Rats, Ferrets, Snakes, other exotic animals.

[7Deadly$ins]

Only in situations where the animal will starve itself otherwise, and attempts to wean the animal off should be made.

[Lila]

Makes sense. I don't like the thought of live-feeding anyway. It's dangerous and seems kind of twisted, but that's probably just because I love my mice lol. Frozen thawed seems easier anyway, but I guess feeding live is cheaper for some people?

[7Deadly$ins]

I think the only way it would be would be if you were say, breeding mice for the purpose of feeding them to something else. I think that's fine -- but I think you should painlessly kill the mice first.

[5icky]

Not always, some live feed for enrichment of the animal. I've thought about live feeding once i live in my own place and have to time to switch my ferrets fully to raw. Not as an every day meal, but maybe once a month. As said before, i know how to complete a cervical duplicatiodislocation, which kills the mice immediately.

 

A lot of people find it inhumane but don't understand that some animals are better off with life prey, especially some of the people who've taken in wild animals as exotic pets. We cannot ignore their instinctual needs as they will get bored and fat without the ability to hunt.

[7Deadly$ins]

Not always, some live feed for enrichment of the animal. I've thought about live feeding once i live in my own place and have to time to switch my ferrets fully to raw. Not as an every day meal, but maybe once a month. As said before, i know how to complete a cervical duplicatiodislocation, which kills the mice immediately.

 

A lot of people find it inhumane but don't understand that some animals are better off with life prey, especially some of the people who've taken in wild animals as exotic pets. We cannot ignore their instinctual needs as they will get bored and fat without the ability to hunt.

There are other ways to provide enrichment without harming anything. It's worth noting that many times the predators become injured while attempting to hunt, as well. There's no added nutrition to feeding live over just feeding raw. It isn't as if you can't provide entertainment and exercise for ferrets in any alternative way.

[Omen]

What do you guys think about live feeding?

With regards to live feeding rodents, I think it's a practice that should only be used if the animal is at risk of emaciation as a result of not taking frozen/thawed or freshly killed. It's illegal to feed live where I live anyway, not that it stops people from doing it. I don't ever plan to feed live, I would prefer freshly killed to having one of my Herps attacked by a desperate rodent.

 

With regards to live feeding insects, if the animal can catch the food live, I don't have any moral qualms about it. My Blueys are terrible hunters though, so anything that's fed live such as wood roaches or crickets has to be... disabled or killed first. Snails on the other hand do not get such treatment unless their shell is too hard for them to crush.

 

Our snakes aren't fat and lazy even though their food is practically handed to them on a yellow set of tongs, there is plenty of perches and things for them to explore in their enclosures and they make use of it. So, until such a time as one of my animals refuses frozen/thawed food, I do not have need of considering alternatives. I can't say anything for or against feeding other animals live or not, as I do not have experience with that.

 

[5icky]

@VampiricOmen, i was talking more adding the lines of carnivorous mammals

[Draco Knight]

My neighbors now hate me, I'm sure...I gave Tribble about six of these things.

 

 

[Lila]

My neighbors now hate me, I'm sure...I gave Tribble about six of these things.

 

 

My dog my hate you. She jumped up when I played the video ahah

[20mia08]

Draco Knight, I'm going to have to borrow Tribble for awhile just to cuddle it (so fluffy!!) Panda's getting a "sister" in April. I'm getting a ferret for my birthday. Panda when we first got her below. (blurry because she was running alllllll over!)

[InugamiZERO]

My neighbors now hate me, I'm sure...I gave Tribble about six of these things.

 

 

my dogs are sitting at my door thinking I'm hiding toys from them

 

I'm with VampiricOmen on live feeding

but I've keep Rats since I was 8-9 years old so I'm kinda against it because everyone mostly uses rats

 

I've been reading this for few pages and I'm starting to really like Ferrets so if a ferret is raised around other animals (dogs,cats,rats) how well do they do, get along and yes I know each animal is different

I know very well after keeping a rat that hates humans and it was just him, his brothers had no issue was people and they were all raised the same

[grimace]

my dogs are sitting at my door thinking I'm hiding toys from them

 

I'm with VampiricOmen on live feeding

but I've keep Rats since I was 8-9 years old so I'm kinda against it because everyone mostly uses rats

 

I've been reading this for few pages and I'm starting to really like Ferrets so if a ferret is raised around other animals (dogs,cats,rats) how well do they do, get along and yes I know each animal is different

I know very well after keeping a rat that hates humans and it was just him, his brothers had no issue was people and they were all raised the same

As far as I know ferrets are fine with dogs/cats (assuming the dog/cat is too), but I would never trust a ferret around a rat.

[Draco Knight]

my dogs are sitting at my door thinking I'm hiding toys from them

 

I'm with VampiricOmen on live feeding

but I've keep Rats since I was 8-9 years old so I'm kinda against it because everyone mostly uses rats

 

I've been reading this for few pages and I'm starting to really like Ferrets so if a ferret is raised around other animals (dogs,cats,rats) how well do they do, get along and yes I know each animal is different

I know very well after keeping a rat that hates humans and it was just him, his brothers had no issue was people and they were all raised the same

Hahaha!

