Sometimes I worry/feel guilty about potentially not giving my chinny baby enough attention. I felt this way particularly over the holidays because I had been so busy (along with finals right before that). I probably still feel bad because one day I think I intruded on him and he bit me and actually drew blood -- this has never happened before. He's always been a very adventurous, silly little guy. He has snuggled between my legs when I've played with him in an empty room. He's used me as an obstacle for running around in his cage or out in the open. He comes into my lap and let's me pseudo-hug him. I was kind of hurt and upset and unsure on what I'd done. Was he just taking his anger/frustration out on me because I hadn't been around quite as much? Or did I just wake him up at the wrong time?
There was one devastating interaction where I wanted to do a hair ring check on him and look at his testicles (which seemed red and enlarged from one angle). He really did not enjoy this and I was unable to complete the ring check, although his testicles seem to be fine according to what I've read (he had just been running around and was likely warm so they dropped, and I was just unfamiliar with this!). I felt terrible after doing this, he seemed very upset with me. He didn't get snippy, but he did loose fur (which I did not realize until I let him hop back into his cage) and was generally unhappy. He let me scritch him again later that evening, but I felt awful.
I do everything I can to play with him, but he often doesn't want to come out of his cage to play in the open. He gets very huffy, grumbly, and terribly snippy with me when I try to get him to come out and into his carrier. I developed a system when this started happening, which involved me giving him a rose hip any time he successfully got into his carrier on his own or otherwise (which I use to take him to his play room). It was working for awhile, but it has been failing again. I don't know if he is bothered because sometimes the carrier means cleaning time, sometimes it means play time, often it means both. Sometimes I will leave him alone until he calms down and try again. Other times I worry that I am just aggravating him for no reason and let it alone for the night. I worry he's not getting enough exercise or attention regardless. He has a double level Ferret Nation right now and he does laps from the very top shelf to the very bottom, but I still worry. I haven't ordered him a wheel yet since he just turned a year old right before Christmas.
I used to make up for no play time in the room by huddling against his cage and letting him run onto my lap and snuggle very briefly, or to use me as part of his obstacle course and he'd do a lap around my neck, etc. And we'd do that for awhile. But he seems less keen on doing that lately, as well. I've gotten him to do it a little, but not like it used to be.
I feel terrible, like I've done something wrong, but I don't know what. I think he needs more attention but he doesn't always want it (sometimes he does). He used to be much more into the interaction. He also doesn't greet me in the mornings anymore, which makes me sad.
I'm feeling awfully conflicted between understanding him or if I've done something wrong or that he's better off somewhere else if my lifestyle doesn't fit his needs. (I'm actually tearing up a little, to be honest...) My boyfriend currently lives about 3.5 hours away and I drive up there every other weekend (it has been a little bit more than that recently) but this is a temporary situation. Otherwise, I am a full-time student who works, but I am home every evening during the week. He lives in my room at the foot of my bed and I try to talk to him while I do things.
We had some cute interactions over the holidays. In order to try to mend some of this, I played some video games with him. I set myself up next to his cage to play the one, and he seemed like he was watching me play. I also played a handheld game and opened the door to his cage and sat there and he came over to run on me and swipe at the device.
When I recently upgraded his cage with the second level, he started a habit of pulling back the fleece and chewing on the plastic underneath. He drove me absolutely mad -- he turned into a game when he realized he wasn't supposed to be doing it. The moment I stopped caring, he (mostly) stopped trying to chew on the plastic. I have switched the fleece out so that he's unable to pull it out as of yesterday, but for quite awhile he was still pulling it back and every fix I did he ended up circumventing.
Right now, as I said, he's in a two level Ferret Nation. He has a bendy bridge which he seems to like to be partially bent in a curve shape and the rest flat. He also has a wooden house on the other level. He has a cuddle buddy and a variety of shelves. I stuff his hay in a hanging coconut shell with some holes cut out. Other than that, he will only eat poplar, ocotillo, and cholla woods. I stuff a minimal amount of treats in those when I leave over the weekend, just to give him something extra to do while I am gone. He adores vine balls/wreaths/etc., and I try to give those to him as much as I can but he tears right through them (maybe a few hours at best). He's also got the hammock.
Other toys he has ultimately rejected. He doesn't seem to like hanging toys at all, if he even notices them (though he does chew on the coconut sometimes). Regardless, I worry that I'm not giving him enough variety (even though he doesn't seem to want it?).
He used to be incredibly outgoing and friendly. He was more than happy to run up the shoulder of a stranger in the past. I'm worried that I've done something to turn him into a bitter recluse and I don't know what to do.
My very last concern is that he does do the mouth pawing thing, but he has done this since I first got him. He only does it very occasionally, it usually seems to be done when he looks like he's thinking, right before he does something. He's never had any other issues - eyes are fine, no drool, he doesn't let me get a good look at his back teeth or gums but he always feels dry, he's more likely to be a little on the heavy side than under, always eats and runs in his cage, still tearing things to pieces. I had asked in the past and I was told that it could just be a habit of his. Should I be concerned in conjunction with the shyness/hesitancy/grumpiness in behavior?
