Ferrets - Year in Review

So I saved the post about the ferret's year in review for last because it will be the hardest to write.  We can't look back on 2015 without remembering my sweet and adorable Harlow who was taken far too soon my an auto immune disorder.  She was diagnosed in May and I cherished every moment with her until the end of September when her condition worsened to the point we could not let her suffer. I miss that little ferret so much it hurts.  I think of her every day - often with tears.  She was such a trooper through her illness.  Rest in peace my sweet baby - know your mama loves you and misses you terribly.

Now - on to better parts of our year.  The ferrets had a good year this year!  With the exception of Harlow we had no illnesses to report.  Everyone seems to be happy and healthy.  The weasels seem to be quite happy in their new space.  They spend their days playing with each other and their toys, torturing the kitties, snoozing and eating.  Not a bad life!!

Madison is the eldest - she turned four this year!  She is my joyful and happy girl and she has done so well this year.  She has put on a bit of weight with the morning gravy - this is probably actually a good thing as she was just a tiny little one before.

Madison

Violet becomes more and more social as she ages.  She used to be quite the independent loner but since the summer she has decided that hanging out with the rest of the gang isn't so bad.  She is quite close to Madison and Fiona.  Violet will turn 3 in 2016.

Violet

Theo is my adorable and gentle boy.  He is rough and tumble when playing with the boys but watching him with Harlow over the summer was amazing.  He was her protector.  Theo is quite gregarious and animated and he makes me laugh every day.  Theo will also turn 3 in 2016.

Theo

Kai - my wild child.  He is full on all the time - that is - unless he is giving you a face full of kisses. This little boy is full of antics all the time.  He loves to wrestle and play and is always trying to make friends with the kitties with limited success.  Kai and Tabitha are litter mates and were siblings with Harlow.  I am so glad I have them - they are a happy link to her.  Kai and Tabby both will turn 2 in 2016.

Kai

Tabitha is my independent little girl.  She tolerates being picked up and sometimes will visit your lap but otherwise is she very much like Violet used to be.  She is Miss Independent.  She does love to hang out with the boys though.  She and Kai are siblings and are very close.  She is also great friends with Bash and Theo.  She and Violet are just about carbon copies these days - its tough to tell them apart at times.  She is quite a beautiful ferret with her fluffy white coat.

Tabitha

Sebastian - aka Bash is my shy, sweet, mellow ferret - he still reminds me so much of Finn - it makes my heart happy to have him around.  Bash is adorable - a very cute and funny boy who enjoys playing with cat toys and hoarding them into a pile in my office.  He loves to be held and he seems to enjoy the 452 kisses I give him every day.  He is litter mates with Fiona and the two of them will have their first birthdays in 2016.

Bash

Last but most certainly not least - my beautiful Fiona.  She is honestly the most chilled out ferret I have ever met.  She loves to be held and carried around and is content to lay with you and get pets. She has adorable markings - four white feet and a white bib on her chest.  She face is darling.  Fiona is playful - she too loves toys and can often be found stealing from her brother's pile to add to her own.

Fiona

In 2016 I plan to spend as much time with these fur babies as possible.  I do adore them!  Let's hope for continued good health for my little brood.  I hope you will continue to follow our antics!

Kitties - Year in Review

2015 was a pretty good kitty year I must say.  The kitties seem to lie their new space for the most part.  They have had a pretty healthy year as well.  Phoebe, Oliver and Zoey continue to do well on their transdermal medication for hyper thyroid.  Aggie continues to be the healthiest of the bunch at 17 years old.  Ollie and Zoey are 13 and Phoebe is 11.

All in all I am quite pleased with how they are doing.  I would love to see Zoey put on more weight - she lost a bit due to her dental issues.  Since I switched her to canned cat food she is starting to gain which is good.  Aggie and Phoebe are active and happy and Oliver continues to be my trouble maker - he is vocal and wants constant attention but he is the sweetest kitty and he is the ambassador of my little zoo - the one critter who gets along with every other animal with no issues.

I hope for continued good health - my feline portion of the zoo is getting up there.  Here's to a great 2016 for my sweet kitty fur kids:

Zoey

 

Aggie

Phoebe

Oliver

Winston and Emma - Year in Review

2015 was a pretty great year for the piglet and the dog.  The biggest change for them was having more space to roam.  Winston loves being able to play outside and Emma is enjoying room to run. They seem quite happy!

