Annoyed with Dad!

[carrot_tit]

I've always wanted a ferret or 2! But my Dad has always said no way. He doesn't like my rats and he's not too keen on Leo either but then my Dad is one of those people that thinks only dogs and cats are pets.

Yesterday i went to my local pet shop to stock up on stuff from over xmas, i always seem to be missing something when shops are shut! Anyway in the shop there was an advertisement from Wakefield Ferret Rescue, they always have loads in. My Dad came and stood next to me and said "Shame all those poor guys are there for xmas isn't it" So ever hopeful i said "They don't all have to be" Fluttering my eyelashes at him. He sighed slightly and then said "Alright then" I was so excited i barely heard him say "BUT"

My Dad will accept Ferrets but not in the house :( He's willing to make them a very large run in the garage where we have heating but not in the house. When my rats numbered over 30 they used to live out there but i never liked it, i don't really like animals living outside if there is a choice. But now my Dad has got me. I've been desperate for them for years and too be honest for a hour or so i convinced myself that yes i would regularly go down to the garage and play with them but who am i kinding, i'm scared of my garage there's spiders everywhere.

Now i feel completely frustrated, my father's argument now is that he's not preventing me getting any, it's my own fault if i don't own any just because of the housing arrangements!

Sometimes Dad's really annoy me!

[kayjay]

I have my rabbits in the shed and I know there are spiders in there but I try hard not to think about it and remind myself they help to keep the shed fly free.

If it's the only way you're going to get some ferrets I'd put them in the garage. Otherwise you'll have to wait until you have your own place. And the rescue ferrets will be loads better in the garage with you than stuck in rescue.

[Deb]

I know what you mean, when I first had my pigs they were in the house, but they all eventually had to move to the shed my hubby built for them. I resisted at first.

I do miss them being in the house, but it is far better for them in the shed, as I can give them more room, can make as much mess as I want, and not going to get scolded for dropping hay and food on the floor etc.

Plus there is the smell, as much as you can clean, clean and clean there is always going to be a bit of a smell, so it doesnt matter if its in the shed, rather than in the house. We can make as much noise as we want in there, no sneaking about in the early hours of the morning trying not to wake anyone in the house.

My chinnies can chew as much as they want when its playtime and it doesnt matter. Caused a lot of friction when they were in the bedroom chewing on the skirting board and carpet :o

Bunnies get to free range most of the day. So all in all its worked out much better for my lot in the shed. Plus its my escape hole too. When i need to get out the house for a bit. Its nice to chill out with the furries.

I keep my shed fly free with one of the electric zappers and its on all the time even now! Best £40 I ever spent.

I am sure the garage would be fine for the ferrets, and if you can just get over the spider issue... think what a great home they could have with you. :)
Deb x x

[hils78]

I think that your dad has given you a fair deal (sorry if you didn't want to hear that!). Especially as he's offered to build you a run & things. He's given you a good alternative.
Please try to overcome the spider thing. My sister has missed out on so many things in her life because of spiders. She admitted that when she was younger she did play on it a bit, but said that by doing that it actually made her worse! She has wasted sooo much money by buying new clothes all the time because she wouldn't put her hand into the wash basket incase there was a spider there! Try & overcome this & see it as a great oppertunity to get the ferrets you always wanted AND get over your fear of spiders.
Keep us posted on what you decide to do. x

[sars1359]

thankfully i dont have probs like that with my dad,we just move animals in etc and dont tell him till he falls over them,luckily mum and I are the same that way ( wanna borrow my dad and mum? they do come in handy now and again )
Ive asked him for a new shed for the fluffballs this year so hopefully we'll get one,i think the one we have now is out of the ark.

[carrot_tit]

I think that your dad has given you a fair deal (sorry if you didn't want to hear that!).

I know he has really :) I realised that once i'd sat and rationally thought about it. It's just I've always been a big believer in that pets should be kept in the house with the family, unless of course they are large animals (Horses, etc) or you have loads! I think i shall give the shed a once over and see just how big a pen we could fit in their for them. After all i can always take the yard brush to any spiders, brush them out sort of thing :)

[maxthepig]

They are ok living outdoors, I once looked into getting them and the rescue allowed indoors and outdoors. It is probably for the best anyway because of your other small furries.

Ferrets are rabbits natural predators, so if you have rabbits in particular, make sure you thoroughly wash your hands/change clothing between seeing the ferrets and them as they rabbits will be very scared at the smell of them, and the ferrets may bite you. Would think it would be the same for guinea pigs too.

Apparently its not like with cats where they can learn to get along- a ferret will kill a rabbit.

[carrot_tit]

Strangely unenough rabbits have always been the one pet i've never been that bothered with. I think it's because all my mates had them and i wanted to be different!

At the moment i have three dogs, 5 rats and 1 guinea pig. I think i spend half my day washing my hands! The pig and rats hate the smell of the dogs and the dogs won't leave me alone if i've handled the rats or piggie! It's quite amusing really, one of my dogs spends ages sniffing me if i've handled the others whist the other dog won't stop licking my hands!

[Jillybean]

My Dad says I have radar when it comes to spiders. I always spot them before anyone else! My guineas are inside for the winter now but when I kept them in my shed there was a tarantula (yes, I'm SURE it was a tarantula!) lived above the light. I am really soft with anything living & although I hate them, I couldn't harm them - when I used to go in the shed I'd blow up towards the cobweb & it'd run into its hole (I was a fair distance away!) then I just tried to ignore it (cleaning my shed out with my head bent 180 degrees towards the ceiling all the time!). The best thing is to keep it as cobweb free as you can with a brush, so it doesn't attract more.

