took a firm voice, not my "OH YOU SO CUTE" voice, and some scruffing with the occasional time-out. xD 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdN3ELby7CQ


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

Got some new video today. We got a fountain for the cats to drink from but they have no interest! The ferrets, however, seem to like it just fine. They do make a mess though, we need a mat for it. lol They love to dunk their whole head in there and swish around and then shake off. I missed a good shot earlier, Ren was sucking on Cooper's ear while he got a drink and they were giving each other kisses. I have heard of ferrets who do that, but that was the first time I've seen them do it, it's quite cute. lol 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0ewcKjQZ3c


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

Finally got a photo of Cooper giving me attitude. Unfortunately it was out of focus. T_T He wanted up on my desk to steal things, but I wouldn't let him. After about an hour he gave in and sat down to stare at me, as he always does...and waited for me to look. When I do look at him he opens his mouth like he's going to yawn and licks his chops and then looks away. I call it his "Tantrum" when he does it. Too funny. :3

It may be out of focus, but you can see what I mean. xD


----------



## dancelady (Apr 24, 2014)

*You need to read these, major books Richard Bach*

Sylverclaws, I think you would love to read Richard Bach's books, he is a major author in the US with 70 million at least books sold. He writes about his planes, his flying, his philosophies, and is very funny and earth-shattering in his works. I have been a fan of his since his very first book many, many years ago. However, he also writes hysterical books about ferrets, you have got to read them. They are novels about ferrets acting like people doing things that forward-thinking ferrets would do. See attached images on his books, most are available at libraries and thrift shops. 

I just ordered one -- Illusions II -- which you need to have read *Illusions* first, before you read this one. I can't go thru life without thinking of what he espouses, and it sticks with you as you wander through the day's activities. These say Audiobooks, but you can usually find them & books at the library and in stores.


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

Super Cooper never stops trying to be cute. lol This photo, I just found, is of him last year. You can see his rat-tail that he had, we thought Adrenal Disease and took him to the vet. That's all back now, wasn't adrenal. In fact I'm positive it was the ferretvite and possibly the diet)8in1 went from pretty good to le'suck). Changed them to a partial raw diet, switched food nice and slow, removed ferretvite from their treat system...added in some duk soup, and it grew back quick, lush and soft. Though it is blonde now...blonde on his black and grey bum looks odd. lol




Mmm, eggs. Keeps down hairballs, they get one egg a week. Two during the molting seasons. Usually just the yolk which is the best part for them. Also helps keep their skin and coats healthy and has a healthy dose of protein! :3 Sometimes I make my own version of Duk Soup for them which is the egg, a tablespoon of hot water, large pinch(maybe a teaspoon or half of one) of Uncle Jim's Dry Duk Soup Mix, a quick squirt of ferretone...that alone or I add in chopped up raw chicken for them. Yum. This was taken last Friday.


Sometimes Cooper gets it on his chin and tries to lick it off. You can see how well THAT turns out. Haha. Don't worry, I wipe them down after. :3 If I don't they use the nearest cat, dog, person or rug...Yes, see Coopers lovely, fluffy tail. It's not as blonde as it was before, it's going to white. During Winter he usually gets a white ring around his butt. xD That doesn't happen now though, it's too much white to be a ring. He used to be SO dark in color! This is their Summer coat, by the way. Cooper usually gets in sorta a black bolero(jacket, whatever, vest...ma calls it a bolero) during the summer, but I don't think it's coming this year. He's gotten lighter every year, Ren has gotten darker. 


Ren was trying to slowly sneak over to Alanna and lay down with her. She likes to be near them, but she doesn't like to be smacked. The cats don't hurt them, but the ferrets know claws are supposed to be there and are jumpy about it(Benni used to be a butt, he learned the hard way that if he bullies them they bully back double time...and he's not such a jerk anymore but they remember). Alanna has never done anything mean to them though(aside from kicking them out of her bed, though Cooper usually kicks her out). The cats often slap them for getting too nosy or close. They never hurt them though. 


Speaking of being smacked, my other cat was beating up Alanna the other day(he bullies her, doesn't hurt her. He just makes everyone else angry with him, her and the weasels included. She's just a noisy female and doesn't like him anywhere near,which is typical of female cats. He is used to cats cuddling and playing and keeeeps on trying anyways), Cooper heard it and BLASTED over and bit Benni on his fat butt. Well, his back leg, and then ran him up the stairs and came back to check on Alanna. Made a big mess too, knocked over his box of toys shooting out the way he did. I never expected that from the bullying, but cowardly and sweet Cooper. Benni was not harmed, Cooper just bullied him up the stairs. lol But he did bite him, I had to give him a good looking over, he's never bitten anyone like that before so I was worried, they can break bones with them jaws. He was unharmed, didn't even lose fur. 


And no, he didn't have peanut butter, I don't let him have it. But he still tries. He smells it and he's after you, you better sit on a table somewhere. Always makes him hiccup which is funny, but yeah, too much sugar. Don't want him getting insulinoma so I've cut sweets completely out of their diets forever ago. This is just him giving me attitude because I wouldn't let him on my desk to steal my fish net and turkey baster! :3


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

In case you guys are noticing I seem to have more photos of Cooper than I do of Ren, you'd be right. He loves his photo to be taken, she only does on rare occasions and if I miss it, too bad.

