Re: [ferretvolunteers] Monday .. + test litter pan for Baby

Just to add to Sue's report ...

While at home, I guesstimated and cut open a plastic container to use as a corner litter pan for Baby since he likes to dump in the bottom left corner of the cage. Well, I guessed the size wrong, so it's a little small, but I put newspaper on the bottom and "showed" it to Baby, who did do a trial back-up into into ... while I held my breath and hoped he'd do his business too -- LOL -- but he didn't. Later cutie checked it out and tried to move the newspaper and container. I forgot to insert a whole into the container, to clip to the cage.

I left a few folded pieces of newspaper on top of the cage. I'll get around to making a hole in the container and drop more newspaper off at the shelter. Since Baby normally backs up into that corner, I'm hoping the container will work. If yes, then I'll make a better sized container.

Failing that, Sue suggested using incontinence pads, attached to the sides and bottom of the cage.

Hopefully we'll be able to solve the messy cage problem. That will just leave the messes that Baby makes while free roaming.

...Nancy

Monday ..

As I'm now sharing my shift with Nancy it's become much easier on me .. and the ferrets get more attention as I was finding on my own all I seemed to do was clean !! okay, I admit I've slowed down a lot !!

Pleased to see most of the poops were pretty good, not one really yuckky one .. still a few quite soft .. but much better than last week. Hugo went for a stroll while Trixie and Bilko got rid of their excess energy and the group was fine together when we came back.

Jasper put Marla down and told her to lay off .. she's funny, after that I could hear someone chuckling around and couldn't find out who it was .. it was Marla going from cage to cage trying to get a reaction !! Little devil .. she's a ****-disturber !!

All it all, everyone seemed alert and perky .. Tessa wasn't anywhere near sleepy after her group had been out for two hours and she came out again later while I was cleaning the room and could keep an eye on her, we spent lots of time at the gate as she jumped up and over .. and I think we finally tired her out !!

Bob Baby and Cutie actually got even longer out than was marked on the sheet, Nancy went to town on the cage so they were out until we left about 8:30 .. they were all sleeping by that time .. but we had loads and loads of loving with them.

Everyone adored their N bones .. and I really enjoyed watching them with them .. some shared, one on each end .. a kodak moment but my camera is still on the fritz

Nancy also sorted and labelled the containers in the back cupboard and on the stairs ..

The wet blanket from the stoller (used at the show) is hanging near the sink, think it was just water but didn't sniff it) .. and there was other stinky wet bedding hung in the front room.

Cheers all, Sue (and Nancy)

Cinnamon & Sugar

Dr. Lane saw Cinnamon this morning. As per Randy's instructions, he was given a Lupron shot.
Blood was extracted for testing. Other than being very scrawny and thin, there did not seem
to be an immediate cause for concern. We will know more when the blood test results are back.
To reduce the volunteer shift workload, I have taken both Sugar and Cinnamon home.
I am hoping to fatten up Cinnamon with a/d.
Neither Ginger nor Felix flinched at the sight of 2 new furry faces sniffing and exploring their territory.
These 2 weren't bothered by seeing the cats either. Poor Floyd. He is nervous of his own shadow.
When Sugar got within 2 feet of him, he shreiked in terror and galloped up the stairs to find a hiding place.
I found him hiding in the bottom dresser drawer.
The new kids are safely locked up in Floyd's cage while he has full run of the house. I need to assess whether
further ferret proofing is required. None of my threesome are chewers so I may have to thin out the toy supply for the new kids. 
Have a super weekend, everyone.
Noreen

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Owen

Owen went to the vet last night. It looks like he has an enlarged left adrenal (surprise, surprise) maybe that's why he has no fur from the waist down ....

 

Also his blood sugar was low 2.8 so he's on Pred, but thankfully it's to be given in tone. He even fought me over that, I had to force some in his mouth .. he really doesn't like me much, nasty woman, forcing nasty stuff in his mouth. He doesn't come out of the cage unless I physically take him out. I gate him in the bedroom so he has a safe place out of the cage.

 

I'm hoping after his Lupron shot last night, and with the pred he'll perk up. He's drinking, eating some dry 8in1, I'm still trying to get him to eat soft.

 

Sue

Monday ..

