Animal Stories - Free Range or Caged?

Perhaps a few pet stories will convince most of you that free-ranging exotic pets aren’t always such a good idea. I will tell the story of the rabbit in the dryer, raccoon that urinated on the surge protector, the ferrets that vanished, the rat on the roof, and the story skunks don’t climb.

I have received many questions, statements, and so forth about the topic of allowing exotic pets to have free run of the house. In my opinion, there are just too many dangers to allow many species of animals to have total run of the house. The use of common sense goes a long way.

Personally, I am in the middle. I allow my exotic pets plenty of exercise time and playtime outside of their cage or the area where I confine them. Some animals should never be caged. After a few potential mishaps and near disasters I just don’t allow them to run free without constant supervision.

"Honey, why is the rabbit in the dryer?" "What?" The rabbit is in the dryer. I had just taken out the clothes I wanted to hang up on hangers before I grabbed the last handful of clothes out of the dryer. I left the dryer door open. Evidently, the exotic pet rabbit thought that the cubby hole with warmth emanating from nice soft clothing looked intriguing. He climbed into the dryer, evidently to take a nap.

What if I had decided to turn the dryer back on to keep the rest of the clothes from wrinkling? There isn’t a lot that can be said about a fluffed rabbit. I also have heard of rabbits lured to fireplaces attracted by the heat and have gotten their fur scorched. After the dryer mishap, the rabbits were given one room to play in, and that one room was searched from top to bottom for any possible dangers. When they are out of their rabbit cages they are in their designated room and chaperoned.

One email I received was from a man that was concerned because his wife felt their rats should have total freedom of the house. It is near impossible to find all the dangers in the house when it comes to a rat. Here is what happened to us. We had the windows cracked open a bit in a second-floor bedroom. The windows had good screens. We went to check on our rat children and one was missing. There he was out on top of the second-floor roof wandering around. We are afraid to death of heights, we had to crawl out the window and retrieve the rat. Luckily he was the type to run toward us, and not run in the opposite direction. Rats just don’t fly well.

Even if an animal is in the same room with you, doesn’t mean he isn’t going to get into trouble. We had our office on one wall of the bedroom many years ago. We lived in Oklahoma in the country. I heard something outside and I looked out to see a sheriff’s car and then two sheriffs cautiously walking toward the house with their hands on their holsters. They looked very apprehensive. We both went outside to greet them, trying to look as friendly as possible. The two men were still uneasy until I asked what the problem was.

They explained a 911 call was made from our phone, but no one would speak to the dispatcher, and there was a strange noise on the line. In fact, they still had the connection and the bizarre noise was still coming over the line. I had one of those bingo moments. Our two baby raccoons had been playing on the bed behind our backs. The phone had also been on the bed. Somehow those two little rascals had taken the phone off the hook, managed to dial 911 and they were chuckling and chattering to the dispatcher. When I explained this to the two officers they looked incredibly relieved. I had to laugh when I heard them laughing quietly as they got back into their car. I was also glad I had my license to have the raccoons.

One of the same raccoons was playing under my desk one day. They were still very young and far from litter box trained. He urinated on my brand new APC battery backup surge protector. A loud zap and pop echoed through the room. Off went our computers. I looked under the desk and there was a very rattled, puffed up baby raccoon looking mighty scared. He ran to me and stayed in my arms for at least an hour. Thank goodness he hadn’t been electrocuted. But, I assure you he never peed on anything electrical again.

I don’t know how many times I have heard that skunks don’t climb. Bull roar, they climb. They may not be able to climb a tree like a raccoon but they can climb. We picked up two baby skunks up in Iowa; one skunk for a doctor that was a family friend, and also one for ourselves. Through previous experiences, I knew that baby gates didn’t work to contain a skunk. Nor, will I cage a skunk – ever. When they are tiny I use a baby's playpen. As they grow older I contain them to one safe room where we spend the most time. We had a piece of acrylic against the doorway to keep them from getting out of the bedroom. It was well wedged and the edges were guarded. A little while later we had two baby skunks coming toward us. To this day we have no idea how they got out of that bedroom.

