Some people don’t think training ferrets or polecats is even possible, I differ on that opinion, – and they are very willing to please you… Training ferrets is quite similar to training dogs or even training a whale.
The key to training any animal is patience, consistency, and most of all training in a positive manner, no punishments. For example, if you see the ferret using the litter box, praise him or her vocally and give him or her a tasty treat. If you catch the ferret or pole cat backing into a corner to do their duty, pick the ferret up, using a firm no, place the ferret in the litter box. At this point, if the ferret does their duty, use a praise and treat reinforcement.
It is a good idea to start a new ferret and/or baby ferret (kit) out in a confine space with a litter box in a corner. Ferrets will always use a corner or corner of an area to eliminate.
One pet ferret litter training mistake people make is cleaning the litter box completely. If there is no feces or urine odor the ferret will think it isn’t suppose to eliminate in the box. Always save a bit of feces and a small clump of urine soaked litter to place in the clean litter box.
Another reason ferrets don't use their litter box is because some people are to lazy to scoop the box on a daily basis. I wouldn't want to stand and have waste materials squishing between my toes either. Nor, would I want to stand there smelling the awful odor and neither does your ferret. It takes but a minute, keep the litter boxes clean.
Ferrets do have a tendency to forget occasionally. As they get better at using the litter box you can increase the size of the confined area. As their play area increases and you notice a corner they have started to use to eliminate, put in another litter box.
Sometimes they get in a big hurry. They will back up to their litter box, stop short of it and squat with their little behinds up in the air missing the litter box entirely. I bought plastic carpet protectors and placed a good size square under the litter box where a portion sticks out on all sides.
Ferrets nip each other in play, its natural behavior but it is an unwanted behavior when they are playing with their human family. If they nip or bite you do not punish them. Immediately stop playing with them, with a firm no, and walk away. They are such social, intelligent exotic pets; it doesn’t take long at all for them to realize nipping is an unwanted behavior. Hitting a ferret or flicking a ferret on the nose will only cause the ferret to fear you, you are reinforcing a bad behavior and that biting will continue and become worst.
One of the first things you will want to teach your ferret is to come when called. This is for ferret’s safety. At the beginning, if you have multiple ferrets, you are basically teaching all of them to come to you. Read the rest of my article, and series on the pet ferret! Training Ferrets
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Ferrets
This is the beginning of an extensive series on the pet ferret. Ferrets are the third most popular pet. Many people that have ferrets are unsure where ferrets originated. Are ferrets carnivore or an omnivore? Not knowing this and your pet may die or become seriously ill.
How do you train a ferret? Yes, ferrets are trainable! Ferret training will be part of this series. In addition too, many more important things related to taking care of and having ferrets as pets.
The origin of the domestic ferret, and they have been domesticated for more than 2000 years, is still a mystery. Ferrets are thought to have originated from the European Polecat.
Genetically, the European Polecat and the domestic ferret are near identical. While the Black-Footed ferret has 38 chromosomes, the domestic ferret, and the European Polecat have 30 chromosomes. Keeping in mind, the chimpanzee and human being are near 97% similar genetically. Wolves and dogs are 99% similar genetically. This puts the domestic ferret and the polecat right up there with the wolf and the dog. Unfortunately, this doesn’t prove a thing. Read the rest of this article! Ferrets
How do you train a ferret? Yes, ferrets are trainable! Ferret training will be part of this series. In addition too, many more important things related to taking care of and having ferrets as pets.
The origin of the domestic ferret, and they have been domesticated for more than 2000 years, is still a mystery. Ferrets are thought to have originated from the European Polecat.
Genetically, the European Polecat and the domestic ferret are near identical. While the Black-Footed ferret has 38 chromosomes, the domestic ferret, and the European Polecat have 30 chromosomes. Keeping in mind, the chimpanzee and human being are near 97% similar genetically. Wolves and dogs are 99% similar genetically. This puts the domestic ferret and the polecat right up there with the wolf and the dog. Unfortunately, this doesn’t prove a thing. Read the rest of this article! Ferrets
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Chausie Cats
Chausie cats are intelligent, sweet, loyal, and energetic. Often I hear the term doglike (personality) for descriptive phrases. Most enjoy the water. For the right home and human family this domestic cat makes a perfectly charming pet.
Though it is a misnomer the term designer cat has been coined for nondomestic hybrid source breeds, such as the Chausie, Bengal, and Savannah.
The domestic Chausie Cat origins were from breeding a nondomestic species, the Jungle cat (Felis chaus) with a domestic house cat (Abyssinian cat). So, a hybrid was the beginning of the Chausie but the Chausie born from the hybrid offspring are no longer a hybrid but a true domestic cat.