Well I will try and remember some details from what was mostly swarming dooking furries and poop .. lots and lots of poop ... the time flew by, I didn't really even get to sort out all their names, let alone personalities, but one thing for certain, the new group  Bob, Valentino, Cutie? and Baby are SLOBS, utter SLOBS. There were poops on both levels of both cages. Randy put Baby on his own on the bottom. I pretty well had to take everything apart to clean. I added an extra litter pan to each cage .. it really does take up too much room, but I had to do something !!! I didn't change their blankets, but when I was refolding and putting them back I realized they probably could use a change shortly, I think these were just put in, I remember just reading a post about how bad their cage was .. no change today. But they certainly kept themselves amused and didn't appear to notice that I didn't have much time to spend with them, except for I belive Cutie who tried to climb up inside my jeans a couple of times. We played a little, they went nuts !!

 

Cash Loot and Jinx were out in the back room, while the foursome were in the front. Later I moved the foursome to the back, took Cash Loot and Jinx out for a stroller ride, and let the huge group out in the back room. When I got back in the two first groups went back to their cages and the large group had both rooms to romp in while I tried to finish up the cages. Haven't cleaned this many cages for a long time .. have to admit towards the end I was flagging badly .. my apologies to tomorrow's volunteer about the dried poop near the wooden gate, my scraper has disappeared and I couldn't get the ruddy thing up or find anything to scrape it with. Sorry it's still there ..

 

I did manage to refill the litter bin, but the food bin is very low and I couldn't find any more food. Hopefully tomorrow's volunteer is OK to bring some ???? not sure who that is ..

 

Also Baby needs to go to the vet .. can anyone take him in ???

 

Don't know where the time went, flew by - cheers all, Sue

 

 

Cover Needed - April 12 & 26

The mystery has been solved .. Bonnie remembered an email asking for cover March 31st, April 12 and April 26.

 

I remember this now too because they are all very bad dates for me, once I looked at my calendar I remembered the email too, I must have deleted it. The 26th is bad for a few volunteers because we are doing the Open House at Toronto Animal Services on the 25th, hopefully someone who is not helping out on the 25th can take the 26th, as it's a lot to expect of someone to give up their entire weekend.

 

Also this raises the issue of co-ordination .. we can't expect Randy to 'manage' this .. but it's easy for dates to fall through the cracks .. at one time we had an online calendar, maybe we need something like this again .. so we can manage coverage as a group .. comments ?? suggestions ??  I have to admit I don't even know if I have sign on to the yahoo group, maybe the calendar is still there ??

 

Sue

 

 

Saturday

Today's Mission: Free the Stroller and get everyone out to enjoy the beautiful weather .. Mission Accomplished !!!

 

Group One .. the Boys go to Timmy's

 

There was a long line up at Timmy's so I parked the stroller where I could watch it from the line and watched Jinx go into action .. he really loves people, he was so alert and aware if anyone came near he'd come to the front and give them his begging for treats/love look .. he really had one lady enamoured. Jinx also got out on the leash for a bit at the park, but he found that pretty overwhelming at first, he liked being in my coat though and got down a few times for a sniff round. Cash and Loot really enjoyed being in the stroller and seeing the sights.

 

Group Two .. the Girs go out ..

 

Just to the park, where both had a short turn with the leash. Both were nervous, Izzie more so than I thought she would be, sorry now I've fogotten the new girl's name .. Tizzy, no, darn can't remember, ... Trixie !! anyway she was less nervous than I thought she would be (being a newcomer) and she had quite a good sniff round the park.

 

When I was out I left the group inside in the front room (as opposed to the garage room), so when I came back with the girls I let them out in the garage room and went to check on the boys and start the cages. I forgot to put the mat under the gate and Izzy escaped, but I heard the scratching so she didn't get far ... Izzy the breakout artist, doesn't miss an opportunity ... so I brought her in the front room while I cleaned the cages and let Trixie have the garage room to herself, which she loved, the two girls both love to stash toys, I don't know how much they actually interact with each other but they certainly kept themselves busy rearranging the toys whenever they could.

 

Perfect timing today, we really hit the warmest part of the day .. it was great.

 

Cheers all, Sue

 

 

 

 

Monday ..

