Hi Everyone,
 
I have been seeing a lot of posts from folks asking about biting.  Out of
the mob of 26 that reside here, I have had 7 "kiddos" that have bitten hard
enough to draw blood, some hard enough to do some serious damage.
 
One ferret, Sampson, was from a litter of several who were turned over to a
shelter as kits.  They all bit lips badly.  None bit anywhere else.  He was
my worst biter until recently.  And now he is a very sweet ferret who knows
he isn't supposed to bite faces, so he turns his head when I hold him up.  I
am now working on explaining that kisses are a good thing.
 
Conan the Toebiter has two brain cells and they don't work at the same time.
He is stubborn and still nips hard to get attention.  That is all he ever
wanted, attention and he figured this one way to get it and it stuck in that
pea brain.  Even Sara Petersen, who will really scold ferrets for biting,
has to laugh at him.  He will run up and nip hard, and then stand and look
at you like "OK, can we play now, huh huh?" He doesn't seem to be able to
understand that he can't bite people as hard as the ferrets, but he tries.
It just takes a long, long time with him.
 
Miss Maisie, Henry, Freddy were all timid ferrets and would start at the
slightest movement and were very prone to running up from behind, nipping
and running off again.  They wanted attention, but were too timid to stay
put for it.  Took lots of cuddles, and play time (even with the nips) to
teach them to trust.  Now they all chase me and jump at me and ask to play
and be tossed on the bed.  They are confident.
 
Miss Natasha, aka Mazel Tov, is the worst one I have dealt with.  She has
bitten me and another ferret person to the finger bones.  And she does not
let go once she does this.  Sampson would bite badly but let go.  She just
hangs on.  She also does the hit and run for attention.  But she is around 8
months old, and I am her 4th house.  She had absolutely no trust.  No
stability.  She still nips, but it is very light and more play nips now than
anything.  But I don't allow her even that because she sometimes forgets
herself.  But she has learned that she gets a very stern lecture from me,
scruffed or put in for a time out.  Or all three.  She knows I won't hurt
her or give her away now.
 
She has also learned that Ma will give her anything she eats, and she is my
only ferret who likes my coffee.  I ended up wearing it this morning when
she got to my cup before I did.  She loves bacon and will beg upright for
raisins, in any part of the house, as long as I am looking at her.
 
I had planned on adopting her out once she was socialized, but I don't think
I will be able to.  I am afraid that one more home would put her right back
where she was when I got her.  And that was being carried in by a Mizzou
student who was wearing leather gaunlets and was studying to rehab wolves.
Yes, seriously.
 
I guess my message is this, when you get any animal that bites like this,
it is usually from not knowing any better and easily corrected, or from a
history of neglect and abuse.  They have to learn to trust you and until
they do, they bite in self defense.  And if you don't have the time or the
ability to deal with this (not everyone does, it involves setting yourself
up to be bit so they understand you are giving them a chance) then find
someone who can.  It doesn't mean less of you.  It means you are thinking
of the animal above yourself.
 
And as for my house, I play very rough with the "heathens" and so have many
play scratches on my arms.  I am always amazed when I get to meet new ferts
who are so well behaved.  lol!!  I tolerate a lot more than a lot of folks,
which sometimes test the patience of houseguests.  hehe.  And for some
reason Freddy seems to think Otterowl is paticularly tasty.  She is the only
one he chomps.  But she has learned to recognize him too. ;-)
 
Don't expect changes overnight.  It can take a minimum of a couple of
months, even when socializing a new kit.  They mellow as they grow up and
have a longer attention span then too.  And don't ever be afraid to ask.
 
Give the kids hugs for me,
 
Maggie Mae
icq# 14764688
MustelidMob web home- http://home.att.net/~dragonfey
[Posted in FML issue 2378]