I kept large dog food bags in big plastic bins so that the skunks couldn’t get into the dog food. It is not good for them, no dog food or cat food is good for a skunk. The container was kept under the stairs. Our skunk went missing one day. I was looking around the house when I spotted a white tipped tail sticking out of the dog food bag. The little monster had climbed the stairs and dropped into the dog food bag from above. Skunks are very smart animals.

Ferrets are great at finding nooks and crannies. One day in Northern Minnesota, not just one ferret, but all my ferrets went missing. How can this be? I had previously looked over that house with a fine tooth comb looking for any possible dangers and escape routes. After looking high a low for them in the house, I went outside and crawled under the house. There they were. Since I never did find how they had got down there. I placed blankets under the house near the access door. Any time they disappeared I knew exactly where they would be. After they played they run out of steam quickly. The blankets were the only warm place under the house. They also needed each other for body heat. I would just reach my hand in, pat for lumps, pull the ferrets out of the blankets, and take them back into the house; all seven of them. I now use a ferret cage with supervised playtime. A ferret cage has its advantages.

Of course, our pets need playtime and exercise time but with limits. They must have a closed-off limited play place and be supervised. It would take me days to list all the potential dangers in a home, from electrocution, getting loose, getting poisoned, or even burned. Be aware of these dangers and don’t let them have total free range of the house. Exotic pet safety comes first.

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My Ferret Book Guides and Exotic Pet Books Guides

Exotic Pets: Family Guide Paperback and Kindle. Available on Kindle Unlimited!

Ferrets: A Complete Guide is available in Kindle, paperback and Kindle Unlimited!

Pet Ferret Guide

Learn all about ferrets, a funny, delightful, friendly little animal related to the weasel. Though their appearances are similar, their mannerisms are not. The weasel reminds me of a dysfunctional weed eater or a rabid sewing machine with their sharp, little teeth. Ferrets are generally lovable and friendly. The pet ferret is a remarkable small animal and an exceptional pet for the right person.

Meet one of my ferrets, her name is Missy.

Ferrets have been an important part of our household for many years. They often brought joy to my life when there seemed to be only dark clouds. They are more entertaining to watch than any television show, especially right after they have had a bath. A wet ferret is a disabled ferret! A damp ferret loses all sense of good judgment. They stagger like their drunk, cannot walk, they roll, and rub against anything and everything trying to get that nasty old water off them. Ferrets are extremely intelligent. Many people will tell you they are more intelligent than a dog or cat. I think they are just as intelligent, just differently. Adjectives that describe the personality of a ferret are conniving, devious, tricky, sly and wily. That pretty well covers the description.

Ferrets usually have a lifespan of 6 to 10 years. They normally remain alert, active, and playful well into their "golden years." I have a ferret that was born blind. He has gotten along fine for having a sensory disability. He is now seven years old and is still king of the mountain.

Many people will tell you not to buy just one ferret it will get lonely. I have seen numerous people with just one ferret. As long as you spend a great deal of time with them and supply them with lots of toys, and get down on the floor and play with the ferret, he will do just fine. I, unfortunately, have never been able to have one of anything. In our house, traffic lights are necessary to direct all the different fur balls running around.

Male Ferrets are Hobs, and Female Ferrets are Jills. Neutered they become gibs or sprites. If you get a bunch of ferrets together, they are a business of ferrets or a busyness of ferrets. Nothing could be closer to the truth. A baby ferret is a kit and a bundle of joy.

Ferrets come in several different colors, sable, albino, silver, cinnamon, and chocolate just to name a few. Like any animal, every ferret has its own distinct personality.

Ferrets love to play! They like to play with lots of different toys, and they like to play games with you. If he is jumping up and down in front of you or pulling on your pant leg, he wants to play. Get down to his level and play with him! They love to play tug-a-war or chase. If the ferret is running around looking spastic and making funny, chuckling noises, he is having fun. Fun with you or his other ferret friends is like watching the cartoon, Tasmanian devil. They exert so much energy so fast, and then they are down for the count, ready to nap.

Cat toys will work great for ferrets. I knotted men's socks; they are great tug a war toys as well as carry around toys. They love tunnels. Dryer hose makes a great tunnel to play in. They love to carry stuff around. I had seven ferrets at one time. Each liked something "best" and different. One loves little-stuffed animals. One, we called techno baby, had a love for cell phones and remote controls. Another loved metal objects, for example, pipe fittings, anything metal. Strange little critters they are and the best little thieves around anywhere. They were so good they would make my raccoons blush from thief inadequacy!

