I have 2 ferrets, HodgePodge and Portnoy.  Hodge is a Sweetie, and Port is
Hell. O.K., well, maybe not Hell, but he's awful.
 
He had a biting problem.  He bites everybody in reach when he's
nervous/stressed.  For example, my fiance and I take him to the Farmer's
Market to run in the grass (on a leash).  Hodge is cool w/ everything,and w/
people wanting to pet him, but Portnoy gets ansy, and ansier, and then he
starts licking either me or my fiance (David) furiously.  A second later, he
BITES.  Hard.  I read Sukie's very interesting post on biting, and types of
biting.  Well, Portnoy bites w/ his canines, and he holds on, and you can
feel his head vibrate as he tries to bite as hard as possible.
 
The worst problem is that he likes to single me out to bite.  :(  I'll be
sitting, reading, and he will climb into my lap, nose around on me for a
bit, and then choose a spot and clamp down.  Hard.  And he won't quit, and
hisses at me when I pry his teeth out of my skin.  I don't get it!  All the
other animals in the house love me.  Is Portnoy having a personality
conflict w/ me?  He doesn't agree on my political views?  He likes
shoot-em-up movies and I don't?  The only thing I can think of is that he
spent the first 5 months of his life in a tiny cage in a pet store, which
was staffed almost entirely by women.  Is there a "general woman smell"
that he detects, and is having flashbacks to the Big Bad Petstore?
 
I've tried nose flicking, saying "No" in his face, squeeling in pain (no
need to fake it), time out in the cage, and shoving my hand further in his
mouth (makes him bite harder).  None of these work at all.  I've also tried
picking him up at random times for Lovey-Dovey time, and petting him, and
giving him little treats when he's not biting, and talking sweetly to him.
 
Is there anything else I can do? Does anyone have any Secret Tricks?  Or do
I just stock up on Bandaids and patience?
 
Thanks!
        Carol-Anne, HodgePodge, and Portnoy
[Posted in FML issue 1246]