Okay, so I have been desperately trying to get Solomon and Kuan Yin stopped from eating the ferret kibble. Hestia has been quite behaved about it but these other two are giving me a run for my money. Just for background it is a mix of Wellness Core and Evo Cat dry..which isn't horrible but with the amount these kitties want to eat of it..it's not such a good idea for them.
I should also mention my ferrets are seperated into two cages and into two seperate playgroups (one for my crazy, hyper kids..second group is elderly or special kids).
First things first, in the ferret room's cage, my boyfriend helped me build an enclosure in there so the cats could still acess the cage (since they love it and I feel guilty taking that away from them) and make use of the hammocks but not get to the kibble as the entrance is only big enough for a ferret pass through..that was successful.
Second cage is not setup so easily to block off so I have just been closing it shut and locking it up when the ferrets are out of it so cats won't get to it..so that's not too much of a problem.
Now...when my mellow group including a new addition Zero (who has brain damage and was going to being euthanized for not being "adoptable") is out playing, I need to have their food accessible for them. This is not a problem when the first group is out as they are trained to go back to their enclosure in their cage when they want to eat.
In this group, however, Zero does not understand this concept..he is limited in certain ways. So..I made some feeding dens out of plastic storage tubs with a small entrance for ferrets.
Solomon is so crazy for kibble he will squeeze his head into there to eat some kibble and then run around with a plastic tub on his head bawling for me to help him while he can't get back out.
Kuan Yin is not so keen on getting a tub stuck on her head so will lay on the ground and paw the bowl toward the opening and "fish" out bits and pieces with her paws.
The obvious solution to me is to put a tube into the entrance of the den that surely a cat can not fit through but a ferret can.
However, this is a problem because Zero does not understand how to walk through a tube and will sooner starve himself than go in through that way.
But I really want these two to stop eating the kibble and be on purely canned food.
Also I'd hate to seperate the cats and ferrets as they are all friends and bonded so I really was hoping not to do that.
Short of switching my ferrets to a raw diet...Ideas?
Maybe put the den inside a bigger box with a smaller opening is all I can think of right now...? Would like suggestions, my brain is tired, lol. I really want these two off the kibble completely. I had it down to a science until I just took in this special needs ferret so I need to find something easy enough for him to comprehend but tough enough a cat cannot find a way to access?
Hope this made sense and it doesn't just sound like nonsensical rambling.
Oh, and I have been trying to switch these kitties to all canned since end of August...we were making some progress and now we're going backwards a bit.
Hestia was easiest to switch, Kuan Yin is open to it, Solomon is my stubborn one.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
I should also mention my ferrets are seperated into two cages and into two seperate playgroups (one for my crazy, hyper kids..second group is elderly or special kids).
First things first, in the ferret room's cage, my boyfriend helped me build an enclosure in there so the cats could still acess the cage (since they love it and I feel guilty taking that away from them) and make use of the hammocks but not get to the kibble as the entrance is only big enough for a ferret pass through..that was successful.
Second cage is not setup so easily to block off so I have just been closing it shut and locking it up when the ferrets are out of it so cats won't get to it..so that's not too much of a problem.
Now...when my mellow group including a new addition Zero (who has brain damage and was going to being euthanized for not being "adoptable") is out playing, I need to have their food accessible for them. This is not a problem when the first group is out as they are trained to go back to their enclosure in their cage when they want to eat.
In this group, however, Zero does not understand this concept..he is limited in certain ways. So..I made some feeding dens out of plastic storage tubs with a small entrance for ferrets.
Solomon is so crazy for kibble he will squeeze his head into there to eat some kibble and then run around with a plastic tub on his head bawling for me to help him while he can't get back out.
Kuan Yin is not so keen on getting a tub stuck on her head so will lay on the ground and paw the bowl toward the opening and "fish" out bits and pieces with her paws.
The obvious solution to me is to put a tube into the entrance of the den that surely a cat can not fit through but a ferret can.
However, this is a problem because Zero does not understand how to walk through a tube and will sooner starve himself than go in through that way.
But I really want these two to stop eating the kibble and be on purely canned food.
Also I'd hate to seperate the cats and ferrets as they are all friends and bonded so I really was hoping not to do that.
Short of switching my ferrets to a raw diet...Ideas?
Maybe put the den inside a bigger box with a smaller opening is all I can think of right now...? Would like suggestions, my brain is tired, lol. I really want these two off the kibble completely. I had it down to a science until I just took in this special needs ferret so I need to find something easy enough for him to comprehend but tough enough a cat cannot find a way to access?
Hope this made sense and it doesn't just sound like nonsensical rambling.
Oh, and I have been trying to switch these kitties to all canned since end of August...we were making some progress and now we're going backwards a bit.
Hestia was easiest to switch, Kuan Yin is open to it, Solomon is my stubborn one.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
