Forgive me if someone has already posted some of the suggestions below...
I have only had time to skim the FML lately so maybe answers were already
given.  But here's my two cents worth...
 
First of all, understand that ferrets who bite, bite for different
reasons and that no two cases will be identical... similar, but not
identical.  When I say this, I am referring to the fact that each ferret
has a unique personality and that what works for one ferret under one
set of circumstances may not work like a dream on another ferret.
 
In understanding that ferrets bite for different reasons, we also have
to understand that the level of biting is also subjective.  I have been
bitten by all sorts of ferrets, and have had what I would consider to be
the granddaddy of them all type of bite... the one where the ferret not
only latches on and won't let go, but also grinds its teeth in such a
way that makes the teeth go in the skin deeper.  The sound of cartilage
creaking is not one I will soon forget!  LOL Anyway, my point here is
that people who have more delicate skin will feel a bite more than a
person who has thicker skin.  A younger ferret with bright shiny pointy
teeth, will easily puncture through skin than dull, rounded oldster
teeth.  Since everyone can't agree on what is considered a severe bite
because the person who got bitten is bleeding, we must not concentrate
so much on the severity of the bite, but the reasons behind it.
 
We haven't had a lot of ferrets come through our home compared to some
shelters, but I think that having over 80 ferrets come through ours over
the course of 20 years has given us a good idea of the kinds of biters
there are out there, and the things that worked the best for us.
 
Many people are surprised to find out that the simplest way to end
biting, is to stop caging the biting ferret.  Believe me when I say I
understand that not everyone has the luxury of doing what we do, but if
it is a solution you are looking for, one has to consider all options.
We've had our share of troubled ferrets, or those that have been deemed
Behaviorally Challenged, and although I was only able to touch briefly on
dealing with these kinds of issues at the Atlanta Symposium, our methods
are working time and time again.  We have successfully converted even the
worst of biters.
 
Caging, in my opinion, only gives more stress to the already stressed
ferret.  Although cages can offer security, they also become small jails
where an enthusiastic ferret can't burn off the energy it is building up
inside.  Stress from long term caging emerges in ferrets as troubled and
unwanted behaviour.  The unfortunate response turns into a vicious
cycle... the owner, wanting to deal with the bad behaviour, gives the
ferret a time out (usually in the same cage it sleeps in, sending it a
mixed message) but then ends up keeping the ferret more caged than out
of the cage.  Some owners will bite the ferret, hit it on the nose and
more.  I find that if you want to make a ferret fearful of you, hitting
is the quickest way to build distrust.  Every single biter we have had
that has come to our home, settles down after being given free roam.
Why?  I suspect because, instead of having the ferret focus on what it
can't do, by using its energy to get out of the cage and eventually
turning this into distrust of humans, the ferret burns off the stress
through exploration and redirects his energies on other things.
 
I also find that the human touch is an absolute necessity.  In one case,
we were forced to use thick leather gloves to pick up a ferret who was a
severe biter.  But once the ferret was on our laps, and comfortable, we
would take one glove off and stroke the ferret gently while talking
softly, showing the ferret that we were nothing to fear.  For a hearing
ferret, talking calmly helps build trust.  For a ferret that is deaf, we
find that the gentle strokes plus placing them under our chin against
our neck allows them to feel the vibrations of us talking and works the
same way as if they could hear us.  Deaf ferrets also sense the calmness
in our bodies and in our mannerisms.  Human touch is important and the
sooner the ferret gets the idea that humans give good things, the faster
the turn over will be.
 
But a time limit cannot be given.  The time it takes to turn a biter to a
lover is dependent solely on the ferret.
 
Building trust is crucial for winning over a biting ferret.  Ferrets need
to feel that no matter what they do, that no repercussions will happen.
It took us just over one year to gain the total respect from a little
lady who had been thrown against a wall by a pet store employee when she
was a kit.  It took us two months to win over our leather glove girl.
Biter ferrets need to know that no matter what, they will have nothing
to fear.  We need to understand that the biting stems from fear and that
their intent is not to piss us off.  It means that we as their caregivers
need to endure a number of painful moments and setbacks, but we also need
to be patient and persevere.  We are the final hope for many of these
creatures.  We need to look at them like troubled children who cannot
speak and tell us what has happened to them to make them fear us so.  We
need to offer comfort at a moment's notice even if blood pours from our
hands.  We need to offer a safe place for these ferrets to fall.
 
If you can do this, you will win over a biter every time....
 
betty and her blur o'fur
for the love of ferrets
[Posted in FML issue 4425]