>From:    Kelleen Andrews <[log in to unmask]>
>Someone asked the other day about her ferret that licks several times and
>then chomps down on her.... I gave it a great deal of thought a long time
>ago and >noticed something very interesting.  Whenever Light is grooming
>another ferret he lick, lick, lick, chomp-chews on their fur...
 
Hi folks,
 
When I first brought home my little Caramel (this was about four years ago),
and was just trying to get to know her, she had a very similar behaviour --
she'd lick and lick and lick, and then nibble.  I didn't mind the nibbling,
but I DID mind the CHOMP.  Once in a while, the nibbling ended up being a
full-blown nasty CHOMP, especially when she would lick around the soft
fleshy area between my thumb and forefinger!  She would bite so hard that I
swore her teeth met through my hand.  It was very painful, drew blood, and I
was understandably getting reluctant to play with her after a few of those
CHOMP incidents.  I was at wits end about this, since the good old fashioned
sharp "NO!" delivered to her seemed to have no effect.  I even tried a
gentle nose flick or two, but it was like she didn't even notice.
 
Finally, and VERY reluctantly, I took some advice I got here on the Ferret
mailing list.  The next time she did this, I grabbed a gentle, but firm hold
of her whiskers, and gave them a little yank.  I'm sure it hurt me more than
it did her to do something like that, but the reaction was instant!  She
looked stunned, with those little ferret eyes that seemed to say "What did
you do THAT for??".  I only had to do that little exercize twice, and she
never bit again.  But unfortunately, I was never again really comfortable to
let her groom me for too long-- those little teeth really hurt!
 
-Seth
[Posted in FML issue 1462]