I'd like to know if anyone has a success story they can share with me
for reforming a bad biter.  I know lots of people have ideas (we also
have and know of a lot of these ideas and suggestions); what I want to
know is- who can tell me of a *successful* experience they have personally
had with changing a biter's behavior and how they did it.
 
We have 4 ferrets- 3 are very sweet.  One, Daisy, is about 2 1/2 years old
and ever since we've had her she's been a brat.  She terrorizes our other
older female (it's not just playing, she actually picks fights and tries
to beat her up whenever she can) and she has always been a biter.  She
bites me and my fiance, and we cannot take her out around company because
we don't trust her- she has bitten virtually everyone who has ever come
over (these aren't just nips- I could deal with that; she really draws
blood, sometimes seriously), so we don't let her out when people are over
anymore.
 
We've had nips here and there from the others, but it's pretty gentle
compared to her.  We thought maybe she'd grow out of it, but she hasn't
and nothing we do has helped (we've tried scruffing her immediately, time
outs in a cage, moving away if she seems like she's getting ready to bite,
etc.).  We got her from a pet store when she was a baby at the same time
we got our other younger ferret (but he was from a different place and is
very sweet), so she has not been abused.  We have come to the conclusion
that this is genetic bad behavior or something.  We have never terrorized
or traumatized her and we know she's not deaf or anything so it's not like
we're startling her when we pick her up- we're very gentle (and it doesn't
always happen when we pick her up anyway).  She often bites without
warning, but other times she may either be licking us or just hovering
around for a prolonged period of time and if you recognize that, there's
a little warning.  She's bitten so many people in so many shapes, sizes
and smells that I don't believe it's related to anything we're doing,
lotion we're wearing, etc.  but it's just her.
 
My fiance has had it.  Daisy gave him 3 very bad puncture wounds on his
hand this week, one of which bled profusely.  She is tiny but very strong.
He is at the end of his rope and wants to either give her up to a shelter
or have her put down (ironically, he had ferrets when I met him so these
are actually "his" originally...).  I don't feel like I can let this
happen- I feel like we have to try some other things first.  She is
physically healthy as far as we can tell- and it just seems wrong to do
one of those things without trying harder.  I can't stand the idea of her
in a dirty cage and never getting let out like the ferrets I've seen in
shelters here (ferrets are illegal here, so there's no official places,
but I do know of a couple- while I think the people running them care
about their ferrets they just don't have time or resources to give them
all the attention and exercise they need and that makes me sad to think
of her there- also I'm not sure she'd ever be adopted if they adopt out
b/c she bites!).  On the other hand, it is awful to be worried she's
going to bite someone, or one of us, or think about having kids around
her- we just can't and that's terrible.
 
I really feel like this is a genetic part of who she is, so I'm wondering
if anyone has ever had a ferret like this and somehow truly reformed them.
I have bought some time with my fiance and don't believe he will take any
steps about this until I tell him I'm okay with giving her up, but I need
some solid advice soon.  Please email me (also cc the list but it's faster
and easier for me to get to if you email directly) if you can help.  And
if anyone out there is personally interested in taking in a biter (she's
really cute :-) if we run out of options, please please let me know.
We're on the west coast and would try to make arrangements for that.  I
would MUCH rather give her to someone with time and patience that loves
ferrets and can work with her than give her to a shelter or euthanize her
if it comes to that.
 
thanks,
Jaime
[Posted in FML issue 3800]