>From:    Jason Hurst <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: A Very young Ferret
>I have just purchased a 6 week old male Ferret.  Every time I go to Play
>with him he wants to bite me. ...
 
Well, biting is very normal for a 6 week old ferret.  Most of my kits aren't
weaned until they are 8-10 weeks old.  When they are that young they are
tasting everything to see if it is food - fingers, bedding, mom's tail,
brothers & sisters, etc.  At this age a firm "no" and repeated "no bite"
when nibbled on and a diversion to something else works well.  Kits go thru
stages.  At about 3-4 weeks they start licking, 4-5 weeks they start
nibbling, after the eyes open they nibble a little bit, but begin to be
interested in other things besides eating.  At 10-12 weeks they enter the
"terrible twos" & start to nibble again to test you.  It is at this point
that nip training is important.
 
There are several methods of nip training that work well for many people.  I
personally use the "finger in the mouth" method.  This doesn't hurt the
ferret, it just irritates it.  For this method & others refer to the ferret
FAQ which you can get from this list or from Ferret Central.  Also make sure
your hands don't smell like food, your ferret isn't hungry (young kits
always are when they first wake up), and most importantly praise the ferret
when it is good & maybe give it a treat.
 
>From:    Debbie Utter <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ferret Information - DOB, Parents
>entry form to be filled out for each ferret requests the date of birth,
>and the name of the ferret's parents.  How do you get this information?  I
>bought my Path Valley Farm ferret from a pet store.  <snip> Does this mean
>that I won't be able to enter...
 
If you bought your ferret from PV most likely you will never know the
fuzzy's parents.  Just guesstimate using the date you bought the ferret &
how old it was at the time.  You can absolutely show your ferret without
parental information!  That is why ferret shows are so great!  The only
really accurate way to get the linage on a ferret is to buy it from a
breeder.  We supply 3 generation pedigrees with ours, any many breeders have
similar things.  Shelter ferrets may have parent info, but most likely not
depending on the rescue situation.  Just because your ferret is a rescue or
a pet store ferret it doesn't mean it isn't good enough to show!  Get out
there & show that fuzzy off!
 
Amy Flemming
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http://www.geocities.com/heartland/ranch/9521
Please stop by the very important message page to vote for Seven Year Itch!
[Posted in FML issue 2313]