Several ferret owners have written about their little ones having
outbursts and little tantrums, I am glad I am not alone! I just thought
I was being a bad mommy, not taking the right approach to solving a
problem of nipping on the face. My first ferret Hun-Hun would love to
bite on my arm. "Bite" meaning nip but not breaking the skin. I tried
spraying water....Ha!...it was instant attack ferret. I tried thumping
on the nose and rearend but that just made him bite harder. I had the
same problem with my two new ferrets. They were so wild when I brought
them home from the pet store. For 3-4 months my arms were decorated
with claw marks and none of the usual methods of discipline worked.
     Hun-Hun began to mellow out around the age of 3 yrs. After that
he would no longer bite even if provoked. I would take him out to the
park and he would love being petted and admired by all the children
that would flock around him. I would never have allowed anyone to pet
him if he showed any signs of even wanting to nip for play.
     The ferrets I have now would not be a candidate for being held
by everyone. They do not bite hard enough to draw blood but they can
get too playful and give a hurtful nip. Teebone only nips when he is
playing, Weezul is another story. Teebone will lick my face and
nuzzle my hair but Weezul has gotten a hold of my lip and ouch!
Thumping Weezul does no good, he just gets more rambunctious.
A firm NO, NO just floats through the air, he pays no attention.
The only thing that helps is to get up and walk away and let him
cool down.
     It seems like the older they get the more settled they are.
I am hoping this is the case with Weezul. The only cure I have found
for this problems is alot of love, patience, discipline when it works
and time. Maybe Weezul does not see being thumped as a sign that he has
done something wrong. He feels that it is something unpleasant and he
just wants to retaliate by biting. In any case, Weezul will get no kisses
from me until he learns to appreciate them!
 
                                      Judy*Weezul*Teebone
 
[Posted in FML issue 0637]