Welcome to the Family Harlow, Kai and Tabitha!!

       

We have had the new babies about 15 hours so far.  Things are going well!!  I woke up to Kai and Theo playing and wrestling - I think Kai is a bit like Violet in that he is very vocal.  Theo is so thrilled to have a rough and tumble boy around.  I am happy for him as I think it was rough on him losing both Clooney and Finn in such a short timeframe.

Let's start with Harlow - she is a beautiful coppery, latte, creamy ferret - she is built similarly to Madison.  She is very, very interested in toys and has already started to make a pile in the closet. Tabitha looks much like Violet did when Vi was a baby.  She is creamy white in her under coat with gray, black and silver in her top coat.  She is similar to Violet in that she doesn't love to be held and is pretty independent.  Kai is a big crazy boy - he is the same creamy butterscotch color as Theo but his legs, a patch by his shoulders and his tail (all but the tip) are a darker brown.  Kai is quite the leaper and he is obsessed with feet - he likes to stand on them and check out your toes.

Bringing them into the family has not been challenging at all - I think the gang is used to it now.  The other ferrets were fine - there has been no squabbling and Violet settled in for a nap with the new babies shortly after they arrived.  Ollie and Phoebe have already been playing with them, Emma has introduced herself and the babies are not afraid of either the dog or the cats.  Zoey and Aggie are in denial that we even have ferrets....Winston doesn't get access to the ferrets - with his pokey hooves and his size I think its too dangerous for him to be around them - I am afraid he will step on them and injure them so we just have ferret land upstairs and piggy land downstairs and kitties and dog who float between the two.

All in all I am thrilled that Theo has a brother, that we kept the three together, that Maddie has new babies - she is the matriarch and that my husband is a saint.  We are officially the Grant dozen - wow!

Reinforcements!

Today has been a relaxing and uneventful day for the household - we needed it!  Our only trip out today was to hit the hardware store to try to find reinforcements for the hallway room divider.  We need to keep those rascally ferrets in....

My solution for keeping the ferrets on their side of the room divider is as follows:

The old eye screw - I put these in the side of the room divider.  Into the wall I put these:

This prevents the herculean strength ferrets from sliding the room divider and making their escape.  So far only one jail break - we made a slight adjustment and its been quiet since.  Fingers crossed this does the trick.  Love those little weasels - wanting them to have more space to play.

Gobble Gobble!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!  Today was a great day - in critter world I think the gang is pretty happy and content. Emma and Winston had lots of  special treats today.  The kitties had a few bites of turkey and they were allowed to lick a few plates.  The ferrets didn't have much in the way of food or treats - Madison did manage several jail breaks over the course of the day so we are thinking of ways to make the room divider more secure.

As I type this at 7:30 in the evening I am the only human or furry family member who is awake - everyone is sacked out - kitties, dog, pig and husband all snoozing around the fire and ferrets all sacked out upstairs.  I have cleanup left to do - trying to get motivated...

Hoping you and yours had a great day!

Ferret Freedom

I am so happy that I have finally come up with a solution for giving the ferrets access to more of the house without giving them access to Winston.  The solution ended up being quite simple - I love it when that happens.

When Winston came to live with us we had the ferrets in our room during the day and then the swap would occur with Winston going upstairs and the ferrets having run of the house all night.  Now that Winston wants to be a full time downstairs pig this poses a problem - how do we let the ferrets have some freedom without putting them in jeopardy by allowing them access to the pig and the chance of getting stepped on?

I finally found the perfect thing - a heavy faux leather room divider.  I stretch this across the hallway and now I can leave our bedroom door open and the ferrets can have free run of our room, the upstairs bath and the craft room.  They seem happy to have more space and they are trying to figure out how to escape but the room divider is too heavy for them to move and the faux leather is not climbable.  WOOHOO!!!

I have taken an additional precautionary measure - installing industrial strength velcro at the top and bottom of the room divider and the door frames which the corners attach to - this protects kitties and piglets from pushing it open.  It's not super lovely but it makes me more comfortable knowing that its one more level of "security" to keep the ferrets safe.  So far no jail breaks....

