loud ferret

Question

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Followup To

Question -
Hi, I have a very young ferret (I am guessing she is about 10 weeks or so) who is having some behavioral problems. She responded well to litter training and no longer bites, but she loves to wake up very early and whine for hours until my boyfriend or I take her out of her cage. Unfortunatly, we live in a house with other people so we cannot put her in another room while we sleep. We have tried ignoring her so she does not associate whining with getting her way, but she will whine and throw a little fit from 6 am straight on til 10 am, making it very difficult for us to sleep. Also, scolding her seems to make no difference- she will be quiet for maybe a minute then start with the whining again. She is otherwise a very good pet, but this whiny wakeup every day is getting tiresome. What can I do to make her stop?

Answer -
Let me ask a few questions first!  What size cage is she in and can you describe it to me?  What is her normal schedule over the course of a day (eating, drinking, playtime, time out of cage etc)?  What food does she eat?  How long have you had her?

These answers will help me help you.
Ailigh


Hi Ailigh,
Right now we are keeping the ferret in a wire cage that is about two feet by one and a half feet. We are going to build her a bigger cage in a few weeks but I figured this one would be ok while she's small. The cage has a hammock and toys and a cardboard tube to keep her interested, but she spends a lot of time chewing on the bars and knocking over her litter pan. She doesn't have much of a schedule I'm sorry to say- I just keep her food bowl full all the time and we play with her a lot. We always end up playing with her first thing in the morning and throughout the day when she is awake. Between myself and my boyfriend I would say we play with her at least 5 hours a day, which I thought would make her tired enough by night time. She eats Marshall ferret food and treats such as Yogies and Ferretone. She drinks frequently- when I play with her she goes back to her cage about every 10 minutes or so to get a drink. I don't let her roam freely around my house because it is too big and my roommates would probably be unhappy to discover a ferret in their pillowcase. I only really let her roam on my bed. We've only had her two weeks and the whining and crying has started within the last few days so I would like to nip it in the bud and get a decent night's sleep. Everyone I have talked to, the books I've read and all the ferret FAQ things on the internet make no mention of ferrets making this much noise. I can't believe the amount of noise coming out of this little animal!

Thanks for your help,
Lindsey

Answer
Lindsey,
It certainly seems like she is getting enough play time and I understand the roommate issues!  SHe probably has 2 main issues.  1.  She is bored.  While there are things to do in her cage, she has done them already.  Ferrets are very intelligent and therefor bore easily.  2.  Her cage it way too small.  My advise is to always get the biggest cage you can afford.  Martins cages (online) has some varied sizes at pretty decent prices.  If you are going to make her a cage do it as soon as you can.  The only problem with homemade cages is cleaning.  She needs 2-3 levels to explore.  Her food should be away from her litter box.  She should have enough space to play in the cage with a toy and not run into things too often.  The chewing on bars is usually stress and can be harmful to her teeth - so we need to stop that as soon as possible.  Enrichment or structured play will help.  You need to play with her when she is the most ready to play (if that makes sence).  Ferrets are crepuscular so they are most active at dawn and dusk.  Morning and evening play times are great.  Rotate her toys so they seem new and more exciting.  You can get a play pen (check Ferretstore.com or ferretdepot.com) for out of cage play time.  Try to offer her a nest box - a rubbermaid tub with blankets and a hole in the side to get in.  Ferrets naturall are burrowers so like things to get into or under like a dark box and lots of blankets or towels.
Chances are (if you got her from a pet store) she is only 6-8 weeks old and she may just be struggling through the night.  I don't hear of it often with ferrets.  With dogs, we suggest a small clock that ticks (old fashioned clock) and a stuffed animal to help.  Try to play with her as late as you can.  And while I know it can be hard - try to only play with her when she is quiet.  That may mean that 1 second she takes a breath before crying again is the one moment you have.  Check out enrichment articles by Bob Church either online or in Ferrets magazine.  Make sure she gets a vet check up too - to make sure nothing is wrong with her since this is so unusual.  Finally, some of the ferret illnesses are being linked to a diet too high in carbs and too much light.  Natural Gold or Evo are great food choices that are high in protein and lo in carbs.  Stay away from treats that are not meat - other foods or Totally Ferrets Chicken bits are great treat items.  Good luck and keep me updated.  You can email me personally for more info and help.
Ailigh
Animalia.us
ailighsark@yahoo.com