This has to be one of the cutest photos I've ever gotten of Cooper. :3


And I got a shot of them eating their meat. Chicken gizzards and hearts are their absolute favorite. They like eggs too, but that's just a treat. They get what they love 1-2 times per day. Ren was chewing on a real tough bit apparently. She chewed it for so long she actually started falling asleep until ma laughed at her. She woke up, swallowed and then cleaned her plate. I gave them some more because they ate all of it in about two minutes and licked the bowl clean. I gave them a good amount too, I guess they were just a bit extra hungry today. I can give more with my ferrets, they wont over-eat. So, they climbed on me and begged and I got them more. They ate half and saved the rest for later like good babies. :3



And of course my little bear. He's so cute, it looks like he's a sulking teddy bear. lol


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

I did a Duk Soup video. Unfortunately Ren was in a "Dead Sleep" which she's only done maybe twice since I got her. She was so comfy, I tried to gentle her awake but it didn't happen.

Anyways, Duk Soup and Cooper's delight!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCyPpjjHsjI


And this is from last night...Cooper trying to get into our new chairs. Our other ones they could get under and climb in, these are all the way on the floor. Unfortunately Ren found a way in under the cushions, took and hour to get the brat out. Cooper got in last night and it took about five minutes because I had peanut butter. >_> There are staples in there, I didn't want him in there to be hurt or mushed. I almost sat on him! I started to sit and heard him thump in there, barely caught my fat bum before I squished him. He didn't get much peanut butter though, I don't like them having ANY sugar. x.x
Might still be brightening up. lol Give it half an hour or so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o66IgnsmsXY


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

What was that they said about ferrets and jumping? They 
Can't jump well"? HA! I moved this out a whole foot more and he still had no trouble making it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIEDKSAo_ps&feature=share


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

Took the flufferbutts to the basement with me today. They don't get to go down there because it doubles as a workshop and laundry and whatnot, but in one of the rooms down there it's all cleared out but my fish pool. The fish pool is a 73 gallon kiddie pool I turned into a tank to raise my fish and critters in. Currently have a bunch of livebearers(for those who don't know: mollies, swordtails, endlers, platies and guppies, most are still fry/babies), and some bristlenose plecos as well as some blue marbled crayfish. My ferrets love to watch them in my upstairs tanks, which are actually tanks....anywho, I carried them down, closed the door and let them loose. They were so excited about it, they held still all the way and then went absolutely berserk when I let them go. They flew around and bounced and hopped and played. lol Too funny. They get out a lot and have most of the house to run about in, but they loooove trying to get downstairs where they aren't allowed, so when I took them they were lost. But they seemed oh so hopeful. xD In the end they went to check out the fish. They get these adorable looks on their faces while watching, they never go for them though, but sometimes the fish will nibble their whiskers and the ferrets get a real kick out of that and get all excited, bounce around and then come back to lean over again. Ren found the bubbler and kept sticking her face in and going nuts. Unfortunately I can't find my camera, I'd love to get that on tape.


Can't remember if I updated the newer photos or not of Ren having an oatmeal soak. That was funny, she got right in and chilled out. Got some others too:


Mm, ferret omelette. Chicken thigh, gizzards and an egg yolk.


Got their nails clipped. :3 Ferretone on the belly, lean them somewhere comfy and clip!


There's an oldie, Dark Cooper before he turned silver and grey.


Ren soaking away. 


And then climbing into the towel cupboard to dry off. Yes, she's in an odd position trying to dry her head and neck at the same time. lol


And then she got cute, unfortunately the camera kinda went...strange, it took the photo, in an odd color, and then died. I'm glad it got the photo though! That's an adorable photo of her.


Now for videos if the comp doesn't crash first...

First, pet shop. This is Ren and some bird. Unfortunately I didn't get the part after all the attitude when the bird offered her a treat. Either to make friends...or to draw her in for a bite, who knows? I was standing there talking to a lady and her grand son about ferrets and looked over to see this bird just trying so hard to get her!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYBsHr_pirQ

And Cooper's walk. He was doing his best to keep up with the dog and my little cousin...who ran off, and there was just no way he could keep up, so he gave and went for the nearest faster transportation! When that didn't work, he waited until I picked him up, as usual. He's a good boy, bet you didn't know they could move so fast. I had trouble keeping up or he'd have been faster. xD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ_bqfvmfAM


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

This is how my mornings go with the ferrets. They destroy the place, have some fun, get into things, and then play with me. And since it's a nice cold day, I've made them some chicken with a raw egg in it, warmed it up a bit but not enough to cook anything since they HATE it even a little cooked, and when they're done, we're gonna go curl up under a blanket with the cat, a heating pad, and a good book. Industrial Magic. <3 Love those Otherworld Books. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JoaIM5jPR4


----------



## Sylverclaws (Jul 16, 2012)

Uhoh, been a while since I popped one up! I have a video, and a really cute photo I just snagged of Cooper giving Alanna a kiss. 


The video, Cooper is playing blanket monster with Alanna. lol And he's just dooking away and making all kinds of happy excitement noises. Even though he's being a total brat, it's so CUTE! 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsxeaXKOW70


----------

