The Many Sleeps of Mojo

Any ferret owner knows that ferret sometimes sleep in the strangest positions.  It as if no position or spot is uncomfortable to them.   Mojo is no exception to this ferret phenomenon.

While none of this week's poses seem all that uncomfortable we did want to share just a few of the sleeping spots and positions we found him in during a 24 hour period this past week.

In the first picture Mojo is sleeping half in and half out of the sleep box.  Inside the box are soft blankies to nestle in to, and the box provides a dark retreat for sleepy ferrets during daylight hours.

In this second picture Mojo is a part of the ferret pile on the shelf beneath their cage.  On a soft blanket wedged between a box of toys and a ferret sized couch.  

In the 3rd and final picture of the day Mojo once again participates in a ferret pile.  He is flopped on his back and twisted around as he lays on top of Cracker Jack and Ozzy.  Doesn't he look happy?

Five days post surgery, 5.27.2009

Things are going well for Cracker Jack!  He is still holding a steady weight, and is more active each day.  While he is not back to is normal bouncy ferret antics, one can tell he feels better.  He has been a little stinker when it comes to eating his kibble.  Cracker Jack has made it very clear that he would prefer to still receive regular meals of soup.  Every now and then you'll catch him crunching on a kibble secretively, as if he thinks you won't notice.  He is one smart cookie and understands, if I don't think he is eating I'll give him the soup that he covets.

Each night when I am home from work, I let Cracker Jack have some time in the ferret room.  This way he gets some interaction with the others, it also allows him to have a bit more room to explore and move around.

Last night after several minutes I realized I didn't see him roaming around, so I went in search of the little guy.  This is what I found, he was all snuggled up with some of his brothers.   He is using Ozzy as a body pillow, while Moki and BenBen are close by.  It made me feel good to know that even though he is not 100% he was still eager to be a part of the ferret pile.

Cracker Jack, I promise in just a few more days you can move back in to the ferret room!

5.25.2009 Update on Cracker Jack

Our little buddy continues to do well, today he drank water on his own for the first time since his surgery.  Yippee!   He also got to spend some supervised time exploring the ferret room, no rough housing or climbing in to the cage.  Cracker Jack weighed in at 980 grams yesterday, so he has even put on  some weight.  Although this may be due to doing nothing but eating and sleeping for the last several days.

Resting comfortably

His healing incision.

Day Two post surgery...

Cracker Jack continues to do well, we can tell he is sore but who wouldn't be after what he's been through?

He is eating well, and uses the litter box regularly without issue.  Actually for his comfort and safety we are using a potty pad in the play pen with him.  Occasionally he thinks it is fun to rumple up the pad, typical ferret even when he isn't feeling good.

He has started handing out Cracker Jack kisses again which makes me happy, even if Daddy did get them first!

His belly looks pretty good, although some bruising can be seen.  He has gained a little weight, since we brought him home yesterday.

Here is a picture of him, resting all stretched out on top of his bedding.

Surgery for Cracker Jack

Cracker Jack had his surgery this morning.  I dropped him off at the vets at 7 am.   Dr. Garman called me at around 10:30 to say that he was resting post surgery.  It was then that I found out there was bi-lateral involvement, both of his adrenal glands were enlarged.  Sigh....

The left gland was removed completely and part of the right was removed as well.  We plan on putting him on lupron to help with the situation.

I brought him home this evening.  He has a recovery pen set up in our living room so he can rest peacefully away from the others.  This also limits his mobility, while he heals.

I offered him food, and he willingly ate his soupie!  We continue to offer supportive care and making sure he has soupie and water every two hours.

Tonight I will be sleeping in the living room on the couch next to Cracker Jack.   At first my Husband didn't like this idea, until I asked him if he really wanted to hear an alarm go off every two hours.   I will need an alarm to make sure I wake up and check on Cracker Jack regularly.

