Ferret Room Remodel

Sometimes you just have to do what you just have to do. Last Friday, the first day of my 3 day weekend for the holiday I got it in my head that the ferret room needed a remodel. My husband was out of town, so I didn't have to worry about how the mess I was about to make of our house would impact him. At least as long as the mess was gone by the time he returned.

Now I had been thinking about re-doing the floor, yet really hadn't given it much thought. Somehow in very short amount of time, my brain said not only did the floor need to be done, the baseboards needed to be replaced and a fresh coat of paint would be good. Really if I had more time I would have also replaced the trim around the doors, but you can only do so much in 2 1/2 days. My husband knew nothing of my last minute decision to make this happen, although we had talked about the flooring in the past.

I couldn't remodel the room with the ferrets in it, so I sent them to camp out in the basement. There is a whole play area complete with cage set up down there. It is what I used when I fostered, Piper, JD, Xander and Bandit last year after the flood. It is also our storm shelter for the wild summer storms that sometimes roll through the midwest. The ferrets didn't mind this so much, as it is always nice and cool in the basement as well as it was a great big adventure for them.

Once the ferrets were safely relocated to the basement, the work began. Moving everything out of the room, pulling the baseboards and trim around the doors. Painting, new flooring, new baseboards and re-installing the same trim back around the doors. Once all that was done, it was Sunday evening I was very tired and then had to put everything back in the room. Oh yeah and clean the mess, I don't think my husband would have been happy to come home and find the old trim still laying in the living room!

I waited one extra day to bring the ferrets 'back home' just to make sure that the room was aired out well after painting for their safety. All in all, it was hard work, I enjoyed the project, it was much easier than I thought to do some of these things...AND when my husband finally saw it he said it looked fantastic that I did a wonderful job. Ego boost!

I posted my progress all throughout the weekend on Facebook, and got many requests for pictures, so I am posting them here for all to see what the room looked like before, during and after the work.

Update on the June 1st vet appointment.

Sheesh, can we ever have a just a routine appointment?   I'm willing to bet our new vet, is wondering what she got herself into when she took on my fuzzy family.

Ben, we treated him with benadryl and then let him hang out in the carrier while Dr. G  took a look a Bobo's lump.  She took a sample with a needle and then had a peek under the microscope.  Both of us felt it was probably a cyst.   When she came back, she said it is not a cyst the cells were large and fuzzy looking.  She stated that she had no idea what kind of tumor it was, and recommended removing it.  Sigh...

She then took a quick look at Cracker Jack's incision site to see how nicely he is healing!  We discussed briefly how he did have some hair growing back on his belly, yet his tail is still naked.

It was then time for Ben's distemper shot.  He is such a good boy about getting his shots, doesn't even flinch.  Then our wait began.  After about 10 minutes he was doing good, and rowdy in his carrier.  Dr. G moved on to see another patient while we hung out in the exam room.  After about 10 more minutes, it started.

At first it was just a little cough, then progressed to much nastier things.  I will spare everyone the gory details of the reaction itself.   I notified the staff immediately and Ben was given epinephrine and a steroid to help combat the reaction.

Then my boy went limp, much like a wet noodle if you could imagine a 3.5 pound noodle.  He lay in my arms with no will to wiggle or do anything.  His heart rate, breathing and color were good though.   He did also receive sub-Q fluids to make sure he stayed hydrated.

2 hours after our appointment we finally felt Ben was doing well enough to leave and we have put Ben on the list of ferrets to not vaccinate in the future.  Dr. G feels it is just too hard on his little body to go through that.  

Poor Bobo and Cracker Jack waited in their carrier so patiently, they probably wonder what they did to end up in the carrier for such a long time.

Vet day for Bobo and Ben

Today Bobo and BenBen visit Dr G's office.

Ben is going in for his routine distemper vaccination.  We'll pretreat him with benadryl since he has a history of reacting to his vaccinations and hopefully this will help him through the experience with ease and we don't have a repeat of what his sister Bobo went through.

Bobo is going along to have a bump looked at.  We are not worried by what we see, just want to have it checked out.  She has developed a pea sized bump on her right side in the area just in front of her back leg.  This bump is under the skin, and does not appear to be irritated or cause her any discomfort.

Wish the kids well....

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.