Hello!
After researching ferrets quite thoroughly I brought home my first one
today.  He is a neutered ten week old male.  The breeder had younger
ferrets but said this one was friendly but "too big" for the pet stores
so I chose him hoping to give him a good home.  My husband used to have
ferrets when he was in college and enjoyed them, and my sister had three
ferrets over the years.  Hers were always very animated and a lot of fun.
 
"Slinky" is a beautiful dark sable.  I brought him home in a pet carrier.
He seemed inquisitive and explored the carrier.  So far so good.  I stuck
my finger in the cage when I was driving and was surprised when he bit me
but figured it was due to "jitters" from being moved.
 
After we got home I let him get used to the smells and sounds of the house
before turning him out into the living room.  I made sure that there were
no distractions or other animals around to scare him.  He enjoyed exploring
all the furniture, the Christmas tree, the baskets of folded laundry on the
floor.  In general he seemed to be having a great time.  But then he came
up and began to sniff my feet.  Then he bit me on the heel.  HARD.  I was
only wearing socks so it hurt.  I was surprised and told him no.  I picked
him up to put him back in his carrier and he bit me again.
 
After a half-hour in his carrier I turned him out again.  Again he went
after my feet.  Then he attacked my tennis shoes, which were sitting in the
corner.  He also tried to crawl inside my shoes.  Maybe its the smell of
the shoes that's bothering him.  I work with injured birds of prey and
other wildlife and we also have horses, cats and dogs so I kept hoping that
the smells on the shoes is making him attack.
 
Later my husband came home and was playing with Slinky when he bit him on
the wrist and broke the skin.
 
The breeder tells us that he will take Slinky back and give us a young six
week old kit as a replacement but I'd really like to make things work with
this little guy if possible.  I'm afraid that if he goes back to the
breeder he may end up in a home where he'll be shut in a cage all his life
with no one to love him.
 
At the same time, we have a sixteen month old daughter and an autistic
eight year old son whose safety we have to consider.  We aren't allowing
the children anywhere near Slinky until we can figure out how to get a
handle on this biting thing.
 
Any advice to this newbie would be greatly appreciated.
Kindest Regards,
Victoria Rouch
http://localsonly.wilmington.net/rouch/wildlife.htm
[Posted in FML issue 2528]