Re Brian Weaver's question about biting and nibbling.  Clearly the very
essence of ferret-ownership (who own whom?) is tied up in this question of
biting and nibbling.  We find with our ferrets, Winston and Rikki, that
all of us are happier without any biting.  They have certain chew-toys
that are "on-limits," including each other when they rassle, but good
steady thumping is the reward for nibbling humans.
 
We heard one guy's technique for dealing with biting: he kept his ferret
caged for a long time, taking it out only for playtime in the bathroom
with the door shut.  The idea is that the human is the only playmate,
except for toys; if the ferret bit the human, the ferret went back in the
cage, disappointed and reconsidering the meaning of Life.  Soon (2 weeks?)
the ferret had reached the conclusion: "I bite, therefore I am in the
cage."  The ferret now socializes with humans without the biting problem.
 
In short, it takes persistence and commitment to establishing a no-bite
rule on humans.  If you're going to allow your ferret around other people
(ours really like parties) you ought to seriously consider dealing with
this.
 
Having said all of which, Winston is peculiarly alert to the fact that
when he nibbles the toes at 5:30 in the morning, the Unit is
awake and ready for Social Interaction.
 
Otter
 
 
[Posted in FML issue 0640]