The nondomestic ancestor, Jungle Cats, were in Egyptian homes over three thousand years ago and were thought to have been one of the beginnings of most domestic housecats we find today. One other cat found in the ancient Egyptian homes was the Felis lybica the African Wildcat. Evidence of remains of the African Wildcat determined they were found in Middle Eastern homes as long as 10,000 years ago. So, obviously all domestic cats had wild ancestors; we just didn’t have a domestic cat appear magically from the use of a whispered enchantment in an ancient language. Read the rest of the article on Chausie Cats
Though it is a misnomer the term designer cat has been coined for nondomestic hybrid source breeds, such as the Chausie, Bengal, and Savannah.
The domestic Chausie Cat origins were from breeding a nondomestic species, the Jungle cat (Felis chaus) with a domestic house cat (Abyssinian cat). So, a hybrid was the beginning of the Chausie but the Chausie born from the hybrid offspring are no longer a hybrid but a true domestic cat.
The nondomestic ancestor, Jungle Cats, were in Egyptian homes over three thousand years ago and were thought to have been one of the beginnings of most domestic housecats we find today. One other cat found in the ancient Egyptian homes was the Felis lybica the African Wildcat. Evidence of remains of the African Wildcat determined they were found in Middle Eastern homes as long as 10,000 years ago. So, obviously all domestic cats had wild ancestors; we just didn’t have a domestic cat appear magically from the use of a whispered enchantment in an ancient language. Read the rest of the article on Chausie Cats
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Exotic Pets and Children
Too often I read or hear of a child getting injured or bitten by an exotic pet. Exotic pets and children do not belong together, ever, unsupervised; supervised means watching the pets and the children constantly. Any pet, I don’t care if it is an exotic pet, dog, cat, a ferret, or any animal, children need to be protected from pets, and pets need to be protected from children.
Frankly, more pets are injured by children than pets harming children. When a child squishes a pet it doesn’t make the news. What does make the news is the very rare occurrence of an animal injuring a child and frankly, whose fault is it anyway? The person that is responsible for the pet and the child. You are responsible for the pets' and childrens'safety. Exotic Pets and Children
Recently, a ferret had chewed off the fingers of an infant. Who left the ferret alone with an infant?
Frankly, more pets are injured by children than pets harming children. When a child squishes a pet it doesn’t make the news. What does make the news is the very rare occurrence of an animal injuring a child and frankly, whose fault is it anyway? The person that is responsible for the pet and the child. You are responsible for the pets' and childrens'safety. Exotic Pets and Children
Recently, a ferret had chewed off the fingers of an infant. Who left the ferret alone with an infant?
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Exotic Pets That Didn’t Come Home
Though I have had quite a few exotic pets over the many years there has been even more that never came home with me for a variety of reasons.
I have to ask myself, I even have to be quite honest with myself; can I properly take care of the exotic pet I am considering bringing home. Do I know enough about the animal to properly take care of it? Do I have the resources to be financially responsible for the pet? Sometime it is very difficult to make the brain decide over the heart.
I have longed for a Savannah cat. I have become totally smitten by Savannah cats. I was getting to the point where I could say that for a fact I was financially ready and more than able to properly care for the Savannah. These beautiful, perfect Savannah kittens were dangled in front of me. Brain over heart, my circumstances had drastically changed from one month to another. I had to decline, and this completely broke my heart.
Other reasons exotic pets did not come home with me. I do believe pets should come from captive breeding and not taken from the wild. Though a number of years ago, as long as it was an insect or spider and belonged environmentally to that particular area, I occasionally brought an animal home.
One day, as on many days we took our pet porters out on the rural country roads in Oklahoma. Over many years I had been in wildlife rehabilitation. I did dabble a bit in Oklahoma. We happened upon a long, large, big, centipede. I have never had a centipede as a pet. We were quite fascinated. My husband got out of the car and started toward the centipede. I’ll be darned if this centipede didn’t turn around and start chasing my husband. George lifted one foot, so it went after the other. He was afraid of injuring the animal; he headed back to the car, as did the centipede, chasing after George. Read the rest of the article!
Exotic Pets That Didn’t Come Home
I have to ask myself, I even have to be quite honest with myself; can I properly take care of the exotic pet I am considering bringing home. Do I know enough about the animal to properly take care of it? Do I have the resources to be financially responsible for the pet? Sometime it is very difficult to make the brain decide over the heart.
I have longed for a Savannah cat. I have become totally smitten by Savannah cats. I was getting to the point where I could say that for a fact I was financially ready and more than able to properly care for the Savannah. These beautiful, perfect Savannah kittens were dangled in front of me. Brain over heart, my circumstances had drastically changed from one month to another. I had to decline, and this completely broke my heart.
Other reasons exotic pets did not come home with me. I do believe pets should come from captive breeding and not taken from the wild. Though a number of years ago, as long as it was an insect or spider and belonged environmentally to that particular area, I occasionally brought an animal home.