So happy to let them have a bit more freedom knowing they are safe and sound upstairs.  The other nice thing is that this keeps Emma from sneaking downstairs at night to do naughty things on the carpet.  It will also give us the ability to boot obnoxious kitties out of our room without giving them access to wail at the top of their lungs at the closed bedroom door.  It solves a multitude of problems - so pleased!!!

Christmas With a Pig

So - Christmas at our house is going to be interesting now that Winston has joined our happy little family!!

Trees - he thinks they are - well - trees...which pigs eat and chew on and scratch against.  So - no large trees that sit on the floor this year - everything will be table top.

Ornaments - they are just toys in his mind so you can't have any within his reach - he will munch them....

Gifts - the pig LOVES paper so wrapped gifts on the floor are out of the question.  He is more obsessed with finding out what is in a bag than the ferrets are - no gift bags in his area either.

Stockings are safe I think - they are high enough that he shouldn't be able to access those....

It will be a bit different but it's so worth it - love that little pig....

Thanksgiving Treats for the Critters

I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is this week for those of us in the US - where did 2014 go???

I found this article from the ACPCA with some great reminders for keeping your furries safe on Turkey Day. For us - Emma and the kitties will get a bit of  turkey, Winston will get some veges like sweet potato and green beans, and the ferrets will get offers on several things but likely only Theo will try anything as the little girls are not very adventurous in the food department.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!!

Thanksgiving Safety Tips

‘Tis the season for friends, family and holiday feasts—but also for possible distress for
our animal companions. Pets won’t be so thankful if they munch on undercooked turkey
or a pet-unfriendly floral arrangement, or if they stumble upon an unattended alcoholic
drink.

Check out the following tips from ASPCA experts for a fulfilling Thanksgiving that your
pets can enjoy, too.

Talkin’ Turkey
If you decide to feed your pet a little nibble of turkey, make sure it’s boneless and
well-cooked. Don't offer her raw or undercooked turkey, which may contain
salmonella bacteria.

Sage Advice
Sage can make your Thanksgiving stuffing taste delish but it and many other herbs contain essential oils and resins that can cause gastrointestinal upset and central nervous system depression to pets if eaten in large quantities. Cats are especially sensitive to the effects of certain essential oils.

No Bread Dough
Don't spoil your pet’s holiday by giving him raw bread dough. According to ASPCA experts,
when raw bread dough is ingested, an animal's body heat causes the dough to rise in his stomach. As it expands, the pet may experience vomiting, severe abdominal pain and
bloating, which could become a life-threatening emergency, requiring surgery.

Don't Let Them Eat Cake
If you’re baking up Thanksgiving cakes, be sure your pets keep their noses out of the
batter, especially if it includes raw eggs—they could contain salmonella bacteria that
may lead to food poisoning.

Too Much of a Good Thing
A few small boneless pieces of cooked turkey, a taste of mashed potato or even a lick of pumpkin pie shouldn’t pose a problem. However, don't allow your pets to overindulge, as
they could wind up with a case of stomach upset, diarrhea or even worse—an inflammatory condition of the pancreas known as pancreatitis. In fact, it’s best keep pets on their regular
diets during the holidays.

A Feast Fit for a Kong
While the humans are chowing down, give your cat and dog their own little feast. Offer
them Nylabones or made-for-pet chew bones. Or stuff their usual dinner—perhaps with
a few added tidbits of turkey, vegetables (try sweet potato or green beans) and dribbles
of gravy—inside a Kong toy. They’ll be happily occupied for awhile, working hard to
extract their dinner from the toy.

Pet Product Review: IRIS USA, Inc. Airtight Pet Food Container Combo Kit

Remember the treat box fiasco with Winston while we were out of town at the beginning of the month? We took measures to ensure that Mr. Piglet did not have access to food and treats again.  I ordered three sets of these:

Since Winston uses his snout to push things around we opted not to put the wheels on.  They work just great.  We have one with kitty/ferret food and treats, one for Emma's food and MilkBones and one with Winston's food and treats.  The scoops have lines on the inside that show how much food you are dispensing.

Winston is strong enough to push them around but not tall enough to tip them over or open them - although he is tall enough to  move the handle.  I am also liking how fresh and soft this is keeping Emma's food as well.  All in all a great purchase for us.  Would highly recommend - available on Amazon