My ferret is aggresive only when he is eating, how can I train him different?

Question

I have had 2 ferrets for 10 yrs that both recently passed away 2 years ago. I trained them fine, and I never had any probelms. I just got a new ferret about a month ago and he is the nicest ferret. He litter trained quickly and is not aggressive. The other day I noticed when I stuck my hand in his cage I noticed he tensed up so I went to go pet him to calm him and he tried to bite me. So I have been messing with him to notice if I had just scared him, but have come to learn that he is an aggresive eater. He will snap at you and draw blood if you touch him while he eating. I dont want to discipline him in fear that it will get worse or take his food away because then he will think that Im going to take his food away all the time and in turn try and defend it. HELP! Ive had alot of experience with ferrets but this draws a blank.

I have had 2 ferrets for 10 yrs that both recently passed away 2 years ago. I trained them fine, and I never had any probelms. I just got a new ferret about a month ago and he is the nicest ferret. He litter trained quickly and is not aggressive. The other day I noticed when I stuck my hand in his cage I noticed he tensed up so I went to go pet him to calm him and he tried to bite me. So I have been messing with him to notice if I had just scared him, but have come to learn that he is an aggresive eater. He will snap at you and draw blood if you touch him while he eating. I dont want to discipline him in fear that it will get worse or take his food away because then he will think that Im going to take his food away all the time and in turn try and defend it. HELP! Ive had alot of experience with ferrets but this draws a blank.
Ps. I do give him ferretvite out the tube and he is not aggresive with me then.

Okay, so basically your questions are right why would you bother them while they are eating. Well basically candy fell on my floor, he got it before i could and it was a gummy. He started to eat it then it got stuck therefore I was trying to get it out with him getting me. Ifyour ferret fets ahold of something toxic or food, (accidents DO happen) you need to be able to work with your ferret in any condition.

I solved it by just having him eat out my hand while petting him so he realized Im not going to harm him then I moved him to the bowl while petting him and then later on while he was eating I went to pet him and he was fine. Thanks though.

Anywho, the probelm is fixed.

and it was a flat hand, and It didnt teach him to try and bite my hand looking for food.

Answer 1

I have experienced this with kits often. It is something they grow out of. Don't worry about it.

Answer 2

i have a Q of my own:

WHY would U insist on touching Ur pet (of any species),
while they are eating?!!

to boot, Ur ferret is somewhat 'turfy'...
so DO NOT! stick Ur hand in the cage when s/he is in it.
U will trigger that aggro response,
creating a VICE, a 'Bad Habit',
as well as INCREASING the aggro:
it will grow, becoming faster, more-intense, and ingrained.
** Practice Makes Permanent ** is a training-axiom...
so Never! rehearse behavior that U do not want !

instead, invite Ur ferret OUT of the cage for any and all interactions,
including cleaning the cage, changing the h2o, getting the bowl, etc.
only AFTER s/he is out, and preferably out of eyesight,
should U then reach into their 'bedroom'.
a ferret-safe harness (H-type, not '8') with a leash is one easy option:
run the leash UNDER the closed-door of the room,
tying it SHORT around a length of 2x4.
leave no more than 10 inches of free-leash on the near-side of the door;
then clip Ur ferret to the short tether.
they are in eyesight, can't get under/inside any holes,
and are safely restrained while U work.
be sure to GIVE Ur ferret a busywork toy
(a Kong with a small toy inside it,
a tethered jingle-ball, a catnip-mouse, or other small object -
NON-food!, so U don't trip that known trigger).
don't just trap them there,
and walk off to agitate them by messing with 'their' space.
make this an interesting-time!

securing Ferret inside a cardboard-box,
filled with paper-towel tubes, loose unprinted newsprint-paper,
a few kitty toys that make NOISE
(it's gonna be Dark! in there...),
interesting smelly objects
(fresh cooking-herbs?
a sterilized bone? edible flowers?
UNSPRAYED grass/clover?)
is another fun-time way to confine, out-of-sight.
============================

beh-mod for FOOD issues:

mind Ur human-manners,
and instead of Harrassing! Ur ferret as they eat, with TOUCH,
teach her/him that having U approach IS A GOOD THING:

this is Behavior Mod 101:
alter the subject's emotional-response,
by building a new-feeling,
thru Safe, Consistent, GRADUAL Repeated interactions.

no more 'free lunch':
take the bowl out (ferret removed!, as above),
and put 2 or 3 KIBBLES into the bowl.
put bowl back,
put ferret back (slip em into a pillowcase/old knee-sock, etc;
lay the fabric-bag down, and CLOSE the door;
they self-release).
let them EAT unmolested;
then when bowl is empty,
casually walk by and DROP 1 kibble,
while In Motion, into the bowl.
repeat, repeat, repeat...
U can drop 4 or 5 kibbles, or even more,
every now and then,
But only AFTER s/he is tolerating and even eagerly
ANTICIPATING! Ur approach.

see the diff ?
before, U approaching = harrassment, interruption, THREAT:
maybe U'd take the food away! Oh, No! Grrr-rrr-rr...
NOW, U are teaching 'approach = goodies! Kewl...'

=============================

this will take some time, but it must be gradual and consistent:
U are always a Good Thing, a reliable PROVIDER...
not a punisher, not a 'thief '.
it doesn't matter, at first, if the ferret runs to the bars and threatens,
or tries to reach thru and bite U -
DROP THE KIBBLE ANYWAY.
U are not 'rewarding aggro' - don't worry about >their< behavior.
U are ASSOCIATING 'approach = food'.
this is purely Pavlovian-conditioning.
YOUR behavior is the only one that matters!

and U are RIGHT:
Ferrets, like cats, do Not!! learn anything from punishment:
they respond with either fear, or aggro;
they cannot connect their past-behavior with Ur aversive reaction.
they simply see U as 'bad', scary, evil, dangerous, painful, etc.

extra points for avoiding PUNISHMENT...
perhaps U could teach Cesar Millan something! ;-- )

Answer 3

Why do you want to mess with him while he is eating? Just leave him alone and wait till he's done. An animal has very strong instincts to eat, and it is stressful for them to be disturbed--just leave him in peace.

Answer 4

http://starturl.com/allaboutferrets
This site has a lot of useful information about ferrets coming from a small animal expert. I think you'll find it useful.