Chompers is a shelter ferret, I adopted her about a month ago.
 
When Chompers and I were first intorduced ... she wanted to rip my finger
off.  Her first day home and she got my husband.  He was silly enough to try
and handle her without gloves and she had never seen him before in her life.
 
It is about a month later ... and she is 90% better.  Since she's been here
she has not been scruffed, had time out, yelled at, and never had bitter
apple used on her and she no longer tries to rip limbs and/or digits off.
She still has a tendency to bite .... but i feel this is because she is
still learning how hard she can bite her humans in play ..  cause this is
the only time she seems to want to bite, in play.  I am also sure that with
time she will learn what is too hard.
 
We try not to allow her the chance to bite us.  Our human children are
supposed to wear slippers or shoes on their feet when Chompers is out.
Sometimes they forget.  She got my 4 year olds big toe once and only left
dents.  She got my 6 year old daughters toe, once but drew blood.  It was
only a tiny bit of blood and only happened cause Maddie tried to shake
Chomps off.
 
The ferrets lash out for a reason ... maybe they were mistreated, or never
had the socialization they needed, or they are scared, but they just do not
bite for the sake of biting.  These are the ferrets that though they may
bite ... all they need is some TLC and time to learn that they can trust
their newly adopted humans.  I do not suggest passing by a biter simply
because at that point and time he/she is a biter ... I also do not advise
you get that little one if you do not have the time or patients they need
and deserver.
 
I'm sure Chompers thinks her name is Chomps no bite, no toes but she is
90% better from when I first met up with her.
 
Thanks
Robin and Chompers no bites no toes
[Posted in FML issue 2225]