Hi all.

Monica in Canada here. It's been a while, but I had to put in a word or
two on this.

I'm really sorry to hear Buffy has chosen you as her stalked chew toy.
Leave the harness on her, or don't bother with it at this stage. I have
done both. If you are going to put a harness on her - get a velcro one
that you can get on her FAST with gloves, and won't get hooked up on
the cage. NO fussing with those stupid tiny buckles, or figure 8 slip
cord harnesses. You _will_ be bitten. Expect her to escape from it, so
it's not a surprise when it happens.

I have had both - a vicious ferret and a deaf one.

My vicious girl was the way she was because she was poorly socialized,
getting out of her cage only 30 minutes a day. Her parents did the
right thing getting her to me, but she was a tough nut to crack. I had
*never* used gloves before her and I was darned if I would. I worked at
the Humane Society here for over a year, and using welders gloves and
work gloves was not unusual in that environment. (Get bitten by a feral
cat once.... that's all it takes to convince you.)

Dakota changed my tune in a hurry. Do _not_ be afraid to wear gloves.
It lets you have hands that can be loving for all the other kids. When
the time comes, you will be able to take them off. It took us nearly
6 months of daily work to get Dakota to recognize that biting was not
an acceptable behaviour, and there are no guarantees that Buffy will
become friendly. Cleaning the litter box, for the first couple of
months, I would raise the ramp to seal her in the upper level of the
cage so she couldn't get to me.

There are times you have to treat your ferret as if you are another
ferret. I have gotten down on the floor and scruffed and tugged the
little monstress. Hissing, etc. Deaf ferret - not so easy, but they
can FEEL!!! I have used nose flicking in some cases, (don't flame me
people!) blowing up snout never has worked for me to get them to let
go, and every ferret is a unique combination of techniques.

Cage can also be important. I have one wire cage (modified to have
laminate flooring sections for the ferrets) with two levels and a pan
on the bottom, possibly for rabbits (but I'd never put a bunny in
there! I don't like the wire on the feet), but it served it's purpose
with us. It had a grid so small they cannot get their snout though the
cage to nip (or chew on the wire when they are frustrated). The plus
with this cage is that you can put your hand up to it so they can sniff
or lick treats off without being assaulted. The closest thing I could
find on the internet was a rat cage, but the picture was pretty tiny
to tell.

CAUTION! Sleeping/dozing (and deaf) ferrets don't see lights flick on
and off very well, but if you stomp on the floor, they might just
notice.

I taught the deaf ferret that stayed with me some sign language. He was
smart as a whip and learned several words in AMSLAN before he left me.
NO was our first word. And he knew what that was. Stomp for attention,
NO. And other times, to get his attention for play, rewards and treats.

Buffy is not ready for this yet, but I did learn something helpful from
one gentleman. It's hard to bite the palm of the hand when it is held
out as tight as you can with tonic lax on it. Similar to how you give
horses treats. However!!!! Fingers are fair game if they are as
aggressive as Buffy, so this may not be an option for quite some time.
We did not try this for 4 months with my little Dakota. I was almost at
my wits end when she finally came around.

Check with your vet. There may be something else going on - tumor,
hormonal imbalance.... However, if your little critter has been
"damaged" in some way, genetically, or harmed/abused, as an absolute
last resort, you may want to consider consulting the vet about
tranquilizers. If you are out of humane options, it gives both of
you a chance.

Oh, and I have had ferrets that love Bitter Apple spray. The
cream/paste, not as much, but I have even used tabasco and other chili
powers in paste form to get chewing and biting ferrets to leave things
alone. Don't forget Wasabi...

Best of Luck to both of you!

Monica
ferretless, but felined
Edmonton, AB

[Posted in FML 5953]