A sleeping ferret may seem like a dead ferret. One time I found a ferret, cold, stiff, and seemingly not breathing. With tears flowing down my face, I informed my family that our beloved pet was dead. We picked up the cold, stiff little ferret as he looked up and asked what do you want? Other words, they are dead to the world when sleeping. The body temperature drops considerably. In fact, when they wake up, they often have what we called the wake-up rattles. They will shiver to bring up their body temperature, no reason to be concerned.

Ferrets often have scratching emergencies. In the middle of everything, they will stop and frantically scratch. In the middle of deep sleep, they will jump up all of sudden and scratch. Usually for no other reason than they itch. Fleas can be a problem with ferrets. None of the prescription flea controls like Frontline or Advantage has been tested on ferrets. Nevertheless, many people have used it with no adverse effects.

Before you bring your ferret home for the first time make sure you are ready for him. They can and will get out of the tiniest of holes, heat vents, and dryer vents, mouse holes, any hole! Make sure your home is ferret proof. Any ferret owner will tell you the little dears do get into trouble! I had a house up in Northern Minnesota it had been a summer lake home that we turned into a year around the house. I diligently ferret proofed the place. However, it didn't take me long to realize I would never find all the tiny exits a ferret can escape through. All the exits came out under the house. I put a ferret "trap" under the house which consisted of a nice warm blanket. They would wear out, snuggle in the blanket and I would simply reach in, pull them out and return them to their bedroom.

Consider animal adoption from an animal rescue or animal shelter. You may even find a ferret rescue nearby.

The ferret cage needs to be big if not bigger. A large multiple layer cage is a great example. Make sure the wire is fastened securely, so that little toes don't get stuck.

I mostly housed my ferrets in their own bedroom. If they are housed in a cage, make sure the pen is no smaller than 2 X 3 feet and 2 feet high. Add hammocks for them to sleep in. Let them out to play with you frequently. Make sure the door latches are secure with locks if you have children.

You may post an advertisement for free ferret cages. Make sure you sanitize the cage. I got a free baby ferret from someone who had just bought the ferret, in fact, I got the free ferret, free cage, free food, free toys, everything free. They got the ferret home and realized they didn't litter box train themselves overnight. Imagine that.

Plenty of fresh water should be available all the time. Ferrets require a very high protein food. You cannot feed them dog food! They are meat eaters and unable to digest grains, vegetables or fruit. Cat food does not have enough protein for a ferret. A high-quality kitten food comes close. I used Iams kitten food, and the ferrets thrived. This is before it was sold to another company and the formula was changed. I tried Science Diet kitten food, and the ferrets got very dull and dingy looking. I use Marshall's ferret food now. Many times when my old blind little ferret started to fail, I would soak ferret food in hot water and restore him with the broth every hour, supplementing it with Pedialyte and vitamins. They love treats. Give them healthy treats though I am sure they will tell you otherwise. Ferrets should always have food available they have a fast metabolism and can starve after a few hours. There is an excellent food comparison chart located at Food Comparison Chart

Ferretone and Linatone are two great vitamin supplements. Ferrets love these supplements so much that the supplements make a tasty treat or reward. You can also bribe a Ferret with either of these supplements. Need to cut their toenails? Ha! Drip a few drops of Linatone on their tummy, and they will be so busy licking you can trim their nails.

Ferrets require vaccinations both canine distemper and rabies. After the first shots, the ferret should receive a booster once a year. Check with your veterinarian for their advice and recommendations.

Ferrets do not do well in the heat. Anything about 90 degrees is stressful and can kill them. Keep their cage out of direct sunlight. Cold weather can be very hard on them also. Ferrets are an indoor pet.

Litter box training a ferret is possible, but you do have to play by their rules. They like to void in corners. Put a litter box in a few corners and watch where they chose to go. If you are lucky, they used one of the litter boxes. If not, do not despair; just put one of the litter boxes in the same place. Grab a tissue and place the poo in the litter box. Keep this up for a while, you have been appropriately trained.