Emma turned 12 in March of 2015 and Winston turned 1 in July.  They are both in good health. Emma had her dental issues this fall but that might have been a blessing in disguise as it prompted a good bit of testing which set a nice baseline for going forward.  Her mouth is now in great shape and while she does have a leaky valve in her heart its very minor and requires no treatment.  Her blood work was fantastic and all seems to be going just great for her.  We have had no health issues for Winston this year - thank goodness.  His heart murmur is still present but much more minor than it was when he was younger.  He is a healthy and active piglet.  I found out that I should have been worming him this fall - who knew.  He has been through his first cycle of med and I will worm him every four months going forward.  We still battle a bit of dry skin now and then and he seems to have allergies - particularly in his right eye - but it comes and goes and doesn't seem to impact him much. I give him a rinse in his eye with colloidal silver it clears it right up.

Winston has learned a few new tricks this year - we are working on stay - still have some work to do on that one.  He is great at closing the washer and dryer doors for me.  Emma didn't learn new tricks - mainly because I didn't teach her any.  She would totally learn new ones if I took the time.

All in all this was a good year for the two of them.  They are good friends - I think Winston might think he is a dog - he wants to do everything Emma does.  They spend lots of time together - never unattended as its always risky to let them be together without supervision.  Winston is not a fan of Quincy (my parents dog) and its funny because he is protective of Emma and won't let Quincy anywhere near her.  Little does he know - they are best friends.

In 2016 I hope to see them have continued good health and lots of play time outside together. Maybe next year will hold some new tricks for the piglet?  We shall see.

Love those two crazy critters!  Tune in tomorrow for Kitty year in review and Thursday for the ferret recap!

Holiday Updates

Whew!  I am just now recovering from the holiday madness.  We had lots of parties, family time and activity around here.  Quite frankly I think the holidays are hard on the critters.  My attention is focused elsewhere and they don't get the time or the standard of care they normally get.

Emma was a very good dog.  We had family staying with us - and with the family came additional dogs - Quincy (my parents dog) and Berger and Loki (my brother's dogs).  All in all having four dogs in the house went pretty well.  No major scuffles to report.  I do think its a bit stressful for Emma though.  I am pleased with her behavior.

Winston did great - he was much more friendly to guests although he did still have his moments of nipping at my brother.  Winston does not get along with Quincy and has never met Berger and Loki and we decided to keep it that way.  Luckily the house has access to the back yard via our bedroom so we were able to get him in and out without having to  move dogs around.  It was rainy and he did have some moments of boredom.  He also had to be confined to his bed (a large closet) with the baby gate for a few hours a couple of evenings so guests could easily access the powder room without having to wade through the pig.  He did well and I am happy to see him being more friendly towards new people - perhaps he is moving through his terrible two phase...fingers crossed!

The ferrets and the kitties did fine - they have each other to keep themselves entertained.  Their area was not well maintained by me over the holiday - and I paid for it after the fact.  They got a deep cleaning Saturday and Sunday.  I am still working on their laundry.  They were well behaved and fine with going into their room on party evenings to ensure there was no escaping.

I think everyone - including me - is happy to be back to a more normal routine.

For Christmas - Winston got a new comforter for his bed.  He seems to like it!  Emma got a new blanket.  The kitties got a new toy that teases them with a string - they love it!  A new heated bed was installed in their area - the kitties and the ferrets all seem to love it.  The kitties and ferrets also got new blankets.  Everyone got new toys in their stockings... I think everyone is feeling good and is happy.

We will recap 2015 in a series of posts over the next three days...I can't believe this year is almost over.

How To Understand What Your Dog Is Trying To Say

   

by Higher Perspective

You may think that look on your dog's face is a smile or that behavior is too cute, but we often don't read dog behaviors especially well, and as a result, we imperil our dog's happiness and maybe even our safety if we're not careful.

In order to completely understand what your dog is trying to say, listen closely to their body language and the noises they make. You may think a dog wagging his tail is happy, but it can come from nervousness, apprehension, and even sometimes aggression.

Here's how to read your dog's behaviors:

Such Good Babies

So - today I had some work colleagues over for a meeting and some grub.  I was very pleased with how the furry children behaved.

First off - Winston... we don't really push our luck with him at the moment.  He is going through a snitty phase where he is nippy and head butty (and sometimes butt heady) and he he can't really be trusted not to nibble on our guests.  So - today he got to play outside.  The weather was amazing and he was a very good boy.  He asked to be let in a few times during our gathering but he quickly gave up and went on about his way.  He was rewarded with some fresh veggies from the relish tray as well as all the lettuce leaves that were the garnish.  This made for a happy piggy.