I don't know much about ferrets but wasn't aware that people had them living inside (don't they smell?). Sorry to any ferret lovers out there if I'm wrong!

[michellemuffin]

hey you lot its flies that are the big deal here they can cause fly strike I know I lost a darling rabbit with it a few years ago she was bathed friday night and was dead sunday evening they got her that quick I'm afraid I have cobwebs everywhere and numerous spiders in my pigs shed whoa re most welcome any flies not zapped by my electric zappers are hopefully snatched by the nice ferret guinea and rabbit friendly spiders, think of their size compared to you, they must be so frightened of YOU, dont get me wrong i would never keep tarantulas etc but house spiders are most welcome in my home and sheds,

[darkest.dreaming]

My bunny has had fly strike a few times. One time i showered him, by the next morning he had a gaping flesh wound that left him with a big scar and us £150 lighter. I hate flys! Bludy emergency vets. Saved the bun though. Great guys.

[kayjay]

Getting off the subject of ferrets a bit - but if you have a rabbit you need to check their bums carefully for maggots morning and night. The flies lay their eggs and they hatch into maggots which then eat into the rabbit. You need to be very vigilent especially in summer when there are loads of flies around. And it's more likely to happy if your bun as a pooey bum so again checks needed. Rabbits don't like baths but a bum dip or use baby wipes to clean up the area and if any maggots are found you need to remove them immediately.

Like Michelle spiders are welcome in my shed (I still get OH to put them outside from the house though!)

[linda.b]

You need to get some "rearguard" from the vets for buns bum which prevents flystrike. then get some "kybosh" from homebase or b&q and when animals are out in the garden, spray all round the shed and it stops creepies for a good few weeks. I also hoover my shed out every couple of weeks to get rid of cobwebs. Then you can enjoy your pets without looking over your shoulder for the monsters that lurk in every corner! ;D

[carrot_tit]

My bunny has had fly strike a few times. One time i showered him, by the next morning he had a gaping flesh wound that left him with a big scar and us £150 lighter. I hate flys! Bludy emergency vets. Saved the bun though. Great guys.


God fly strike sounds awful! Does it just affect bunnies? I've never heard of it before!

[sars1359]

we lost a few bunnies to fly strike,seriously its awful to see it :(

[darkest.dreaming]

My bunny has had fly strike a few times. One time i showered him, by the next morning he had a gaping flesh wound that left him with a big scar and us £150 lighter. I hate flys! Bludy emergency vets. Saved the bun though. Great guys.


God fly strike sounds awful! Does it just affect bunnies? I've never heard of it before!

Sorry for hijacking this thread Carrot,

I think it can affect any animal. But bunnies seem to be more prone to it.

[Jillybean]

hey you lot its flies that are the big deal here they can cause fly strike I know I lost a darling rabbit with it a few years ago she was bathed friday night and was dead sunday evening they got her that quick I'm afraid I have cobwebs everywhere and numerous spiders in my pigs shed whoa re most welcome any flies not zapped by my electric zappers are hopefully snatched by the nice ferret guinea and rabbit friendly spiders, think of their size compared to you, they must be so frightened of YOU, dont get me wrong i would never keep tarantulas etc but house spiders are most welcome in my home and sheds,

I see your point totally - I just go to pieces when I see a huge spider though - I have phases of nightmaring about them night after night. I wake up in a sweat scrabbling around the bed and talking about them! Got an understanding husband luckily. If there were loads in my shed, I would spend as little time as possible in there which wouldn't do the guineas any good. Thankfully I've had no fly strike, sounds really awful.

[Beaney]

My bunny has had fly strike a few times. One time i showered him, by the next morning he had a gaping flesh wound that left him with a big scar and us £150 lighter. I hate flys! Bludy emergency vets. Saved the bun though. Great guys.


God fly strike sounds awful! Does it just affect bunnies? I've never heard of it before!

Sorry for hijacking this thread Carrot,

I think it can affect any animal. But bunnies seem to be more prone to it.


Any animal is at risk - including piggys, especially the long haired ones.....

My rabbit has had fly strike and I blame myself 100%. I made the mistake of leaving him with a neighbour whilst on holiday. My rabbit is 10 years old and arthritic so on occassion can get a bit messy. I keep him clean but my neighbour didn't - despite saying she would. I came home late on a Sunday night from my holidays and went outside to check on the animals. Austin (bun) was filthy. I decided I would clean him in the morning as I was tired - by the morning there were maggots. I have never felt guilt like it - I should have cleaned him straight away. I reacted very quickly - called the emergency vet, got the maggots off, straight into a carrier and into the car and to the vet. By the time I got to the vet Austin was in shock and due to his age I was convinced I would never get him back alive. Luckily, the maggots must have only just hatched and there was no mark on Austin. He spent a night in the vet and has since made a full recovery. The vet nurse told me that during the heatwave they were seeing on average 3 rabbits a week with flystrike. Mine was the only one who survived - because I noticed and reacted very fast.

I can not stress enough the importance of checking animals. It is something you NEVER want to see on your pet. Also, when ever you go on holiday, please please make sure your animals are left with someone who knows what they are doing. Please do not make the mistake that I did. If I had been away for only one more day I would have lost my bunny.

I always hated spiders in my shed but after having to deal with the maggots, I welcome the spiders! Spiders are nothing compared to pulling maggots off your pet. In fact, if anyone had asked me to touch a maggot I would have ran a mile but when I saw them on Austin I did not care.

Sorry - that was a bit of a rant but even now I sometimes have nightmares about it.