It was a very pleasant day at the shelter today, just the foursome, all were in fairly good spirits but relatively quiet. Cash and Loot weren't too playful, but ate loads of treats, all four enjoyed lots of soft-moist and teeth crunchers .. nice to see even Loot enjoying treats. Miss Izzie was busy .. she had to keep putting toys in their proper places, especially when I kept moving them to places she felt just weren't correct. Jinx was a total snuggle bug, following me around, begging for more treats, more hugs, more attention. After everyone had been out for nearly three hours Jinx was still pretty perky - Cash and Loot were ready for bed, (they tended to wander off into the shredded paper when I wasn't paying attention to them) so I put them to bed, and Izzie, and took Jinx for a walk. We didn't go very far, he really enjoyed being held inside my coat - with this head sticking out .. he loved it when the wind blew in his face when he was like that. He got fairly relaxed and did get some good snuffling about the grassy area, but he was more drawn to the garbage bins in the alleyway !! He was out for a little over half an hour and I hope he went to sleep dreaming of his big adventure.

 

There was a nasty, very liquid, very light coloured, poop on the floor, and Cash & Loot's litter box contained lots of loose, light poops. Izzie & Jinx's litters looked fine.

 

Also, the wooden gate did not seem to click shut today, I gave them both rooms from the start so only noticed it when I went for a smoke I closed both gates, Jinx can get the barrier to move and he's quite determined when he gets bored to get up the stairs. When I came back the wooden gate was open and Jinx was furiously trying to escape !! 

 

 

Monday .. and MUGS

Great time with the kids yesterday, picnic'ed with Cash Loot and Izzie .. although Izzie wouldn't have much to do with the AD, but Cash and Loot ate well. It looked as if Izzie had eaten quite well, her dry food bowl was quite low. Loot and Izzie got along very well. When she approached him, he rolled over on his back and she sniffed his tummy. She's quite the little sniffer, exploring every inch of each room. She got under the gate from the back room, she also mysteriously appeared in the ferret room with the boys (I let them out first and then was working with Randy). Luckily Jinx had just realized she was there and they we just getting ready to go at each other. I just put her in the front room and switched the boys around (except for Jinx). Loot and Izzie played lots in the tubes.

 

I've left six 'ferret lover' mugs, tiny, but good for ferret brushes & clippers, or pens .. they were donated to the shelter by my daughter, they are custom made, and can be had for a donation of $10. I should have put an envlelope under them to collect the money, if you don't have an envelope put it in a mug for now.

 

Cheers all, Sue

The Wednesday report

OK- so it would have been another ho-hum nite at the shelter if it hadn't been for the new addition, little Izzy (Izzie). She was given the nod and sniff of approval by 2 out of the 3 resident boys. No need to mention names.
Altho' I hear that Izzie did not enjoy her ride in from Hamilton, she wasted no time getting out of the carrier.
She quickly explored the main ferret room with Loot or Cash in tow. I figure that Loot is the more yellowish of the pair. Lots of talking and tubing. An absolute gentle bouncy ball of fur. She is just what sleepybones Loot and Cash needed to get themselves moving and exploring again.
Everyone was out for close to 3 hours. This allowed Loot and Cash ample time for a snooze or two. Jinx enjoyed a lot of cuddle time in my arms away from Izzie. While I held Izzie, Jinx ran around the room in a frenzy hunting for her. This was promptly followed by a timeout for him in the isolation room. 
What did these guys do without that tent??? It sure is the major attraction and a super place to cuddle up in a ferret bed for a few zzzz's. 
It was a great evening for all. The boys ate an entire can of warm a/d. The new gal wasn't interested in a/d or ferretone. As a matter of fact, she did not eat a thing. She checked out everything in her cage before settling down quietly under her blankets.
Noreen

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Monday ...

and all was good at the shelter. The girls were playful and sweet, Cash and Loot took turns being playful and snoozing, Jinx wasn't particularly playful but he was very snuggly and checked out some new treats from the gift bag while we were putting them on the shelf in the closet. I could not get over the change in his size !! he's a total dumpling, no problems with eating for him. On the other end of the scale I kept confusing Cash and Loot since Loot has gotten so skinny .. I did manage to coax him to eat a little bit of AD mixed with some babyfood. Cash ate most of his portion and I left the rest in his cage. Jinx said he'd be happy to finish off any leftovers and he did manage to get a few mouthfuls in, and he quite liked the 'dookers' treats.

 

Love those amazing black soft blankets, assume they were a christmas gift .. they are fabulous.

 

Happy New Year to all and best wishes for 2009 ... may all your fuzzies stay healthy all year !! cheers, Sue