>From:    Jason Milstead <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: My ferrets gotten mean
>When i first got my ferret 3 weeks ago he was a big lazy cuddly guy.  But
>lately he has gotten mean.  He will burrow through any blankets he can and
>when i try to pick him up he acts like he's going to bite me..  he will war
>dance all the time and is constantly moving when im around..  i play with
>him as much as possible but he wont even let me touch him..  I just dont
>knwo what to do.
 
When a ferret is in a playful, bouncy mood around it's owner, it is
perfectly normal for it to open it's mouth and *act* like it's gonna bite.
It may even gently chew...if it really bites too hard during play, it needs
to be told that it's gone too far...but "playbiting" is a common part of
ferret play.
 
If your ferret does bite too hard during play, "too hard" defined as more
than you personally want to tolerate, grab the ferret, hold it very still in
front of your face with one hand, say "NO" firmly, tap him *lightly* on the
nose at the same time, then set him down and halt play for at least a few
minutes.
 
Another thing: there are two entirely seperate reasons a ferret may bite too
hard.  If it's just overly rambunctious play, which is what you seem to be
describing, then the "gentle discipline" approach seems best.  VERY
gentle... it's more a matter of getting your displeasure across than using
pain as punishment.  The *other* kind of bite can happen when your ferret is
frightened for some reason, and nips.  My Mikey does that on occasion; I
didn't raise him, and he was given to me because his owner's roommate's kid
was abusing him whenever his owner wasn't looking.  Therefore, certain
noises or handling by someone he doesn't know can trigger a nip.  I've been
using the "gentle discipline" appoach (done very mildly) followed by a
cuddle session to let him know there's nothing to be afraid of, and it's
helping a lot.
 
But if he's just waving his open mouth around during wardance-play, or even
lunging with open mouth, believe me, that's completely normal and does *not*
mean he wants to snack on you.
 
My personal theory is that the "Wardance-play" we see all the time is a type
of "martial art", in that if a ferret gets in a real fight with a larger
animal, it'll bounce around at random to prevent being bit and then lunge
for the assailant's throat.  Twice now I've seen ferrets do the "wardance"
when they were absolutely pissed-off, and while the motions were similar,
they were much "sharper", more "focused", with much more energy and control
involved.  I've heard lots of eyewitness reports of small ferrets emerging
victorious against much larger dogs and cats...my brother was walking one of
his ferts on a leash in Idaho years ago, when someone's 70lbs Doberman
started whimpering and backing off from the ferret.  The dog had numerous
scars across it's face, and one eye missing - it had attacked a large male
ferret and took hideous damage before finally killing the ferret by knocking
it against a wall while it clung to the dog's face and stunning it.  The dog
collapsed after the fight, and needed eight reconstructive surgeries to
reassemble it's face - and I assure you, it *never* ever wanted anything to
do with a ferret ever again.
 
That doesn't make them *mean*; it means they're fearless.  That lack of fear
makes them better, friendlier pets, and you needn't be afraid of your pal.
Just understand that they're potentially "small warriors", and won't take a
whole lot of BS from anyone or anything.
[Posted in FML issue 1667]