 

For ferrets getting on with cats and dogs, that depends on the animals involved. Usually on the cat or dog in question and if they will tolerate a small quick moving animal.

 

I would never trust a ferret around a rat, ever.

 

@20mia08: If you can manage to catch her, give it a try. She is very fluffy, and her belly is soooooo soft.

Edited January 21, 2014 by Draco Knight

[caerbannog]

I have two rabbits! I think they count as exotic because I have to see the 'exotic vet' for checkups and stuff. Also they do tricks ;P

[20mia08]

@InugamiZERO:

 

Ferrets love dogs and cats (feral cats like to try and eat them *glares at my cat Timcanpy*), but the really love (TO EAT) lizards, snakes, and rabbits (yeah, kind of surprising, they hunt them). (There's other animals they don't like, but I don't remember them. I think they eat birds too...) Certain dogs (like my 10 yr. old Boxer) might play a bit rough, so be careful. (cats too)

[InugamiZERO]

I have 2 large dogs, 5 cats big and small, and 3 rats right now

they all kinda pick on each other and the dogs/cats are use to rats but NO one is ever left alone with my boys (dogs/cats/humans) other than my mum, she's the reason I keep rats so I can trust her with them

 

I'll have to look into the ferret breeders around my arena and learn some more about them before I get any (After I get a new road bike that is)

are ferrets like rats that they do better with siblings

[sbowen]

I've had three guinea pigs, but I love my parakeet the most.

[20mia08]

@InugamiZERO

 

Yeah, they usually like friends. (Panda's Ferret sitter has 6 ferrets, all boys. One might be a mink though) But I don't know about rats and ferrets together, you better look into that. Ferrets can open some doors, so if you get one (and if they don't like rats) I'd keep a good lock on the cage(s).

[Bex]

Ferrets and rats together is a terrible idea.

 

Rats are natural prey for ferrets, and ferrets can be very determined and single-minded hunters. They are clever and will stop at nothing to find a way to kill prey once they know it is there. I have known of ferrets who managed to open their own cages and the cages of mice, hamsters, gerbils, chinchillas, etc, in order to kill them.

 

I even knew a ferret once who went swimming in a fish tank to eat someone's cichlids.

 

You also have to be careful with ferrets and dogs/cats. They are NOT always fine. In many cases they will get along just fine. Ferrets have no fear. But their lack of tact often makes other pets (especially cats) nervous enough to attack.

 

And some dogs have a high prey drive and see ferrets as nothing more than prey, and the ferrets are rarely wise enough to back off.

[5icky]

Draco Knight, I'm going to have to borrow Tribble for awhile just to cuddle it (so fluffy!!) Panda's getting a "sister" in April. I'm getting a ferret for my birthday. Panda when we first got her below. (blurry because she was running alllllll over!)

Very cute I have five ^-^ Maybe getting a sixth ferret soon, a foster

[InugamiZERO]

I was asking because rats should not be on their own so you should have 2 or more rats I want to know if ferrets are the same

NOT if rats and ferrets can be put together

[Ribombee]

I have a leopard gecko, a Madagascar hissing cockroach, and a brown banded tussock moth pupa. I'm an entomologist, so it is a good bet that there will always be some sort of strange arthropod in my office at home...

[Silent_Vampire]

Well I own a Cockatiel. They are considered exotic. They come from Australia.

[Draco Knight]

So I'm super worried. I found a dead raccoon in my backyard this morning, and I have no idea how it died or how it got there, and it died away from Tribble's enclosure; however, I'm freaking out that it died of distemper or rabies, and has perhaps made Tribble sick as well. I didn't see any bite marks on Tribble, but with her thick winter coat it is hard to tell, and distemper is so easy to spread it is horrible to consider.

 

I called Animal Control, Fish and Wildlife, and the Department of Health, but no one could really help me as I didn't observe any actual illness in the raccoon, and it didn't bite a human. Urgh.

Edited February 13, 2014 by Draco Knight

[20mia08]

  So I'm super worried. I found a dead raccoon in my backyard this morning, and I have no idea how it died or how it got there, and it died away from Tribble's enclosure; however, I'm freaking out that it died of distemper or rabies, and has perhaps made Tribble sick as well. I didn't see any bite marks on Tribble, but with her thick winter coat it is hard to tell, and distemper is so easy to spread it is horrible to consider.

 

I called Animal Control, Fish and Wildlife, and the Department of Health, but no one could really help me as I didn't observe any actual illness in the raccoon, and it didn't bite a human. Urgh.

 

I hope Tribble will be ok! Maybe it died of old age or an internal injury? Panda (my brother's ferret) hasn't had her second distemper shot, and she's ok, but I guess she's inside...