Emma was well behaved for the most part.  She was begging far more than I would have liked but she was a good dog otherwise.  When she was offered a treat she was very gentle and careful when she took it and after everyone had been here for a bit she settled down and napped.  She did not find our meeting discussions very exciting evidently.

After our meeting wrapped up my friends wanted to see the kitties and the ferrets.  They were very happy to be freed from the confines of critter land.  Zoey and Aggie stayed in their room - they have no desire to explore.  Oliver was smack in the middle of everything, of course.  Phoebe really surprised me.  She is usually such a shy kitty but she was quite friendly today.  She visited with each guest and let them give her some pets.  Very unusual.

The ferrets were charming and sweet as usual.  They are social creatures, not afraid of new people and they were quite cute.  They were more excited about being freed from critter land than they were about having visitors.  They explored the packages under the tree, the fire place, etc.  They were polite when they were picked up and fairly cooperative about going back in their area when it was time.  All in all - they were good little weasels.

Overall I was quite pleased with the critters and how they behaved.....love those sweet babies!!

Boxes and Pipes

I have to say - three big cardboard boxes and an 8 foot PVC pipe have turned into a new ferret play land.  They are loving it:

Kai

Fiona & Bash

Fiona contemplating trying out the new tunnel

Theo in the tunnel

The boys - Kai left, Theo in the tunnel, Bash right

Kai left, Theo's body in the box, Fiona's nose poking out of the box and Bash checking out the tunnel

Bash and Theo

Fiona exiting the tunnel and Bash there to hear all about how it was

Fiona exiting the tunnel and Bash there to hear all about how it was

Bash trying the tunnel - I was worried - he is a bit...er - big boned.  He didn't get stuck!

See he made it through - love that Basher boy!

Fiona

Madison bravely trying the tunnel

Violet and Bash 

Fiona

Fiona watching Tabby try the tunnel

Fiona and Bash - they are litter mates

Violet

Making Up - It Really Isn't That Hard To Do - With Critters

So - I have two critters to make up with tonight:

First - Oliver made me crazy today yowling at the door - I finally was so over it that I made him go in his room with the door closed.  After about an hour I let him out and then I had to leave so I didn't have time to make up with him.  I will be heading down to critter land to give him and his sisters their evening cat food. He will get some treats and some cuddles.  Love that noisy boy.

Second - Mr. Piglet was NAUGHTY this afternoon.  Rather than going outside he ran into the bedroom and proceeded to eat Emma's dog food.  He had to be manually extricated from the area.  Fun time wrestling with an 82 pound piglet.  NOT.  Once I got him outside and let him know how much trouble he was in he proceeded to go potty and then he came in without incident to go to his room and have his dinner.  So - later tonight when it's time to put him to bed we will do some extra cuddles and maybe an extra nighty cookie or two.

The lovely thing about critters is that they never stay made, they always forgive you and they always love you no matter what.  For that I am eternally grateful....  Love those naughty little ones....

Our Routine

I frequently get asked about our routine around here.  It changes a bit as the critters get older but for the most part it looks something like this:

For the pig -

He wakes at about 6 - I get up and put him in his "small room" which is confined to the laundry room by closing the doors and I give him a few treats to tide him over until breakfast.  We close him in his small room to keep him from nibbling on the drywall.  Between 7 and 7:30 I get up and feed him his breakfast and I make sure he has fresh water.  Around 7:45 he heads outside - if it's below 40 degrees I put his coat on - otherwise out he goes.  He goes potty and roots.  I usually leave him out til 10 or so unless I have to go somewhere.  I don't like to leave him outside if I am not home.  He come in mid morning and takes a nap.  Then around 1 its back outside for a few hours.  Then in around 3.  Around 4 we go for a walk either through the pasture or to the mailbox so he and Emma can run and explore outside the fence.  Around 5 he gets his dinner.  Around 7 he gets his coconut oil for his skin and his lettuce ball for a treat.  Around 9 we go outside for the last potty and then he heads to bed after cuddles and nighty cookies. Maintenance for him is relatively easy - there is a good bit of floor mopping and wall/baseboard wiping.  There is his actual pig maintenance which consists of eye cleaning, ear cleaning, a check of his mouth to make sure his teeth look good and healthy, hoof maintenance and skin care - most of these are once a week.  He is pretty easy to take care of but he gets bored easily and a bored piglet = a destructive piglet so I try to engage with him in some way at least every 2 hours or so.

