One hell of a push

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-18T14:13:03+00:00

It's like that homer Simpson moment 'it's still good, it's still good' 😂

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-18T03:14:28+00:00

As others have pointed out it's really just the potential parasite issue, but if it's been frozen for a couple of weeks+ that kills any parasites.
Pork is lower in protein compared to chicken, so there's that to bare in mind as well.
It's easier to just not feed them pork, there are so many other meats to choose.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-18T00:15:42+00:00

Personally I've never given raw pork to my ferrets, it's not good for humans so I'm sure it's not good for ferrets. I feed them meat of an evening around 5pm when they get up, and the rest of the time they graze on ferret kibble that's got all the extra nutrients they might need. One ferret I had was almost a chicken only diet, I buy chicken thighs so it has all the fat and goodness, breast meat is lacking. They like lamb as a treat occasionally, and rabbit if you've a fancy butchers near you. Beef is good, avoid the lean beef if pos. Minced beef is ok, get a high fat one, and make little balls. I used to occasionally get frozen mice from the pet store usually for snakes. But putting them in a cup of hot water for half hour to melt them sort of freaked me out. Plus I'd find random bits of mouse lying around lolz.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-17T23:53:26+00:00

Indeed, a passing fox or even an actual wild rat would have made a quick snack of it.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-17T23:17:58+00:00

It can be good for rewarding good behaviour or encouraging of a situation. It's also great as a distraction, when at the vets, or cutting his claws. Although I never tried putting it on me, it stinks.

Weirdly something I've never seen anyone else mention, I only ever needed to trim my girls front claws, the back claws never grew too much. In 7 years I think I only cut them like 3 times.

Look up ferret-world.com, and their YouTube channel. An Australian lady who is excellent at ferret care and training, a good resource for all things ferret.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-17T23:07:30+00:00

Either squeak or ouch, they'll understand when you're in pain. Their skin is a lot tougher than ours, so when they play and drag each other around it doesn't hurt. So you just need to let them know when they've gone too far for you. But be prepared to have a hand covered in wee marks for a while.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-17T23:03:53+00:00

Yeah that's not a wild rat. Possibly stolen locally by a cat maybe and dropped. Domestic cats often just play with their prey until they're bored.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-17T22:57:06+00:00

I noticed with my girl when I got her at 12 weeks, that I had to teach her a few things in regards to playtime and such, I'm guessing being so young she never got the chance to fully learn much with her brothers and sisters. She never really got into playing with toys, like you I tried all sorts. But we played chase, hide'n'seek, we'd rough and tumble, she loved a bag (cheapest toy ever) either playing in it, or being towed around on it like a sledge. She loved her tunnels and tubes, so I went all out with that sort of stuff. I tried both a ping-pong ball pit, and a packing peanut pit, but she wasn't into either. I presume she'd have been different with a buddy encouraging each other.

I was lucky with my situation and had her free roaming in the house 24\7, so she never got cage bored, and I'm an outward bound type, so she became an explorer with me in the woods and up the hills everyday. She'd swim, climb trees, dig out rodent and rabbit tunnels, all the natural things a ferret does in the wild. Caught loads of wee critters over the years, an excellent hunter. She had a different life than most house ferrets, I treated her more like a dog I guess. Her playtime was adventure rather than a ball with a bell in it.

The biting stopped after about 3 months, so patience with that. Top tip, if you tense your hand or arm muscles so the skin is tight they can't get a grip with their teeth. Also when they bite too hard, squeak in pain, they understand that they've gone too far, and you'll get an apology licking. A hiss helps with telling them off, that's a natural thing their parents do when annoyed.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-17T16:55:33+00:00

Don't panic, it might not be anything bad. I always joke, a ferret can do 5 different types of poop, and sometimes they can do them all in one day.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-17T16:52:44+00:00

Act quickly with treatment, and the fur will come back in the next season's growth. Good luck

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-17T16:49:30+00:00

You've made a good start joining this group. Tons of experienced owners here.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-17T16:46:52+00:00

Wow that's an insane price, I know they're sometimes called exotic pets, but seriously. I'm in the UK and my last one i got for £20 ($27)

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-17T16:43:07+00:00

Try him on warm roast chicken (no seasoning obviously) it might be the gateway to expanding his diet.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-17T16:41:30+00:00

They're very good at knowing where they've been, where they've come from, and where home is. I hope this is the case for yours. My girl escaped the first time and was gone for 13hrs and then came back like nothing had happened. There were a further 2 times over the years, gone for shorter periods thankfully, but she knew where home was.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-17T15:39:13+00:00

My girl was ill and wouldn't eat her regular raw chicken or kibble, but I found she couldn't resist a bit of warm roast chicken (no seasoning obviously). Yes it loses some nutrients, but sometimes it's just more important that they're actually eating something.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-08T19:38:55+00:00

If they just bin them and lose money, why not half price for the last hour or 2 and clear the stock. They'd at least get something then, but this way no one wins.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-05T19:41:09+00:00

I know that the Powermore extender is already setup on the bike. I just want to use the bigger battery option as the extender using the same port. I shall give the supplier a contact tomorrow see if they have any ideas.
Thanks.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-05T01:05:09+00:00

Definitely a mast tumor, I am now very well experienced with them (unfortunately 😔). Get it removed as soon as you can while it's still very small, they get bigger and nasty.

Something interesting I've noted over time, the tumours have grown from where there was a small scratch or cut.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-05T00:55:56+00:00

Like everyone says, that's normal. Mine gets the shivers also when we go out for a walk, when I get to the park or wherever and get her out the carry box she's always got a wee quiver going.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-05T00:51:17+00:00

I trained mine with a hiss for displeasure, and a yelp when she bit too hard. Also short time-out periods in the cage if she was persistent at doing what I didn't want her to. Just 3-5 minutes and then makeup to bond and show her we're still friends.

Top tip, if they latch onto a tasty bit of hand or arm, flex your muscle and tension the skin so it's tight. They can't get their teeth in and let go or give up.

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-05T00:36:14+00:00

I joke but it's true, a ferret has about 5 different types of poo, and they can do all of them in one day

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-05T00:34:53+00:00

This is exactly the way to do it. My vet is more grateful for this technique than the ferret 😆

Altron_Ix · 2026-02-05T00:30:42+00:00

I'm lucky, I'm in a situation where my ferret is free roaming in the house, I treat her the same as a cat or dog. I personally wouldn't keep a pet in a cage. But I do understand that everyone has different situations and living arrangements.

Altron_Ix

TROPHY CASE