Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi!
Im new to this board, just signed up. My husband and i have two ferrets, Paris and Bugsy . We have had paris a year this february. We just got Bugsy a few months ago. My first question is: Just yesterday, I noticed that after some pretty active play together, they both had what seemed to be the hiccups. It happened again this morning. Is this normal? Should I be worried? This is only the second day of this, so im not sure if it is only active play that triggers this, or what. My next question is: Paris, our girl, is a lot more active than bugsy. I usually have them out all day, but on my day off from work, I need to put them both in their cage so I can go about my housework and daily things I need to get done without them under my feet. Bugsy settles right down. He seems more than happy to get a bite to eat, go potty and go to bed. Paris, on the other hand, scratches up the newspaper we use to line their cage with, grabs the bars of her cage and shakes them violently like shes saying "let me out of here" and just generally takes longer to settle down, if she does at all. She even torments bugsy in his bed to the point of making him cry and sqeal ::she does this both in and out of the cage, another issue we have, she is constantly biting him, dragging him, riding on his back, body slamming him etc., tips for breaking this habit are also welcome ::: . My question is, when I want both of them to settle down together, is it safe to give her a tiny bit of baby asprin or something to calm her down? Is there anything else I can do, or give her to calm her down??? HELP!!! Anyone can email me directly at MEDGRL01@Hotmail.com
Thanks!!
"Mom" going crazy in pennsylvania,
JESS

How old is she? Was she a baby when you got her, or is she adopted? She may still be exerting her dominance over him with the agression since you haven't had him too long. She may be more so with the cage since it is a small area and before now, her area. Did she do these things when she was an only ferret and you put her in the cage, like shaking the bars, etc?
I would not advise baby aspirin or anything like that to calm her down. If you do decide to go that route, definitely get a recommendation from a ferret knowledgeable vet. Some OTC medicines can be harmful or even fatal in the wrong dosage. Definitely do not ever give anything with Tylenol in it.
Give us some more background info on her behavior before the newer ferret and any past health issues.

Forgot about the hiccups part, one of mine is prone to hiccups, not a big deal. Was weird the first time I saw it, though. Apparently some get them, some don't. My girl does get them after a lot of activity, so that might be a trigger.

Never give your ferret any meds without talking to your vet. That said, it sounds like your little girl is a normal, active ferret. Right now she's showing the newcomer who's boss. She'll quit picking on the little boy once she's sure he understands his place in the pecking order. As far as the cage rattling, ignore it. Eventually she'll realize it's not going to get her let out. If you do let her out while she's doing it, it will reinforce the behavior. Hiccups are normal, they get them just like we do.
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I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it.

Sorry I haven't been able to get to the board much. I agree with the other posters about your little girl. Age can play a part, plus she may always be more active than your boy. Just like any pet, they can differ in their personalities. Grabbing by the neck, dragging and other things show signs of 'who's the boss'! LOL!! I had that go on thru out the years even after they were older. As for the cage shaking, I have 2 girls now (6 1/2 yrs old) that still hate to be put in a cage with the doors closed. They'll both bite on the bars. They do settle down after a while and just have to wait until I'm done cleaning.

Enjoy!
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Kat
Ferret mom to Jasmine and Daffy
A Cheesehead from Wisconsin