Hi all,

I just adopted two ferrety friends yesterday. I am *so* excited! I've been wanting one for a year or so now and have spent the time researching their needs and care requirements. I have two 8-week-old sisters who are adorable. They came home yesterday and I gave them some time to feel comfortable in their new home. It didn't take long! Within fifteen minutes, they were wrestling, eating and drinking, which was great to see. This morning I took them out for a handle for the first time. They're quite nippy, but this is to be expected, and it doesn't actually hurt. I just tell them a loud "NO" and they're learning already. When one of them was particularly rough, I gave her time out in the cage for a few minutes. She was *not* impressed!
I'd heard a good method for nip training was to put some bitter apple on your hands. I couldn't find this anywhere (the pet stores I went to didn't have any), but I'd heard that mouthwash worked well, too. One of my fuzzies LOVES it! She won't stop licking my hand! I'm a little concerned that it won't be good for her, so later on I'll try without anything; they seem to be getting the message very quickly with the NO anyway, and I'm making sure we have a little wrestle after every telling off so that they know that I'm still a fun mommy!

I would like a little advice on the canine distemper vaccine, if anyone has any to give. Some people say that they should have the first jab right now (5-8 weeks), but others say that their immune system is still a bit weak and waiting till ten weeks is better. Does anyone have anything to add on this topic? I obviously want to err on the side of caution, and knowing ferrets are more likely to have adverse reactions to vaccines than dogs and cats anyhow, I feel like waiting a couple of weeks might be a good idea. On the other hand, distemper is a killer...
They live indoors and I don't have any other pets; the only dog I come into contact with (but NEVER in my home) is fully vaccinated.
What do you think?

They're awake and playing right now. They've just discovered that the old teeshirts I've thrown in their cage have sleeves! Wow, how exciting *that* is!

Unfortunately, being a mum to two fuzzies doesn't mean the housework can be ignored, so I must dash to do that.

Thanks for your advice!

hello if you are in the uk you dont realy need it as it is only dog jabs they have....its given because of rabies and in the uk its not common so they dont need it aslong as other pets have had there jabs like dog or cat then you will be fine.

i have 4 2 boys 2 girls they are all brothers and sisters both girls dont bite as i handled them alot and told them no when they went to and it seems to have worked .as for the boys the darker boy is a bully lol he does not listen hes a true hunter and the albino is so loving when he comes out he has to give me a kiss on the lips well they all do as i tought them this when taking them out there cage its so cute .as it colder now on a night i give them warm kittens milk and they love it.i have pics of them on my page

Hi fellow Newbie,

I am in the uk and have had all my ferrets vaccinated against distemper. The vaccine is not licensed for ferret use in the uk but many vets advice is to have them done. I got mine done as I take them to all kinds of country fairs (they are public relation ferrets lol) and come into contact often with dogs. If you are going to be taking them out for walks then there is a strong possibility they will come across what dogs leave behind (lol). The choice is yours to make none of mine showed any side effects but as we know all ferrets are individuals I felt the risk was worth it. If you decide to go ahead its lucky you have 2 as the vaccine is a sealed vial of which only half is used per ferret so its the same price for 2 as it is for 1. Time out for nipping is a great method we have used it in the past its even better if the 'naughty' fuzzy' can see others having fun whilst he is in 'jail'. Happy times ahead for you and your guys

You do not have to come into contact with a dog carrying Canine Distemper, it can be transferred by foot.

Thanks for the responses! I shall definitely be getting them vaccinated, it's just a matter of when. I live in Andorra, not the UK, and since it's such a teeny country, will be getting a passport for them both so we can go on holidays to France and Spain They'll also need their rabies jabs, get chipped yada yada yada.
After your responses, I think I shall be waiting a couple of weeks before getting their first distemper jab, and other than trips to the vet I'll keep them at home until they're fully vaccinated. They're too small at the moment for their harnesses, anyhow!
I'm slowly getting to know them; they're quite different, despite being almost identical! One is very laid back, gives the odd nip now and again but responds well to a firm NO. She's also the brighter one, working out how to use the ladders in the cage before the other. The second one is a lot more feisty - she really gets her teeth stuck in! I can see a lot of cage time outs with her! She also tends to try to run up the plastic ramps, which doesn't work, because she's running on her claws not pads, so she slips straight back down again. Very entertaining

Anyhow, I shan't witter on any longer. I'm turning into one of those mothers who insists on telling everyone about their new baby's every bowel movement

My two guys had their jabs done at about 16 weeks old neither of them botherd or showed any kind of reactions to the vacine.
Sounds wonderful that your going to take them on holiday with you .
With the nipping i told them no each time they nipped and then one day they just seemed to stop it was very strange haha. but there both big softies now and will often lick me instead

Just as another update, we had an AWESOME day yesterday with them. My boyfriend made them a play run out of a massive cardboard box, then another smaller box inside with a hole cut in each side so they could go through it, then a old (cleaned) water bottle with its ends cut off pushed through one of these holes to make a see-saw. Add a couple of bell-balls and the fuzzies, and it led to HOURS of entertainment. They were besides themselves as to what to play with first!

Every now and then we'd put them back in their cage for water and toilet, which they always did very quickly. They've already learnt that we put them in at the bottom of the cage and take them out from the top (it's three levels), so as soon as they's done their business, they'd RACE back to the top to come out and play again. I started saying "play time" as I did that, so hopefully they'll begin to associate that with coming out.

We also had a rethink about their litter tray. We'd bought the one that was recommended by the pet shop, but we weren't having any luck. They'd just dig all the contents out. We weren't particularly bothered - in our list of priorities, getting them happy with us was #1, but when we popped out to the shop, we saw a much bigger corner tray. We bought this and some paper-derived litter, rather than the clear cat crystals we'd used before. We took the advice of some people and covered the base of the cage in tee shirts. The first of our girls that needed to go was very confused. She kept hopping in to the tray, having a smell of the bit of poo we left in there, then she'd pop out, look at all the other corners, which were now 'bed', then back in to the tray. It went on for about ten minutes before she eventually backed up into the corner of the tray! As soon as she had, I gave her a treat, which she was very pleased with. A couple of minutes later, our other fuzzy came down the ramp, popped straight into the tray and did her thang. More treats! Wooh! I'm fully expecting them to get the hang of this litter tray/treat thing and to start cheating, but I don't mind that

I'll be boring you all with more updates soon!

Here's some pics of the babies.... mainly sleeping! They fell asleep in my lap for the first time last night - a lovely sign of trust (or maybe we just tired them out with all the wrestling!).
Nipping is almost zero now. Even when they're having a mad wrestle, you can put your hands in the fray and join in. I had them doing a war dance to my hand last night, too. First time I've seen them do this. It's quite hysterical in something so small!
This morning, we had a trial run with the harnesses. They're way too big for them (they walked out of them very quickly!), but I figure if we can get them as used to the harness now, it'll be easier later on. They weren't bothered in the slightest! Happy ferrety days!

Anyhow, here's the pics:
Fiona Lovett's Photos - Ferrety fun | Facebook