Hey Stevy, Sierra, & Frosty here with a bit of important information for
you all!  Now you need to pay real close attention to this because it
could mean the life of our cousins so take care and read carefully!
 
Okay I know some of you humans do not want to hear this but you NEED too!
When one of our cousins bites you before you flick their little nose we
want you to flick your nose as hard as you would ours.  See how it feels!
It HURTS!  It makes our eyes water it HURTS so bad.  Now when you humans
hurts yourself you know how angry and up set you get, sometimes you punch
something or you kick something because it hurts so bad, well that is how
BAD the flick hurts our noses.  So all you are doing is making us want to
bite you more and harder.  Here are some reasons some of our cousins nip
or bite.
 
Nipper: This is when they grab your hand, ankle, or arm quickly (we call
it hit and run) leaving a bit of pain but not breaking the skin.  Most
generally this is for several different reasons.  Some of which are:
 
1) Play with me please.
 
2) Tag you're it!
 
1) I am frightened, hurt or annoyed.
 
[I don't quite understand the numbering but left it alone.  BIG]
 
Bite: This is a bit more serious.  Our cousins not only grab your hand,
arm, or ankles, but our cousins literally draw blood and sometimes do
not let go.  Your first question should be WHY?
 
1) Have they been hurt?
 
2) Have they been abused?
 
3) Are they being tormented?
 
2) Are they in an environment they do not feel comfortable in?
 
Once these questions have been answered, you can start teaching our
cousins how not to bite.  BUT you also have to remember that there is a
REASON for this.  You must find out, as best you can, the cause.  Most
generally animals do not bite unless provoked or have been trained that
you humans cannot be trusted.  Actually you are not teaching our cousins
NOT to bite you are teaching them that you can be trusted NOT to HURT
them so they have no reason to hurt you!
 
1) We DO NOT recommend Scruffing; we recommend gently putting your hand
around their neck so that they cannot look away, placing their face in
front of yours Sternly say NO BITES, but no yelling that frightens us!
(Keeping the animal away from your face if you have a real biter.)
Scruffing is an aggressive move if your pet has already been taught
that humans are aggressive and mean they then will only bite harder and
faster.
 
2) NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, flick the nose, hit our cousins or shake him or
her.  If you feel the need to flick a nose, flick your own (see how good
it feels.) Hitting our cousins is only reinforcing the "I don't trust
human reflex", and shaking him/her can, and will, cause the same brain
damage that human children suffer with shaken baby syndrome.
 
Dealing with a severe biter: This is a biter that will bite to the bone,
and literally hang from what ever part of the body they have attached
themselves to.  We highly recommend you find a reputable human/shelter
that has experience with severe biters to work with, and rehabilitate
these cousins.  These guys have been undoubtedly hurt by a human for one
reason or another, and they will hurt you every chance they get to keep
from being hurt ever again.  It takes a very special human to be able to
hold the animal that is biting them, with blood flowing down the skin,
to talk softly, telling the animal that all is right with the world and
they will not be hurt ever again.  That Master Largo Kid was one of these
cousins and our Aunt Brenda made him all better, BUT not before she gots
lots of scars on her arms and legs.  That Master Largo turned out to be
an okay cousin he did.
 
So what we is telling you is STOP hurting our noses!  Our cousins do not
like to be hurt any more that you humans do so if you are gentle with
them, if you are patient with them you can get them to trust you enough
to stop biting you.
 
Frosty was a bad bitter the lady that first had us did not know he was
deaf and when he did not see her and she startled him he bit her and the
more that she hurt him the more he bit her.
 
Our Mom could not pick him up at all he would attack her, but now she
gets kisses and cuddles and no bites.
 
It took Dad a long time to teach Frosty not to bite but now anyone can
pick him up and get kisses just like they do from Sierra and me.
 
Give us love and not Hurt !!
 
TheTerribleTrio
Stevy, Sierra, & Frosty
 
Come Visit Us At
http://www.kwflatbed.com/ferret2.html
[Posted in FML issue 4796]