# Zeus is getting a friend :)



## shezzy (Mar 8, 2009)

Hey
dont know if anyone remmebers but a week or so ago i got a 7 week old ferret called Zeus. Well after having his brother for a week another couple have decided not to keep him due to him being too aggressive. 

Sooo just a few questions. 
1) Hes only been away from his brother for a week and since they're so young will they be okay together? can i just let them sniff eachother and then they'll be okay? or will have I to do it gradually??

2) Since they're both boys will they have to be castrated? due to fighting at sexual maturity or something along those lines  

3) I think i have gotten the swine flu from my ex  if it turns out it is swine flu i have, I've been told i have to stay away from the ferrets untill im well again? (also my hamster haha ive been told human flue can be passed to them too lol duno if thats true though lol  )


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## Akai-Chan (Feb 21, 2009)

They should be ok together. Problems wil;l onyl arrive when they reach sexual maturity, at which point you should get them neutered. They should be fine though, because they are so young all they'll wanna do is play  Introduce on neutral ground and you'll be fine.

ferrets can catch human colds and flu so keep them away from anyone who has it until they are completely better.

Peace
Akai-Chan


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## shezzy (Mar 8, 2009)

Akai-Chan said:


> They should be ok together. Problems wil;l onyl arrive when they reach sexual maturity, at which point you should get them neutered. They should be fine though, because they are so young all they'll wanna do is play  Introduce on neutral ground and you'll be fine.
> 
> ferrets can catch human colds and flu so keep them away from anyone who has it until they are completely better.
> 
> ...


Awsome. I kinda thought they'd be fine and that they'd need castrated just needed some reassurance  thanks lol

Ahh hope im better by sat then.


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## Pampered pets (Jun 20, 2009)

Kits dont have any issues or hang ups, all they want to do is play and eat so there is no problems introducing them to each other.

Hobs also come into season as well as jills, if they are left entire they will inflict nasty wounds to the back of the neck, they should be castrated about 6 months old.

ferrets cant catch colds from humans BUT they can catch flu, if its definatley flu you have keep away from them but a cold is fine.


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## shezzy (Mar 8, 2009)

Pampered pets said:


> Kits dont have any issues or hang ups, all they want to do is play and eat so there is no problems introducing them to each other.
> 
> Hobs also come into season as well as jills, if they are left entire they will inflict nasty wounds to the back of the neck, they should be castrated about 6 months old.
> 
> ferrets cant catch colds from humans BUT they can catch flu, if its definatley flu you have keep away from them but a cold is fine.


Thanks  
Forgot to ask what age to castrate them, I always just assume 6 months lol  I hope my vet castrates ferrets, dont see why they wouldnt... That reminds me Kiras due to be spayed next month :O Ill ask them about it when i take her in.

So colds are fine but flu isn't. I'm hoping its just a cold I've got, if it is its a pretty bad cold lol  But like I said my ex was given tami flu and was told he had swine flu  hope he hasn't given it to me lol 

Thanks for you help


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## Pampered pets (Jun 20, 2009)

Your welcome, any questions just ask 

I have ferret sanctuary and previously a rescue so ive seen and learned many things along the way 

neutering before six months is known to cause problems in later life, especially adrenal problems so i wouldnt advise having them done before that although you may find their hormones kick in between three and foru months old.

Some vets wont neuter ferrets and some are extortionate so phone round for prices first


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## shezzy (Mar 8, 2009)

Pampered pets said:


> Your welcome, any questions just ask
> 
> I have ferret sanctuary and previously a rescue so ive seen and learned many things along the way
> 
> ...


Do they fight alot at 3-4 months when their hormones kick in? and if they do will it be serious or is every ferret different? This is a first for me as I've personally never kept ferrets before (my sister had them and i used to help her take them for walks and stuff)

Ahh I will check with my vets next month then when im in. Im thinking off changing vets anyways, they're very expensive.. its costing me about £80 to get my cat spayed... I don't know if thats normal pricing because they're the only vets i have used but it seems pretty expensive. Or maybe thats a reasonable price 

I just feel sorry for his brother, the couple who took him are also first time ferret owners and they dont do anything to stop his nipping. So hes gotten away with it and now hes drawing blood. Im hoping i can get him out of the habbit since hes still young.


