When another member of our Western Australian Ferret Rescue network became
afraid to touch a particular rescue ferret without gloves, I was only too
pleased to take in another "biter".  The prettiest female polecat/mitt
arrived and my son named her "Toes".
 
Toes had been found in a nearby suburb (and despite ads in newspapers, has
not been claimed to this date), was thin but a big girl with a lovely coat.
About 18 months old.
 
What made Toes so different, was that after biting hands (she bit no other
part of the body but was TERRIFIED of hands) she would slip into, what can
only be described as a catatonic state.  I have never seen this in another
ferret and I don't even want to think about what sort of treatment made
her react in this way.  She would squeak in terror, bite, then become
completely flaccid and unresponsive.  Nothing seemed to reach her but I
used this time to briefly kiss and cuddle her and give very gentle pats
and my own brand of ferret whispering (sorry Sukie, I can't sing for nuts)
before laying her in her bed.  She was free-range from the first moment
that she arrived and, although not seeking out the company of the other 15
ferrets, she was not upset by their presence and shared their food and milk
bowls at the same time.
 
A week and a half later she has put on weight and is very happy to be
picked up and cuddled and is very generous with her kisses to the face and
lips.  The only problem left is that when she becomes playful, she wriggles
and very gently mouths my hands but as she becomes more excited, she starts
to squeak and bite harder as if in fear.  At this point I switch to toys,
plastic bags or towel drags to distract her from her fears but she still
reacts by excessive yawning and placidness.  I yearn to see her dance and
play but will have to wait a while longer it seems.
 
Anyhow, has anyone else ever seen this particular behaviour before?  Any
tips?
 
The time it has taken to see her improve this much is very pleasing but
I'm a bit unsure as to where to go from here.
 
Looking forward to your input.
Love & Dooks
Shirley
[Posted in FML issue 3437]