Howdy,
 
Just to add on to Sheena's post on stopping ferrets from biting or
un-locking their jaws from your hands, legs, etc.
 
Anti-bite methods:
 
 
When ferrets bite in, your instinct is to pull back, and so is theirs....
OUCH!  This works to their advantage.... so don't do it, eh?
 
If the ferret is in the process of biting down, and you'll know it... first
thing to do is PUSH towards them and don't PULL away!  Normally, this will
mean a finger in their throat, or a part of your fist in their mouth........
which, like a big sandwich, is hard to bite down on.  Occasionally, like us,
the finger will invoke a gag reflex, and this will give you a second to get
your hand to safety.
 
Sheena's suggestion of the jaw-pop is perfect.
 
Other tricks:
 
A Q-tip doused in bitter-apple works wonders for those ferrets who despise
the taste.  It's also nice, as they will associate bad tastes with biting
you.
 
Remember how to get a ferret yawning?  That's right.... massage that
jaw..... doesn't always work, but at times, it does.
 
If your ferret has chomped into a part of your hand, and the jaw-pop has
failed, flex your muscles!  Make a fist, lean your hand into the ferret and
then do the jaw-pop.  The flexed fist is hard to bite into because nothing
is flabby and you've created the big sandwich again.
 
If they have chomped into that lovely spot between your index finger and
thumb, take hold of the critter and squeeze around it's head/neck, as this
is another form of the jaw-pop, only what you are doing is pushing their
lower jaw down so they cannot retain the good grip on you.
 
Please note, the above steps are done without hurting the ferret.
 
It's best to follow up with a form of discipline once you've turn the table.
 
- a sharp NO!  - forget the nose tap thing.... that will only get them going
again.  - send them to their cage for an hour (they don't like being bored!)-
if the ferret didn't draw blood, I normally give the ferret a HUGE body
massage, a noogy on the head, a pat on the back and send them off.  Why?
Sometimes, the kids are wound up and get carried away with their playing and
it's a way of telling them "I don't approve, but I'm not mad at you for
being a putz just now." Normally the body massage calms whatever got their
goat in the first place, and whatever negative action towards you started,
will be relieved because of your positive action towards them.  - give them
a quick warm water bath.  Again, why??????  Because, it gives them something
else to do for the next 15 minutes while they dry themselves off.
 
Rob & Kate Adlers and the four fuzzbutts in Toronto, Canada!
 
     Mindy, Gabby, Lola and Samson
[Posted in FML issue 1765]