A Quick Question

[onthehunt 40]

A quick question lads and lasses, I recently acquired an adult jill to put with my 2 male kits (12, 21 weeks) and yesterday put them in a nice large hutch complete with indoor section and run. There are plenty of toys and things to entertain them and they were playing for ages when I put them in but since then, the jill keeps pacing like mad up and down the run as if she wants to get out. She does it for a long time. I've never kept a jill before just hobs and have noticed her activity level is through the roof lol Is she bored or stressed or is it just a jill thing?

[GreyRake 108]

Shes maybe just feeling a bit out of place in her new surroundings. Jills definitely have more energy than hobs, nowhere near as laid back.

Edited August 14, 2013 by GreyRake

[joe14 98]

Is she in season? Shes probably hormonal and just wants out, but I have noticed jills pace more than hobs, they seem to get bored easier too lol.

Mind you you've only just got her, shes been put in new hutch with two kits, new smells, sounds, people. Leave her to settle in.

[foxtails 272]

my jill has been doing it for about 4 months now, she had her kits ect, still did it even then, now theyr all gone shes still doing it, muy other jills pregnant now (theyr both in the same cage) but she comes out for 1 - 2 hours every night, plus i put her in theyr run that i made them somtimes throughout the day i havent a clue what it is shes running bk and forth the cage 100 miles per hour, and dont know why ?

[onthehunt 40]

No she's not in season and she has had a litter already this year with her previous owner. The ferrets usually get some time per week inside the house to interact with people but this girl has proven to be an utter hazard, almost jumping out of an open window twice so she stays in the hutch and gets to run about the garden on harness. May be working her at some point in the future too a bonus is that she's small and lean

[The one 8,593]

Jills are more active and maybe her hormones are still running wild

[Mick C. 229]

Mate gave me a jill she was dead chilled.

 

Once she had a litter she never stops running up and down the cage

 

Still good to handle but she as turned into a flying machine

[jandcguns 65]

one of my hobs dose this quick runing along the cage rapidly

[GreyRake 108]

A ferret pacing to me means its board/lonely. They need space and objects to stimulate them. A regular change of scene or toys/tubes rotated helps. If you just give them all the tubes etc in one go they will get board, swap things around daily if possible.

A jills hormones can definitely play havoc with their characters because yours is in a new strange environment i wouldn't worry too much.

[onthehunt 40]

Yeah she played a lot with the other two today and I have taken her out on the harness too. She seemed nervous in the open but am sure it did her a world of good as she probably needs the extra exercise lol As she was a rescue taken in by a breeder, I don't know what her previous history is and think she may be around 4 years old but she seems well-socialized with people and ferrets. not with cats or dogs though lol