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Rick, AKA Ricky
• Surrendered to the Shelter on November 1, 2024. He found a Forever Home November 11, 2024! |
November 14, 2024:
Hello Brenda,
Just wanted to give you an update on Rick. He seems to like his new home and is eating/pooping normally. He seems to have added on some bulk and his legs are getting stronger. Based on his energy level I think he is a bit older than we first thought. Maybe 6. He enjoys his naps and we get about 10 to 15 mins of play at a time.
He is not a fan of the other ferrets and fights or screams whenever they are together. We will continue to do some meet and greets, but for the foreseeable future he is going to have his own room and playtime. He gets full run of the house first in the morning and then in the evening after the business goes to bed. He gets human company in his room throughout the day and we have a climbing proof gate so everyone can stiff through the holes if desired.
He now goes upstairs like a champ and we are working on down. It proves you can teach an old ferret new tricks.
We have decided to make this the best ferret retirement home possible. I've attached some photos just because.
Katie
November 14, 2024:
We have him on a mix of marshal's and oxbow. It's hard to tell which pellets he is choosing, but he is eating. We do give him some peace so it is possible he is eating when we are not there as well.
The self heating beds are basically just a regular pet bed with a layer of reflective material (like a lunch box) that radiates the heat of the animal back at them. People buy them for outdoor cats and elderly animals. I'll let you know if it is a hit.
Last I heard, Alex is out in the world looking to buy cornstarch peanuts so he will have a peanut box in his room again shortly.
Thank you for trusting us with him.
November 13, 2024:
Alex's hunt was a success (yay u-haul) and Ricky now has a peanut box of his own. He's played in it a few times, but still sleeps in Alex's shirt. Today Alex took him out of his room to explore the main floor of the house together. Ricky did a complete parameter and sniffed everything. He managed to navigate the hardwood without much difficulty and followed Alex from room to room. He then got his first taste of our carpeted stairs. Alex had to help him up the first few but then he got the hang of going up. Haven't tried going down yet.
He's eating just fine now. We gave him just Marshall's for now but will try your method next week. He is pooping pretty regularly as well and they look good. Funny how obsessed ferret people are with poop. Here is a picture of him grabbing a toy. More will come. - Katie
November 12, 2024:
Hello Brenda, Ricky is doing well in his new home. Alex set up the spare room for him with all new toys, bedding, food and litter. He has eaten in front of Alex a few times and had a few poops (though they are quite small). He loves cuddling with Alex and has already claimed Alex's sweater as his favorite bed. He seems to get cold, so we bought him some of those self heating (non-electric) pet beds and a heartbeat stuffed animal. We will see if he likes them. He has met two of the others (Martin and Artemis) and they mostly just sniffed each other. He is a bit timid and tires out easily, but no major drama. I think he is blind and possibly deaf, so he startles easily. He is definitely sticking to his room for now but, once he gets comfortable, we will take him out on his own to other areas of the house.
November 4, 2024:
Donna and I decided we like the name Ricky better than Rick. He was up more today, he found a toy to push around for a bit, went over to check out the playroom. He had been grieving for a week. He seems to be feeling better about being here.
November 4, 2024:
Rick was in the library all night, he popped his little head out of the fish when I walked into the room. I tucked him into his cage, he crawled into his sleep box covered himself to settle in. He's doesn't look near as unsettled this morning.
November 2, 2024:
Rick is restless. I did finally see him eating late this afternoon. He spent most of the day in the library, I let him in the ferret room while I cleaned cages, he did a lot of pacing. I set him back into the library when I shut the shelter down for the night.