Thanks to ShariDiane for the compilation of nip info.  After reading it this
AM, I know of some ways to help break some bad habits.  Also, last night
while playing with Gus (6 month old male) I came to the conclusion that his
nipping on me is much less than it use to be, but he is a little more nippy
with my daughters and my fiancee.  I bet this is because they didn't handle
and discipline him as much as I did for the last month, so he thinks he "can
get away with more" when playing with them.
 
The suggestion on showing compassion after discipline is good and probably
something I should have thought of before.  I've noticed that many times,
when Gus is playing around and I walk up to him, he starts backing awaya
from me and then runs off under the couch.  I hope this is more play than
terror.  The fact he lets me hold him, pet him, and that he climbs on me
when I am lying down, probably tells me its just play.
 
Finally, I want to mention that I've been trying not to bathe Gus to keep
his odor down, but it hadn't seemed to be working until last night.  After
reading a recent post about ferrets loosing odor after digging, I put about
4" of potting soil in a tall box and showed Gus how to get in.  After about
a half hour of sheer ferret joy, he came out, and I think he lost a lot of
his smell!.  The soil is very dry and not very heavy, leaving me to believe
that this is going to be an easy thing to keep as a permanent toy.  Boy
there's a lot of peat in that stuff; it's so light I am not worried about
the box falling apart.
 
Gus is still about 40% on using his litter pan.  Most of the time he is
still using the corner just next to his pan.  So, tonight, I am going to
make some major alterations to his triangle litter pan.  I am going to cut
off some of the front wall and add more bedding rags to his cage.  I hope
that will eliminate some of the "corner" look it gives to the area just
outside the pan.  I'll let everyone know if it succeeds.
[Posted in FML issue 1811]