Bath Dance

A week ago, while cleaning the ferret room it dawned on me the ferrets had not had their spring baths. It is not necessary to bathe ferrets often, in fact if you over bathe them it strips the oils from their fur which is not good. I  bathe my ferrets twice a year, during the spring and fall sheds to help remove the loose hair.

For some reason I had not done this yet, so I decided no time like the present to get this done. I felt that it was the perfect day, not too cold plus Grammy would be ferret sitting the following day so we could call her and tell her they took their baths just for her!

I started with trimming their nails, I typically do this once every 1-2 weeks.  They don't seem to mind this too much and it helps keep their nails from splitting and getting caught on things.

When the nail trimming was done, we did full body massages. For the ferrets I imagine the experience is similar to that which we humans experience, they feel pretty darned good. From my perspective it gives me the opportunity to feel for any lumps or bumps and check the over all condition of their coats and bodies.

Then it was treat time! I gave them all some vaseline. Yep you read that right, I said vaseline. They think it's a treat and gobble it down, what are really doing is lubing the tubing to help make sure hairballs don't get stuck where they shouldn't be.  

Then one by one we visited the bathtub for a bath.  Since I am the only human involved in the bathing process, I can not take pictures as I don't want my camera anywhere near a wet ferret in the bathroom!

We towel dry, and then set them loose!  Mojo will demonstrate for you, how he finishes his drying process.  Enjoy....

Cracker Jack - My Buddy

Cracker Jack has long been called my Buddy Boo, he is such a happy little ferret and joy to have in the family.   Cracker Jack joined the family in 2006, and he is just about 3.5 years old.  He loves to dance and cuddle in his Mom's arms.

For a few months now I have suspected Cracker Jack of being adrenal.  For those who may not have a lot of ferret knowledge this means I suspect he has  Adrenal Gland Disease.    He has started to show a few of the clinical signs, the most obvious being some patterned hairloss, inlcuding his tail, tummy, chest and shoulder blades.

We have consulted our vet, and even waited awhile just to make sure we weren't dealing with a seasonal shed.  My buddy's hair just isn't growing back.   His tail is practically bald these days.

March 2009

May 2009

Additionally he is showing some uncharacteristic agressive behavior with the others.   After additional discussion with his veterinarian we have decided to move forward with an adrenalectomy (surgical removal of the affected adrenal gland).  

Cracker Jack is scheduled for his surgery May 22, 2009.  We ask that you keep him in your thoughts and wish for an uneventful surgery along with a speedy recovery.  

Ricebox?

Ever wonder why this blog is titled "Tales from the Ricebox"? If you are a ferret enthusiast, your answer is probably no. For those who are new to the world of ferrets or just curious....

It would be an understatement to say that ferrets like to dig and burrow.  They will dig just about anything if given a chance.  To enrich their lives and allow them to do something they naturally enjoy doing, many ferret owners provide dig boxes.   A common filler is rice,  ferrets will lose their minds digging in  rice.  Very entertaining for the humans too!   It is important to note that it should be long grain rice, NOT instant rice for the ferrets safety.  

I decided rice would be a good idea, as it was much easier to clean up after.  I tried shredded paper once.....it wasn't such a good idea!   Sure they fling the rice out of the box from time to time as they dig.    My favorite is tunneling into the rice and then bursting out in a blast of happiness.   The rice really flies then!

We've always kept our posts to be about the ferrets on the blog, so we wanted the title to relate to the ferrets somehow.  The Ricebox seemed to suit us.

The photos feature BenBen playing in the rice, not really digging just playing.

Tornado Warning

Last weekend we had our first tornado warning of the season.  My husband and I gathered the ferrets into their carriers and took them to the basement.

Mind you they could care less about the sirens going off, and were oblivious to the potential danger they were in.  They were however very excited to be going somewhere.

Imagine their surprise when the arrived in the basement, and placed into a cage.  They were not happy and were pretty rowdy for awhile.  They did eventually settle down.

Here is a picture of them waiting on Mom to decide it was safe to take them back to the ferret room upstairs!