One day, as on many days we took our pet porters out on the rural country roads in Oklahoma. Over many years I had been in wildlife rehabilitation. I did dabble a bit in Oklahoma. We happened upon a long, large, big, centipede. I have never had a centipede as a pet. We were quite fascinated. My husband got out of the car and started toward the centipede. I’ll be darned if this centipede didn’t turn around and start chasing my husband. George lifted one foot, so it went after the other. He was afraid of injuring the animal; he headed back to the car, as did the centipede, chasing after George. Read the rest of the article!
Exotic Pets That Didn’t Come Home
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Exotic Pets and Your Significant Other
I am not quite sure that my future husband knew what he was getting himself into when he married me. It evidently worked out OK since we are approaching our 13th wedding anniversary. Having exotic pets was as normal to me as eating dinner once a day, or taking a shower.
I really didn’t think about poor George and my menagerie of pets when he came up to Northern Minnesota to move me to Southern Minnesota before our wedding.
The day I moved it was winter and quite chilly. I had the cages covered to keep them as warm as possible. Both vehicles were packed and warmed up before we began bringing the animals out. The truck was loaded and my boat was hitched to my car.
The first cage to be loaded was quite large and high. George asked, "What is in this cage?" I answered, ferrets. He then inquired how many ferrets. "Just seven ferrets," I answered.
George has always been very easy going. He didn’t bat an eye. We then went to grab a big pet carrier. "What is in here," he asked. "A skunk I answered, just one," I quickly added. His eyes started to look around the room at the number of pet porters and cages. "I told you I had pets, exotic pets and even unusual pets." He answered, "You said you had unusual animals but didn’t mention you had a zoo." Read more - continued
Exotic Pets and Your Significant Other
I really didn’t think about poor George and my menagerie of pets when he came up to Northern Minnesota to move me to Southern Minnesota before our wedding.
The day I moved it was winter and quite chilly. I had the cages covered to keep them as warm as possible. Both vehicles were packed and warmed up before we began bringing the animals out. The truck was loaded and my boat was hitched to my car.
The first cage to be loaded was quite large and high. George asked, "What is in this cage?" I answered, ferrets. He then inquired how many ferrets. "Just seven ferrets," I answered.
George has always been very easy going. He didn’t bat an eye. We then went to grab a big pet carrier. "What is in here," he asked. "A skunk I answered, just one," I quickly added. His eyes started to look around the room at the number of pet porters and cages. "I told you I had pets, exotic pets and even unusual pets." He answered, "You said you had unusual animals but didn’t mention you had a zoo." Read more - continued
Exotic Pets and Your Significant Other
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Will Exotic Pets Help Save Mother Earth?
Only five percent of known plant species have been screened for their medicinal values though we are losing 100 species daily to extinction. Because of this five percent, there are many diseases that my children will never have to suffer, like my parents suffered and past generations before them. Have we already lost the cure for cancer or the common cold?
We continue to clear millions of acres for houses, buildings, parking lots, and agriculture. We continue to poison our lands and water supplies. We drain wet lands to have more land to farm or to build cities. For each single plant that we lose it triggers a domino effect, with this single plant triggering the loss of thirty more insects, plants, and animals. Our ecosystem is unraveling where will it end?
It is estimated that there is one and a half million species on earth today. There was twenty times that. There were thirty million species on our earth and that has dwindled down to only one and a half million. In the scheme of things our earth is very young and that is a significant loss. What have we done?
In our infinite wisdom and greed we are destroying the very life that gives us life!
The two primary reasons for extinction or endangerment are habitat loss and exploitation. Exploitation rears its ugly head in many forms but the main drive to exploit is money and greed.
I support the right of people to own animals, as long as they do so in a responsible way. These animals must never be bought from smugglers, or other illegal means. Only buy exotic pets that are captive bred or “homegrown” animals. If there is no demand for smuggled animals it will drop the profitability out of the illegal pet trade. Read the rest of the article here!
Will Exotic Pets Help Save Mother Earth?
We continue to clear millions of acres for houses, buildings, parking lots, and agriculture. We continue to poison our lands and water supplies. We drain wet lands to have more land to farm or to build cities. For each single plant that we lose it triggers a domino effect, with this single plant triggering the loss of thirty more insects, plants, and animals. Our ecosystem is unraveling where will it end?
It is estimated that there is one and a half million species on earth today. There was twenty times that. There were thirty million species on our earth and that has dwindled down to only one and a half million. In the scheme of things our earth is very young and that is a significant loss. What have we done?
In our infinite wisdom and greed we are destroying the very life that gives us life!
The two primary reasons for extinction or endangerment are habitat loss and exploitation. Exploitation rears its ugly head in many forms but the main drive to exploit is money and greed.
I support the right of people to own animals, as long as they do so in a responsible way. These animals must never be bought from smugglers, or other illegal means. Only buy exotic pets that are captive bred or “homegrown” animals. If there is no demand for smuggled animals it will drop the profitability out of the illegal pet trade. Read the rest of the article here!
Will Exotic Pets Help Save Mother Earth?
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