Outsmarting the Cats...??

Tink · 24-10-2010, 10:36 PM

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.
First things first, in the ferret room's cage, K helped me build an enclosure in there so the cats could still acess the cage 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 the new addition Zero (who has brain damage) 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 that. 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.
However, this is a problem because Zero does not understand how to walk through a tube and will sooner starve himself than go through that way.
But I really want these two to stop eating the kibble and be on purely canned food.
Ideas?
Maybe put the den inside a bigger box with a smaller opening is all I can think of right now...?

dandysmom · 24-10-2010, 11:42 PM

Well, the latter sounds workable; but how to go about it is beyond me ... not a DIY person.

angieh · 25-10-2010, 11:35 AM

Are there any hopper-type kibble feeders for ferrets Tink? Though the cats would probably figure out how to use them before the ferrets, esp little Zero.

PippaG · 26-10-2010, 06:01 PM

It is hard if one of your ferrets has brain damage and can't learn new things. I can't think of anything useful that would be easy for Zero. Some kind of ferret flap would be ideal but would Zero learn how to use it. What about a funnel with the narrow end furthest from the food so the cat wouldn't be able to put it's head through and the widest part against the entrance to the food.

I hope you find a solution soon.

Tink · 26-10-2010, 06:26 PM

Thanks guys, I seem to have found a temporary solution.
Zero (I am sooo proud of him) figured out the tube. However, Solomon figured out how to remove the tube from the entrance...so now I have a plastic tub with entrance with tube covered by a pillowcase and secured to the tube with one of my hair ties. So far it is working, lol...

dandysmom · 26-10-2010, 08:12 PM

Good for Zero!!

And Solomon is an extremely clever and persistent boy!

Tink · 26-10-2010, 08:57 PM

Too clever for his own good, apparently!

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