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## Pampered pets (Jun 20, 2009)

A good rescue/breeder wont rehome kits to first time owners, kits need very firm handling and if they get away with nipping they soon turn into adult biters which is no fun, pretty often they cant be botherd getting bitten anymore and the ferret is neglected or got rid of 

It may sound a bit extreme but ive rescued for 15 years now and seen it so many times, first time owners are much better off with a one or two year old that will in theory be much calmer.

I find come 3/4 months they start to get hormonal, time of year plays a part in this to so its not always the case.

They wont attack each other it just gets a little heated sometimes as they try to find their place in the pack and they get a surge or hormones and try to practice mating, its a bit like entering the teenage phase.

mating between ferrets is very brutal for the jill, the hob grabs her by the neck and drags her all over the place and pins her down, adults hobs in season and kits entering this phase will try to rape anything and will cause nasty scabs on the back of the neck of other fererts which can become infected.

Im sure they will be fine until neutered, as for nipping ferretone is fantastic for this job, several times a day pick up the kit and offer a few licks of ferretone then put him back down before he has a chance to struggle and squirm, pretty soon they associate being picked up with something good.

You can try other very tasty highly valued food as well.


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## shezzy (Mar 8, 2009)

Yeah ive been told in an extreme case the hob can kill the jill???? 

Thats a good idea, i much prefer positive learning. 

There was something else i was gonna ask... 
Oh yeah. Ive been told its okay to feed raw chicken. If this really okays? I know if we ate raw meat we'd get ill but i guess they'd eat raw meat all the time in the wild. How old can i give them that as well (sorry about all the questions lol !!!)


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## Pampered pets (Jun 20, 2009)

Its best to give kits plenty of fresh meat and lots of variety, after a few months old if they havnt tatsed it they dont always know its food, kits have huge appetites and will tackle anything.

I find ferrets fed on meat diets so long as its varied are chunkier and have nicer coats and cleaner teeth.

All meat should be fed raw, ferrets have a very short digestive tract hence the frequent pooping, it means they are able to eat raw meat as any bacteria is dispelled quickly before it can do harm.

its important to vary the meat, whole carcass food id best i.e rabbit pigeon etc they can also have chicken wings but you may need to cut it into sections or they stash a full wing, these clean thei teeth, also chicken thigh/ breast. Day old chicks but no more than one a week as they dont contain any real nutrition but the feathers help to clear the digestive tract, these also seem to be one of their favourite foods.

fish fillets, i get the cheap frozen ones from asda and cut them up, tuna, sprats, pilchards. sardines in oil or tomato sauce but drain the oil first. 

raw egg mixed with cat milk, soya milk or lacot free milk oh and goats milk is fine but not cows milk.

mince, the cheapest is best for them, heart and kidney, tongue etc some people say dont feed pork and others say its fine, stay away from bacon and processed foods like ham/sausages.

in time of sickness or when your ferrets need a bit of weigth gain use chicken complan from the chemsit but make sure its chicken as the other flavours contain lactose or chicken baby food, these can also be fed as treats.

Anything else feel free to ask


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## Pampered pets (Jun 20, 2009)

Oh forgot to say dont feed egg more than once a week as it can make them go bald.


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## shezzy (Mar 8, 2009)

Thanks alot !!  
Ill write that all down and start introducing them to new foods as soon as i can. I hope im better by sat though i wanna pick up this kit and see how aggressive he actually is.


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## shezzy (Mar 8, 2009)

Pampered pets said:


> Oh forgot to say dont feed egg more than once a week as it can make them go bald.


Bald????


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## Pampered pets (Jun 20, 2009)

Good luck with him


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