He only occasionally sleeps with his eyes closed, although he does feel comfortable enough to lay in some silly positions sometimes, especially in his hammock.
Give me the cold hard truth, please.
There was one devastating interaction where I wanted to do a hair ring check on him and look at his testicles (which seemed red and enlarged from one angle). He really did not enjoy this and I was unable to complete the ring check, although his testicles seem to be fine according to what I've read (he had just been running around and was likely warm so they dropped, and I was just unfamiliar with this!). I felt terrible after doing this, he seemed very upset with me. He didn't get snippy, but he did loose fur (which I did not realize until I let him hop back into his cage) and was generally unhappy. He let me scritch him again later that evening, but I felt awful.
I do everything I can to play with him, but he often doesn't want to come out of his cage to play in the open. He gets very huffy, grumbly, and terribly snippy with me when I try to get him to come out and into his carrier. I developed a system when this started happening, which involved me giving him a rose hip any time he successfully got into his carrier on his own or otherwise (which I use to take him to his play room). It was working for awhile, but it has been failing again. I don't know if he is bothered because sometimes the carrier means cleaning time, sometimes it means play time, often it means both. Sometimes I will leave him alone until he calms down and try again. Other times I worry that I am just aggravating him for no reason and let it alone for the night. I worry he's not getting enough exercise or attention regardless. He has a double level Ferret Nation right now and he does laps from the very top shelf to the very bottom, but I still worry. I haven't ordered him a wheel yet since he just turned a year old right before Christmas.
I used to make up for no play time in the room by huddling against his cage and letting him run onto my lap and snuggle very briefly, or to use me as part of his obstacle course and he'd do a lap around my neck, etc. And we'd do that for awhile. But he seems less keen on doing that lately, as well. I've gotten him to do it a little, but not like it used to be.
I feel terrible, like I've done something wrong, but I don't know what. I think he needs more attention but he doesn't always want it (sometimes he does). He used to be much more into the interaction. He also doesn't greet me in the mornings anymore, which makes me sad.
I'm feeling awfully conflicted between understanding him or if I've done something wrong or that he's better off somewhere else if my lifestyle doesn't fit his needs. (I'm actually tearing up a little, to be honest...) My boyfriend currently lives about 3.5 hours away and I drive up there every other weekend (it has been a little bit more than that recently) but this is a temporary situation. Otherwise, I am a full-time student who works, but I am home every evening during the week. He lives in my room at the foot of my bed and I try to talk to him while I do things.
We had some cute interactions over the holidays. In order to try to mend some of this, I played some video games with him. I set myself up next to his cage to play the one, and he seemed like he was watching me play. I also played a handheld game and opened the door to his cage and sat there and he came over to run on me and swipe at the device.
When I recently upgraded his cage with the second level, he started a habit of pulling back the fleece and chewing on the plastic underneath. He drove me absolutely mad -- he turned into a game when he realized he wasn't supposed to be doing it. The moment I stopped caring, he (mostly) stopped trying to chew on the plastic. I have switched the fleece out so that he's unable to pull it out as of yesterday, but for quite awhile he was still pulling it back and every fix I did he ended up circumventing.
Right now, as I said, he's in a two level Ferret Nation. He has a bendy bridge which he seems to like to be partially bent in a curve shape and the rest flat. He also has a wooden house on the other level. He has a cuddle buddy and a variety of shelves. I stuff his hay in a hanging coconut shell with some holes cut out. Other than that, he will only eat poplar, ocotillo, and cholla woods. I stuff a minimal amount of treats in those when I leave over the weekend, just to give him something extra to do while I am gone. He adores vine balls/wreaths/etc., and I try to give those to him as much as I can but he tears right through them (maybe a few hours at best). He's also got the hammock.
Other toys he has ultimately rejected. He doesn't seem to like hanging toys at all, if he even notices them (though he does chew on the coconut sometimes). Regardless, I worry that I'm not giving him enough variety (even though he doesn't seem to want it?).
He used to be incredibly outgoing and friendly. He was more than happy to run up the shoulder of a stranger in the past. I'm worried that I've done something to turn him into a bitter recluse and I don't know what to do.
My very last concern is that he does do the mouth pawing thing, but he has done this since I first got him. He only does it very occasionally, it usually seems to be done when he looks like he's thinking, right before he does something. He's never had any other issues - eyes are fine, no drool, he doesn't let me get a good look at his back teeth or gums but he always feels dry, he's more likely to be a little on the heavy side than under, always eats and runs in his cage, still tearing things to pieces. I had asked in the past and I was told that it could just be a habit of his. Should I be concerned in conjunction with the shyness/hesitancy/grumpiness in behavior?
He only occasionally sleeps with his eyes closed, although he does feel comfortable enough to lay in some silly positions sometimes, especially in his hammock.
Give me the cold hard truth, please.
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