Hi everyone, as the post says I'm new to the site, just here to share my story and pick up some tips/ideas for looking after my baby Bonnie (ferret jill).
At the beginning of the summer my boyfriend and I got our first ferrets - two jills (sisters). We named them Bandit and Blondie. (First image.) They were beautiful little things though they didn't appreciate being handled very much and would bite all the time and sometimes draw blood. Nevertheless we gave them lots of time, love and attention and they got to like us a little.
Shortly after getting them though, my Beardie was diagnosed with cancer when it was too late - she had a tumor double the size of a conker - and had to be put down. I was completely broken when this happened and so didn't have quite so much time for the weasels (as I like to call them).
They liked getting up very early - especially as it was the summer - and so we'd left their hutch open for them (inside their locked run). But one night they managed to dig their way through the thick plastic sheeting under their run (the substitute for a base while we were getting a wooden one made), made a hole in the garden where they dug out from under their run, and escaped. The next day when we went to check on them they were both gone. I can only assume they had gotten out soon after putting them to bed that night because their bowl was still full and their water was barely touched. We searched for weeks, left posters up all around the area and posted missing forums on the website Preloved, but to no avail. I swear they were living in deep hedgerows by a country lane for weeks though - every time I would walk past there at dusk searching for them I heard sounds that definitely resembled ferrets, tried luring them out with steak (their favourite!) and vitamin/malt paste that they loved, and even their favourite jingly toy, but with no luck. My boyfriend thinks he saw one when he walked down that road at night, which was a month or more after they'd gone... But we never got them back. I have no doubt they could survive in the wild, I know people say ferrets cannot live in the wild but these two were clearly worker material and were so intelligent, and they loved being outside and away from people. Plus the area where we think they were is full of rats - perfect weasel food as ferrets are used for ratting anyway. I just worry that they may have caught a disease or, if they're still alive, will get into trouble when they come in to season next year. We miss them so much
Someone got in touch with me though as a response to my missing post, sadly not to say they found my babies, but that he had a jill of about the same age who was free to a good home as his dogs didn't get on with her so it was a struggle to keep her safe indoors. We got her soon after that, and she now lives happily in her huge 7ft run with raised hutch - which has a wooden base nailed to it! Bonnie is a lovely little girl, she does bite a bit but only really in play, and she quite likes snuggling up for a cuddle on the sofa when she's all played out. (Second picture.)
So here I am! I have one jill, Bonnie, and I'm here to share/receive tips and ideas for looking after ferrets.
Thankyou for reading!
25-10-2011, 12:56 AM
New to the site - my story.
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