For Emma -

She is a pretty mellow dog and easy to care for.  Luckily for us she is a free feeder so I just have to fill up her food bucket every so often.  She has water bowls throughout the house.  She goes out in the morning with Winston but unlike the pig she does not love to stay out.  She wants to go out, do her business, do a perimeter check of the yard and come back in.  We keep her coat fairly short so there isn't much need for brushing.  She is good about letting me clean her eyes and ears as well.  She will not, however let me do her toenails so the vet or the groomer does those when we take her in.

Kitties -

The kitties are pretty easy to care for as well.  They are free feeders so they have dry food available at all times.  They get canned food in the morning and the evening - just one can shared between the four of them.  Three of them also get medication twice a day for hyper thyroidism.  Its a gel that you swipe on their ear.  I usually give it to them while they are busy eating canned food.  The biggest maintenance item with the cats is scooping their box which I am notoriously bad about.  I try to do it every time I go to critter land but some days it doesn't happen that way.

Ferrets -

The ferrets are by far the messiest of the bunch.  There is poopy pick up, carpet shampooing, putting the food they have dug out of the bowl back... I adore those little brats.  Caring for them is very easy though.  They are quite independent and they have each other to keep them entertained.  I spend time with them every morning and every evening as well as several times throughout the day.  They don't require much besides an occasional toenail trim.  They are the ones who play with toys so there is always a pile to pick up and put away so they can drag them out again.

I would say that I spend about an hour a day caring for them and an additional 2 - 3 hours a day engaging with them to make sure they are happy and healthy.  It's a lot of work but so rewarding and worth every second I invest.  Love those babies....

Changes In Dynamics

It's interesting - relationships with the critters are very similar to human relationship in that they ebb and flow and there are times when you are closer and times when you are further apart.

There are days when they all drive me a little bit whacky - sometimes more than one on the same day which makes for a grumpy human.  I adore them - and I am so fortunate to have them no matter how nutty I get!

When Winston was a baby it took what felt like forever for the two of us to bond.  I have said it before and I will say it again - pigs are hard - rewarding - fun - but hard.  I would say it took us a good four or five months to get in a  groove.  Now, at almost 1.5 years old - he and I are in a really good place.  He has his routine, his own space, lots of outside freedoms - its pretty much all good. He has some behavioral issues - don't get me wrong.  I would prefer he not nibble on the drywall when he gets mad and biting the guests is not my favorite thing he does - we are working on both....

Emma has always been a daddy's dog.  Those two have a special thing going.  She and I are together non stop though so we have our moments.  Since she has much more outdoor time she is much more mellow than she used to be.  Other than her need to stand right in front of me when I am trying to get something done (oh if I had a nickel for every time I tell her to move) and her occasional carpet scratching episode things are great for us.

The kitties - I have 3 incredibly independent girls who like attention if I happen to be around.  They are of the mind that so long as I scoop the box and put food and water in the bowl anything above and beyond that is bonus.  They enjoy the time we spend together each day - I play with them, give them loves, brush them on occasion and give them their canned food and meds in the mornings and the evenings.  Then there is Oliver - my little Klingon.  I love that cat to the moon and back but he is so in your face, constantly meowing, can't be petted without biting or licking - ugh - it makes me a tiny bit nutty.  I try to let him out to explore a few times a week.  I carry him around with me while I do chores, nothing seems to satisfy him.  It does get a bit frustrating some days.  It seems like in these ebbs and flows you have to find your way to a new normal - we will get there I am sure.  No matter how crazy they make me I wouldn't trade a second of time with them for anything.

The ferrets - my interactions with them are ever changing as well.  Used to be that Kai was my wild child who never wanted to be picked up and loved on - now he wants to be carried around and he gives you a face full of kisses every time he sees you.  Bash wants to be loved on but not for too long. Theo used to love to be held, now he wants down fairly quickly.  Tabby used to be fairly aloof - now she wants to climb on you and play - but only on her own terms.  Violet has always been incredibly independent - over the years she has come to appreciate being loved on but she doesn't really actively seek it out. Fiona is super mellow, happy to be carried around and loved on - not a wiggly ferret at all.  And last - my Maddie - moo.  She is probably the most consistent of the bunch - a joyful girl who loves to get loved on and who gives sweet kisses every time she sees you.

At the end of the day - I am so lucky to have these little ones - regardless of the kind of engagement. I look forward to seeing how things change with them over time..