Ferret biting?

Question

I have a male ferret that I suspect was abused before we got him. Found out afterward he'd been returned a month after being bought. Anyway, he's biting. And not nipping. I'm pretty sure the bitters won't work in this case. He's bitten me twice and drawn blood both times. A lot of it. Once on my finger (he'd messed in the corner so I was going to give him the 'no speech' and toss him in the cage) and he snapped when I went to pick him up. and the second time was just no. He hadn't done anything wrong and I was just holding him (which we do all the time) and he nuzzled around for a second and than launched himself at my nose (and obviously biting it). I'm not sure how to deal with this. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

I've dealt with quite a few biting ferrets in the past. One of our last ferrets had a HUGE biting problem in the beginning. There was one time when she grabbed my hand and I went to pull it away, but she didn't let go. She was literally hanging from my hand by her teeth for a minute. It took A LOT of time and patience, but I kept at her and the biting finally stopped. She still nipped a little during play time and every once in awhile she'd bite just a little too hard, so I'd remind her that it was unacceptable.

First of all, there's a lot of reasons why a ferret might bite - they've been abused or mishandled; they were startled; they're young and haven't been taught that biting is unacceptable; they were playing and got carried away; they smelled something yummy on you (lotion, scent from soap, food, etc.); or they could be in pain.

First, try to figure out what might be causing him to bite:
1. How old is he? If he's a kit and/or has never been in a home setting for a long period, then it could just be that he hasn't been taught not to bite. Kits tend to nip, but some can do more than a nip and even draw blood.
2. Think back to the time when you went to pick him up and he bit you. Did you come from behind or did he see you coming? If he didn't know you were coming, you might have startled him and his first reaction was to bite at whatever was grabbing him. Make sure whenever you go to pet him or pick him up, that he sees you coming to avoid startling him.
3. Was he wound up and in the middle of playing any of the times he bit you? If so, he could have just gotten carried away and those bites were meant to be play bites.
4. Biting can sometimes be a sign that he might be in pain. It could be that the two times he bit you, he bit because you were touching an area that hurt. And if you think he was abused, it's possible that something might be hurting.

Whatever the reason might be for his biting, the best way to deal with it is by using the scruff method. As soon as he bites - grab his scruff, bring him up to eye level (not too close to your face, and I think it's best to support their bottom), give him a gentle shake, and a firm "NO!" This is exactly how a mother ferret disciplines her children (minus the "NO" obviously). You can also follow that up with a short pull around the room - place him on his back and drag him about a foot by the scruff. This is the ferret way of saying "I'm the boss and you better listen to ME!" Some people also do a time-out. Place him somewhere, preferably a pet carrier not his regular cage, for no more than five minutes. During this time you need to completely ignore him - don't talk to him or even look at him, just put him in and walk away, but again, don't leave him in there any longer than five minutes. Some people have had success with the time-out methods, others haven't. The most important thing to remember - be consistent and don't give up! He should be disciplined every time he bites too hard and with time he will begin to learn what's acceptable and what's not. Some take longer than others, but as long as you stick with it, it will work. And, if he really has been abused, then it will probably take longer for him to learn. If he's been abused, he probably feels as though he can't completely trust you - show him love and reward him for good behavior, but as soon as he bites, discipline him. And please, NEVER hit, tap, or poke them on their nose, backsides, or anywhere else. This will just make him afraid of you and cause more biting, and it could also hurt him. With some time, his behavior should improve. He might still bite or nip from time to time, you'll just have to remind him that it's unacceptable.

Good luck and please don't give up on the little guy! With some love, attention, proper handling and discipline, I really believe he'll get much better.

Answer 2

All commercial diets are basically highly processed rubbish designed to make the pet food industry rich NOT keep your ferret healthy (despite what some vets/the pretty lable on the packet says). The best thing you can do for your ferret (and your wallet) is provide him with a variety of whole raw appropriate prey items like rats, mice, quail, and rabbits. These can be purchased frozen from reptile food suppliers, stored in your freezer,m and thawed as needed. If for some reason you are unable to get whole prey items, the next best thing would be to feed whats known as a prey model diet. Google prey model diet for ferrets and you probably come up with a heap of good info on how to do this.

Answer 3

Everytime he bites, grab him by the scruff behind his neck and give him a gentle shake. Don't be too rough with him!

Also, you could try supplying tasty chews in his cage, maybe he thinks you're tasty.

Or, try putting something absolutely disgusting on your hands. My sister put hot sauce on her hands. Never got bit again.

Make sure you wash your cuts out very good after being bit.

Answer 4

I am a volenteer at a AllExperts on the subjects of ferrets. I got a question a little bit ago and while does not fit your situation exactly it's pretty close.

Here's the link withe her question and my response. Hope this helps a bit!

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Ferrets-2277/bitting-1.htm

Answer 5

bitter apple spray they don't like the taste spray it on ur hands when he gets taste he will stop

Answer 6

return it back

Answer 7

be careful