Here're some things i'm finding are gradually working for me with regards
to toning down a kit's biting and training the kit to a litter box:
 
NOTE: all of my ferret training mechanisms seem to take weeks or a few
months to have proper (but lasting!) effect.  Have other people experienced
that time span?
 
1.  Litter training.  I started by putting papers in all the areas the ferts
had designated as 'corners' (one roommate gets the Sunday NYTimes.
Excellent source of paper :), so that mistakes would be (hopefully) caught.
Then, when I woke them up to play with them, i would make sure they used the
litter BEFORE i let them out, and i'd reward them JUST after they went (you
have to really have raisins in hand and be very sneaky about getting the
raisins, lest they forget about pooping and just beg!).  The important fact
here is that ferrets will almost always poop shortly after waking up,
especially if they've been napping a while.  I also combined a few other
methods of corner deterrant - the one that works best is a towel NEXT to an
additional litterbox.  Still, about the only thing you can do for misses is
watch the ferrets closely and plop them in the litterbox if they seem
interested in a corner.  Dont punish them!  Ferrets will do almost
*anything* for treats - if you're vigilant enough about rewarding them for
pooping in the litterbox, i guarantee you'll soon have a ferret who does one
of the following: either FAKES going to the bathroom in the box while you're
watching (*so* cute, Potpie did this for months) or goes *just a little* if
you're watching or have just given a treat to another ferret.  Hee hee hee.
Noodle and Easel are both guilty of this (and all the other messes i find in
the box are of normal size and shape, so they're not ill/obstructed, they're
just Being Good For Mom.  *grin*).  Also, a short period every day confined
to a cage *does* help - i found if mine were out 24/7, they used their cage
litterbox almost never.  If they were in the cage 8 or so hours (at night,
say), then let out all day, they go back to the cage to use the litter
*MUCH* more frequently.  This even holds for Friday 'Free-range pooper'
ferret.  Another reason for random poop placement seems to be a too-small
litterbox.  If one of them is waking up and going to poop, chances are *all*
are waking up and needing to poop.  If you have a litterbox big enough for
at least three at a time, the instances of missing the box drop
dramatically.
 
2.  Biting.  The most effective ways i've found so far are, again, a
combination of a bunch of singular methods - 'time-outs,' bitter apple, and
nose-flicking.  The way i'm training Easel right now is as follows - if i'm
wrestling with her with my hands, if she bites me, i stop the game by
pinning her and holding her still.  She rapidly gets bored.  You really need
lightning reflexes to train a ferret not to bite, i've found, because you
have to react to their biting either *while* they're biting or milliseconds
after.  The holding-down method usually just requires responding with the
hand already in contact, and therefore it's a bit easier to respond quickly
to the bite and the ferret makes the connection.  Put Bitter Apple on your
hands during random play intervals - the random reinforcement seems to work
better than a constant reinforcement.  I've found that play-biting is
easiest to contain if, when you *can* catch them fast enough to flick their
noses, you smooch and love on them a bit afterwards before continuing
playing.  This sends a strong, "No biting!  But i still love you." message.
For those random instances where the ferrets just dash up, bite you, and
dash away, seemingly without purpose - well, you're *obviously* not paying
enough attention to them.  :) The frequency of these sneak attacks goes down
with the amount of attention you pay to them.  I've found that a good way to
make them feel they're always being paid attention to is to either chatter
to them constantly, or tussle with them for a few minutes every ten or so
that you're otherwise busy (like, making dinner or folding laundry, two
things my ferrets seem to hate me doing if i could otherwise be playing with
them).
 
Random ferret psychology: No matter how much we play with Noodle, every time
he sees us playing with Easel, he gets sulky and then attacks her as soon as
we leave her alone.  Fortunately, Easel's very easy-going, but it's kinda
funny to watch Noodle, when i'm playing with him and John's playing with
Easel, look over to Easel playing and then stomp off to sulk.  I've been
spending upwards of fifteen minutes per playtime (they're out all day now)
cuddling and snuggling with Noodle, and he's still being a dork.  *sigh*
Random bonding tip- hand-feed your ferrets their normal food.  They love the
attention.
 
More random ferret psychology: How many of your ferrets will obey you (or
stop disobeying) because you look at them when they're doing something
wrong?  Potpie knows that carpet digging is bad, so if she sees me
watching her do it, she either flat-ferrets and gives me the *hugest* sad
eyed look as i come to get her, or she runs over to me and tries to hop into
my lap.  If i have to go so far as saying, 'Hey!' (my mild version of 'no' -
if i use 'no!' the ferts know they're caged toast) she'll either dig more
determinedly to get those last few enjoyable seconds, or instantly leave and
come to hop into my lap.  Or, alternately, go off to do something dastardly
somewhere else.
 
They're so darned cute.
 
Melissa
 
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      Melissa Litwicki                              "Is it ... atomic?"
      [log in to unmask]                             "Yes! VERY atomic!"
[Posted in FML issue 1691]