Ferrets should be spayed and neutered and their scent glands removed. You will usually buy them de-scented, spayed, and neutered. They will spray, well, not really spray, but ooze when frightened if the scent gland has not been removed. I accidentally bumped one in the rear one time, and it stunk! While they are small, they will retain some odor for a short while. Expect to pay about $150.00 to $250.00 for a de-scented and neutered/spayed ferret.

Ferrets do not make good pets for small children, but again, I do not believe any pet is good around small children unless supervised 100% of the time. Each child matures differently, so there is no set age. There have been far more numerous dog attacks on small children, compared to a rare ferret bite. Ferrets will sometimes bite just in play like a kitten or puppy. Baby ferrets can be a bit nippy. I was checking out the ferrets in a Minnesota mall and talking to a group of people. Out of habit, I raised a little baby ferret up to give him a kiss. He bit my lip and hung on. Here I am telling everyone about the joys of having a ferret when I had one hanging from my mouth. Check into the legality of the ferret in your area. Laws can be different from state, county or local government Ferrets are great little pets, and baby ferrets are as cute as a bug's ear. They are a blast to watch and are hilarious animals. Above all, enjoy your new pet!

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My Ferret Book Guides and Exotic Pet Books Guides

Exotic Pets: Family Guide Paperback and Kindle. Available on Kindle Unlimited!

Ferrets: A Complete Guide is available in Kindle, paperback and Kindle Unlimited!

Should Young Children Have Pet Ferrets?

Ferrets do not make good pets for small children, but again, I do not believe any small child is safe with a pet or pet safe with a child unless supervised 100% of the time. Each child matures differently, there is no set age.

Some children are mature enough for a ferret at a much younger age than some older children. You must assess the situation before bringing a ferret or ferrets into the home. You must evaluate each situation honestly. You also must appraise yourself; will I really supervise 100% of the time? Or, will I watch TV or play games on Facebook and forget the ferrets and children are together?

There have been numerous dog attacks on small children, compared to a rare ferret bite. Ferrets will sometimes bite just in play like a kitten or puppy. Baby ferrets can be a bit nippy.

It happens rarely in fact, I am not sure I have seen a factual (proven to be true and accurate) article of a ferret chewing the fingers of a baby. However, if that ferret and baby are not supervised, something horrific could occur! Ferrets may have difficulty determining the difference between the texture of a baby's hand and the texture of a toy. Both seem rubbery - much like a ferret toy.

I doubt if a ferret would injure a child out of maliciousness but accidental injuries are certainly possible. I have yet to see a mean ferret.

Newspapers and television news love to sensationalize everything. If there was one event of a ferret bite and small child, a one out of a million occurrence, that one event would get a ton of coverage whereas the peaceful, loving day to day home life of a ferret, and human family with children never get any coverage.

I was checking out the ferrets in a Minnesota mall and talking to a group of people. Out of habit, I raised a little baby ferret (kit) up to give him a kiss. He bit my lip and hung on. I had been telling everyone about the joys of having a ferret when I had one hanging from my lip. Kits, as I mentioned earlier can be a bit nippy!

Check into the legality of the ferret in your area. Laws can be different from state, county or local government Ferrets are great little pets and baby ferrets are as cute as a bug's ear. They are a blast to watch and are very funny animals. Above all, enjoy your new pet!

Learn to care for a Ferret If you are serious about owning a ferret learn all you can. The article URL below will give you an idea of how to care for a pet ferret. However, if you are making the commitment to have a ferret as part of your family it is your responsibility to learn as much as possible. I have a great book on the market with current up-to-date information. It is quite popular and has five-star reviews. It is available at Amazon (paperback and Kindle).

Facebook Diana Geiger

My Ferret Book Guides and Exotic Pet Books Guides

Exotic Pets: Family Guide Paperback and Kindle. Available on Kindle Unlimited!

Ferrets: A Complete Guide is available in Kindle, paperback and Kindle Unlimited!

How to make Halloween Costumes for Pets

Making costumes for your pets can be simple, and inexpensive, if not free. Everyone has old clothing or clothing we don’t wear or need, taking up space, that could be used for other things. That size six wardrobe put away 15-years ago in all likelihood will never see the light of day again. We also have a whole lot of stuff in our junk drawers that could easily be used to decorate costumes. With a little imagination and improvising skills, this could result in some mighty cute costumes.

