It sounds like Buffy has been physically mistreated, possibly because
she is deaf and when normal discipline didn't work her previous people
resorted to physical pain punishment because they didn't know about her
deafness. She could have bitten hard and was thrown against a wall or
kicked, which would explain her fear-aggression to hands and feet. She
may be trying to get 'them' before they hurt her. Unfortunately that is
too common with deaf ferrets and inexperienced physically mean people.
It is one thing to have a knee-jerk reaction but it isn't common for
a one-time reaction to cause this type of behavior. It takes repeated
physical pain to. It will take time and patience to calm her.

What has worked well for me with severe biters is a q-tip dipped in
apple cider vinegar. When working with biters I keep a small baby
food jar on the counter and shelves around the house, 1/3 filled with
vinegar and a small handfull of q-tips in it ready to go. When I get
bit I swipe a vinegar q-tip along the inside of the little mouth.
Most take a second or two to realize what happened then they spit and
sputter before trying my hand again but of course by that time I have
my hand out of harms way (and I probably shouldn't mention my
giggling).

After the mouth technique I'll swipe the vinegar q tip generously
across my hands before picking up biters. Some will sink in right away
and they get the mouth touch again as well as what is on my hand. I'll
warn you in advance, that vinegar burns in an open wound no matter how
small.

It takes awhile but they catch on that the smell means nasty taste when
they bite.

For bite training I play with them under a thick blanket that will
protect my hands. As they bite my fingers through the blanket I gently
but solidly grab their little bottom jaw with my fingers and hold it as
they try to chomp down. The blanket has to be thick enough the little
razor sharp teeth won't come through and one needs to be prepared for
the pressure. I do this several times a day to instill the lesson that
biting will get the jaw hold, and ferrets really don't like to have
their little mouth held at all. This works with biters that are deaf
and those that are hearing too. Of course with the hearing ones I tell
them NO bite too. If for some reason the blanket isn't thick enough or
they are strong enough to bite through, I give them a soft swat on the
back end which serves more as a startle than anything else. It takes
them by surprise and they release my fingers.

Melatonin drops in soup can help to calm a bit. And lots of yummie
treats so the little biter associates you with something very good. I
often use ferretone as a training aid. I mix mine with canola oil and
have a bottle top with a little nozzle that they can lap from. I pick
them up frequently, with the ferretone bottle in hand, let them lap a
few drops then put them down and go on my way. I come back later and
do the same, over and over again till they associate the goodness of
ferretone with my handling them.

Vanilla is a calming scent so if you use a candle warmer you might try
a vanilla fragrance. Vanilla essential oils sprays can be found at
health stores. Be cautious with them as a tiny bit goes a long way
and the scent isn't always what you think it will be. Some are more
stringent and some are too sweet. The blends often are ones that aren't
what I expect, but that would be personal choice.

Some tranquility music is calming, I play instrumental with nature
sounds that calms them right down.

And your interaction with the other ferrets will help as well. When the
little biter sees how the other ferrets respond to your loving care,
they too want that, though they often don't quite know how to show it
for awhile, but in time they will.

I believe with calmness and persistance and gentle training, trust can
be earned and gentle training can stop severe biting.

I'd suggest taking it slowly, patiently, and trying to avoid situations
where she is biting you. If you need to use a towel to pick her up
without her lunging, that may indicate that she's afraid of hands
because she associates them with pain and is getting you before you
get her. Same with your shoes.

tle
www.ferretfamilyservices.org

[Posted in FML 5953]