About a month ago I posted about adding two pairs of rescue ferrets to my
own young ferret over the course of two weekends.  K Smith was a lot of help
to me about general logistics, as was the FAQ and some of Bob Church's posts
about his rescues.  Everybody is getting along well and has moved into the
same very large, multi-level cage except for the 6+ year old neutered male.
I let everybody out individually or in pairs for 1/2 hour at a time to check
them over, do nails, etc.  and just spend some special time.  Then the four
who enjoy eachother have a wild romp out together for the rest of the
evening.  About 2 hours before bed, they go back into the cage and the old
man comes out.  He also has time out during the day with my son who is in
home school.
 
I found that while he and the sprite he lived with were uncaged all day,
they spent very little time together then and he was very aggressive with
her.  At first she squealed whenever one of the other ferts so much as
looked at her.  Now she shoulders her way into the food bowl and plays with
everyone else.  She is very tiny, only 1 1/2 lbs, the vet says healthy,
though.
 
The old male is very large, almost 5 lbs.  He also has very bad cataracts.
I have kept him separate because he is very stressed when the others come
around his cage.  He is in a large, single-level cage, because he is
terribly afraid of falling and will not attempt to climb, other than in and
out of his hammock.  We are careful not to re-arrange much, and he is very
precise about where he hides "his" (stolen) property.
 
What worries me is a behaviour he's started recently.  He is generally good
with people, but lately will get very determined about licking hands and
then suddenly biting.  Not fingers - only the palm!  And HARD.  Sometimes
there is no licking to warn you.  It is only when he's been out for awhile,
hands may be clean, not clean, soaped or grungy - doesn't seem to be a
pattern as far as scent.  This seems to mean something to HIM though, since
as soon as he starts it he becomes obsessive about it.  Is this a known
behaviour?  Something about the palm being more scented than the rest of the
hand?  I have a very high pain threshhold (bleeds before it hurts) and he's
not freaking me, but could others.  I don't think he's doing this out of
"badness".  His play biting is VERY gentle and tender - this is something
different.
 
Thanks, Steph
[Posted in FML issue 2249]