Nikole:
 
First things first, if you have not already visited Ferret Central and
downloaded a copy of the ferret FAQ do it now (it is full of suggestions
and tips and information essential to any ferret owner no matter how
experienced).  http://optics.rochester.edu:8080/users/pgreene/
 
Next, as cute and wonderful as ferrets are, they are not like cats.  Until
your fellow reaches the mature age of 3 or 4 he may refuse to "cuddle"
unless he is asleep in your lap.  Young ferrets are constant activity in
motion with a zero attention span.  They show their affection for you by
asking you to play (i.e. putting paws on your leg and bouncing away, perhaps
by digging at your leg a bit, etc.).
 
Biting problems, we had a total of 8 ferrets go "through our house" (somehow
we became a mini rescue for a while) and we saw lots of biting problems.
The ferrets each responded better to different discipline methods, but one
thing was important with all of them CONSISTENCY.
 
TECHNIQUES YOU CAN TRY: Nose flicking works for many but not all; isolation
works for some (bad boy box - leave him in there for 15 minutes and ignore
them while doing something interesting); shaking (be gentle how you do this -
dominence hold him, yell at him and shake him enough so he notices it - but
be very careful not to shake hard), grab him by the scruf and hold him down
(don't let him down till he holds still for a few seconds - a sign of
submission); dominence hold him with one hand and cover his face with the
other - don't remove your hand till he settles down.
 
DOMINENCE HOLD: grab ferret by scruff of neck and lift him up so that his
feet can't touch the floor.  This does not hurt the ferret, generally they
will relax while you are holding them.  It is an important technique to
master so that you can hold your ferret still if necessary (nail trimming
and ear cleaning for example).  Be warned - ferrets may squirm if scared,
frustrated or wet when in this position, otherwise they quickly submit.
 
CONSISTENCY: This includes until you are confident you have trained him out
of nipping, use a zero tolerance technique.  No nipping of humans or "near"
nipping.  Also, if he bites you do not put him down until you have achieved
"dominence" in the situation.  If he nips quickly get a hold on his scruff
and dominence hold him, if he runs away grab him (even if you risk more
nipping to do this), use whatever discipline you feel you need to use, make
sure he "submits" and then allow him freedom.  Initially you will feel like
all you ever do is discipline your ferret if his biting is really bad -
however I found that usually within a couple of weeks, sometimes up to a
month, they finally "got it" and required very little reinforcement.  DON'T
EVER PUT DOWN OR LET GO OF A FERRET THE SECOND IT BITES, OTHERWISE HE'LL
THINK IF I NIP I CAN GO/DO WHAT I WANT RIGHT AFTER.  Ferrets tend to be
nippy at first because that's how they play with other ferrets, it takes
time for them to grasp that human skin is not a good chew toy.  Yes, this
can be a frustrating process, however, it is important to go through it.
 
REWARD: When he is being a "good ferret" be sure to let him know that this
is the behaviour you like to see.
 
DIGGING IN CARPET: keep his nails trimmed back and if he is digging "under
doors", try placing plastic overlays cut to extend past door frames so that
he doesn't damage carpets.
 
POTTY TRAINING: Wake him up to play, do not let him down for 5-10 minutes
(ferrets generally need to go within 5-10 minutes of wake up).  Immediately
place him in the litter pan - make him stay there till he uses it.  Give him
a treat for a job well done.  Monitor him while he plays.  When he starts to
back up into a corner to do his business - grab him and put where he ought
to go (have a treat standing by).  In new areas, put a litter box he has
used or some of his "poops" in the litter box to help attract him to it.
Clean all accidents with bleach water or vinegar water - otherwise he'll
smell his accidents and go to the same spot again.  Put food or blankets in
corners that you don't want him to use to help discourage him.
 
I hope this is helpful.
--
****
A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air
molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians.
 
(FRANK ZAPPA)
[Posted in FML issue 1864]