Homemade Halloween Costumes for Pets

First, no matter how cute your pet is dressed for Halloween, safety comes first. Many dangers, even hidden dangers, come along with the territory of Halloween and Halloween costumes. Strings that strangulate or materials that are flammable, poisonous substances, cool glittery things that could cause an animal to choke or a material that could be toxic. Noises that could scare your pet into a flight, and I do mean both definitions of the word flight. Children and adults, people that your pets would normally recognize will look and possibly smell entirely different.

How to make easy Halloween Costumes for Pets Homemade Halloween costumes do not have to be complex. Use construction paper or old material just use your imagination and be creative! It is more fun if you make it easy and simple.

Think about what type of costume you want for your exotic pet. Do you have a theme in mind? Second look at your pet’s proportions. Measure the neck, space between legs both from side to side and back to front. That is if the animal has four legs. Also measure the circumference of the legs, so on and so forth. Usually simply eye-balling the measurements will do the trick. Some pets just won’t hold still long enough to use a tape measure.

Now think about what you have on hand. You may have to purchase a couple of things but improvise using what you already have is a lot of fun. After all, a simple hat made from construction paper is cute in itself.

Perhaps you’re not so crafty, or just don’t enjoy or have time for homemade pet costumes. There is a bunch of costumes for your pet to look like an exotic pet, your exotic pet to look like a pet, a pet that looks like a child or a child that looks like an exotic pet. Sounds fun, doesn’t it!

If a child can be a lamb why can’t a ferret become a bumble bee for Halloween! The new rage, Halloween costumes for our pets from Halloween costumes for dogs, Halloween costumes for cats, and Halloween costumes for exotic pets.

I have found that many Halloween costumes for dogs and Halloween costumes for cats will work, (most are available in small, medium, and large) for many exotic pets including the skunk, raccoon, coatimundi, iguana, and many other animals. See there really are Halloween costumes for exotic pets!

I have found that many costumes designed for small dogs or cats will work on the skunk, raccoon, coatimundi, iguana, and many other animals. Ferret costumes work great with smaller exotic pets. I have even rigged a costume or two for iguanas. Use your imagination; think about your pet, how the pet is shaped, where the leg positions are, the sky is the limit with converting costumes meant for children and pets to fit other animals. I have seen some pretty cool snake costumes as well. There are literally thousands of costumes for animals at Amazon!

Facebook Diana Geiger

My Ferret Book Guides and Exotic Pet Books Guides

Exotic Pets: Family Guide Paperback and Kindle. Available on Kindle Unlimited!

Ferrets: A Complete Guide is available in Kindle, paperback and Kindle Unlimited!

Pet Ferret Guide

I enjoy the sweet devious little ferret. Pet ferrets are loving and playful little animals. They are relatively quiet except for the occasional chuckles. They take up little space and use a litter box (most of the time). They should be caged or in an enclosed environment such as an extra bedroom, and let out when they are supervised. They are explorers and this can get them into mischief and can lead to serious injuries. Make sure your home is escape proof before bringing your new pet ferret home. They can escape out the smallest of holes. Some of their means of escape may be a dryer vent, a heat vent, or even a mouse hole. They aren't necessarily trying to escape they are just highly curious and every hole must be investigated.

I kept my ferrets in an extra bedroom. If you use ferret cages, let them out frequently for exercise and play. If they are housed in a ferret cage, make sure the cage is no smaller than 2 X 3 feet and 2 feet high. Add hammocks for them to sleep in. Ferrets require a high protein, high-quality food. There are commercial ferret foods available. However, in a pinch, they can be fed a high protein kitten good (not cat food) such as Iams. Ferrets require vaccinations.

Ferrets should be spayed and neutered and their scent glands removed. You will usually buy them de-scented and neutered. Check legalities before purchase. They are not legal in all places. Ferrets make outstanding pets.

Ferrets can be an ideal pet for the right person or people. However, many people are put off by their odor and the fact the can be quite destructive. Make sure you understand all ferret facts before purchasing ferrets as pets!

Facebook Diana Geiger

My Ferret Book Guides and Exotic Pet Books Guides

Exotic Pets: Family Guide Paperback and Kindle. Available on Kindle Unlimited!

Ferrets: A Complete Guide is available in Kindle, paperback and Kindle Unlimited!