Behaving Odd - Left 4 Weekend

Question
Hi,
I had to leave my four ferrets for the weekend as I had to work away.My neighbour offered to come around and feed them n let them out etc. Since I have returned they are behaving really strange like they will just sit there and look placid. They look tired and just generally behaving different!
I heard that my neighbours gave their cats catnip the same weekend I was away and was wondering if there behaviour is as a result of them feeding them that. I have asked them and they have said no but cant think of any other reason? Their diet or scheduele has not changed at all?
Any suggestions?

Answer
Hi Kerry:

Sorry to hear your gang is a bit down in the dumps.  Even if your neighbor had given catnip to your ferrets, it should have basically no effect on them.  Hopefully your neighbors allowed them to play only in a well-ferretproofed area that they are familiar with?  And are your kids familiar with the person who let them out to play while you were gone?  Has this person handled them before?  When you only weigh 2-lbs, an adult human looks HUGE and must be very scary if the ferret doesn't know the person. Even tho it's common practice and a really good idea to have someone check on them, it's a really good idea to make SURE the ferrets have spent a bit of time with the person with you there so they KNOW the person is safe and is a friend. At only two pounds or so, it has to be scary to them when someone comes in the house and daddy's nowhere around to save them. It just very possibly may have scared the bejeebers out of them and they just might be pouting a bit!

They may have wondered "HEY, who is this stranger in our house and where is our daddy???"  Then, when you came home, possibly they are feeling a bit like "how DARE you go away without telling us you were going to leave someone else in charge of us!!"  I know that sounds funny, but I've found over the years that it really does pay to use common phrases repeatedly with ferrets such as "mommy will be back!" whenever I leave the house to reassure them I AM coming back. Also, when we are away from home and they are with me, the 'signal' that we are going home "let's go home to (ferret's name) house!"  You would be surprised, but after repeating these phrases over the years, when the kids see me walk into the livingroom and I announce "mommy will be back" instead of asking to come out to play, they just resign themselves to the hammock as if to say "okay". Same with "let's go home...."  They will actually get excited and start looking out the car window for something familiar! They KNOW we're heading back towards something familiar to them! So, I truly believe that phrases like this help them adapt to otherwise stressful circumstances.  When I was in the hospital once, I called on the phone, had hubby hold the phone down where the kids could hear while I said "mommy will be back!".  He said it did calm them - they had been misbehaving, tearing the cage up since I hadn't been home for playtime the night before - tbey were used to mommy being there every night!  Those few words on the phone settled the problem right then and there. They KNEW I hadn't forgotten them.

If you can think of some phrases you can use with your kids just to reassure them when you leave the house, it may help.  OR maybe you can put a certain toy (a stuffed animal or something) in the cage when you're not home and tell them you will be back, then take the toy out when you come back?  Just an idea.  Also, whenever you do leave them in someone else's care, be sure they have actually "met" the person and the person knows familiar phrases to them, knows where the Ferretone is, a few of their favorite games like pulling a blanket thru the house for them to jump on and ride - anything that will help them feel 'normal'. They DO get upset when their routine is disrupted by different people, different smells, different routines, different voices, words and all they are familiar with is each other and inside their cage; it *can* make them quiet for a day or two.  

Your question went to the question pool, so I'm sorry it wasn't answered sooner. I just now saw it.  Hopefully by the time you get this reply, your gang will be feeling much better.  If not, you might want to consider a group walk outside just to kind of 'reset' "normal" for them. Let them all experience something new too. Just ten minutes will be plenty if you are short on time. A walk around the block - in your arms; or on their harnesses and leashes is even better so they can exercise their noses and legs a bit if that's possible...that's very exciting and a huge outing for a ferret! A short trip to the park would be fun too! Then you can all come home together - after having been 'away' and celebrate that you are all home *TOGETHER AGAIN*!  THAT they will understand - I assure you :-)

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers