Gloves with fake fingers were mentioned here.  When I worked with an
assortment of primates they had huge cages (often several good sized rooms
attached, with only a narrow aisle outside the cages) so we went in with
them.  (The current university vet has now required conditions which are not
as good for the animals as we had way back then but safer for people --
personally I prefer the way we had it, though I hate being bitten or broken
or concused.)   As a result I got used to using animals' own behavior
patterns, body language, and vocalizations to shape behaviors, and I still
STRONGLY prefer that method, including with ferrets for whom it works just
beautifully, as it will with any domestic.  Even with that method ferrets
wind up meeting us part way since they live within our "world".  It has
always struck me as ironic that some people (not anyone here now that I
think of) call critters "dumb animals" but then expect the animals to do all
the learning in the relationship.
 
It can take a very long time to break biting some times.  Remember how
because she was so extremely intellectually challenged and always in some
level of pain or discomfort (after we learned how to help better) from her
handicaps Ruffle took three years of gentle patience during which time we
were always punctured and bruised?  Once she figured out language meant
something and that we'd honor most of her responses (such as enthusiastic
nose bumps for "yes" and other body language), she NEVER bit again - not
anyone, and not ever in her remaining three years and a bit more.  Some
biters stop immediately when they enter a good home.  We've had that happen.
Others take a few days or weeks of extreme gentleness, times out, tension
reduction ( a private, secure place to call home such as a cage set away
from anyone or anything which is upsetting to the critter -- like having a
high one away from feet at first for one which has been kicked a lot), and
simple communication tries with tons of repetition.  A very few take longer.
It's like any abused individual -- how well the response will be
accomplished depends upon several factors including the types of abuse, the
personality of the ferret, how the ferret's personality meshes with that of
the caretaker, etc.  Look at Warp.  She's a complete doll for us, but she
just will not kiss a male on the face even now because of what she went
through before she came here.
 
The upside is that once a biter discovers that it is safe and that it
finally has some self-sovereignty (which adds to its feeling of security)
then it usually becomes the most loving of all critters imaginable.  When it
was time for Harley to move away we carefully took him to someone we thought
would be perfect.  He ADORED her.  If he had not selected her (Yes, ferret's
choice) then he would not have gone with her.  For someone (2 or 4 footed)
who has lost choice, having chances to find freedom a safe bit at a time,
and to have wishes honored imparts security, eliminates frustration and that
ends acting out.  Let it be a slow and gradual, gentle and consistent
process.
 
Those who have non-abused ferrets will want to also be gentle and
consistent.  Nose flicks all too often back fire, sometimes in very big
ways.  There's nothing quite like combining ferret body language and times
out to get a secure, happy, trusting, cuddly ferret who will love you always
no matter what.
[Posted in FML issue 1890]