This post continues a thought I had when posting to Minta and her attention dilemma with new baby and ferrets. There are NO new babies, but rather just ferrets and it has to do with commitment to a ferret. Joshua was adopted about 2 months ago from my favorite shelter. He is a good size albino male about 6 months old when adopted. He is the only ferrets that I have adopted that has stretched my patience and understanding to its limits. Here is his problem...Joshua has a biting problem. Not the kind of biting that indicates aggression, but rather he bites for attention. I have gone to work with bandaids on my fingers and my ankles all covered with welts from him sharp little teeth. The way it happens is this - all the ferrets come out for playtime and after an hour or so, will wander off the my dresser drawer to catch a quick three hour nap. Joshua is left alone to play by himself and then the biting starts. I have tried one-on-one interactive play sessions, rubbing my legs with Bitter Apple, and even time-outs, but nothing seems to change his behavior. I feel that as Joshua becomes older he will slow down and start heading to the dresser drawer with the other, but in the meantime, he is a handful. The shelter mom has offered to take him back, if I choose, but I am standing firm on the fact that I won't give up with him. He reminds me of my eldest son, who during his teens, was my worst enemy and who is now one of my best friends. I truly believe that when this has passed Joshua is going to become one of my favorites, but for now he is just the "Demon Child". This is my personal lesson on commitment and I am determined to weather it thru. I know how easy it would be to give Josh back to the shelter and choose another ferret, but I also know that deep in my heart I would have done him a dis-service by putting him through yet another adoption. He is too young to have dealt with shelter life as it is. Phyllis Mom to Duchess, Tobey, Tyler, Jenny, Molly, and yes, the Demon Child - Joshua. [Posted in FML issue 3530]