Excerpts from mail: 4-Mar-92 Ferret List Issue 224 by Ferret Mailing List@ferr >We also have one who has taken to biting the carpet. Now, this I could >really use some help on. It doesn't matter where he is, he just plops >down and proceeds to get his fangs stuck in the loops (purposefully) and >then rips his teeth out. So far, he hasn't done too much damage - far >less than the scratching anyway, but it's got to stop. Hints? The >ferret that is doing it is an unneutered male who's about 5 1/2 months >old and I think his testosterone levels are up (he's due to go under Scratching is something I haven't solved myself, but mine aren't too bad about it. They've destroyed the inside of the couch, but the darned thing was half dead to start with. As for biting the carpet, I think bitter apple would work well here. When he starts munching, before he's had a chance to extricate his teeth, run over and spray bitter apple in his mouth. This might take some doing, and it would be easier if you could pinpoint the area to be chewed beforehand, but I think it will work. I suspect after once or twice the ferret will vanish when you approach :), but he'll get the idea you don't like it. Of course, this will probably only deter him from munching while you're around ... (crafty little critters) If the area in question isn't too big, the best thing would be to spray the entire carpet. re: ferret visiting Mardi Gras ... I take my babies with me to science fiction conventions all the time. I do a lot of "ferret education", and have toyed with the idea of making buttons which say: "I'm a ferret. I eat ferret chow. No, I don't bite." [3 top questions: What is it? What does it eat? Does it bite?] I've also toyed with the idea of making another button that says: "Why? Do you taste good?" At conventions, I'm usually greeted by a chorus of: "Look! The ferret!" Not, "Hi, Barb." I only exist as a vehicle for the ferret! :) And you can't get anywhere quickly. Every 10 feet you're stopped. Anytime you're still for more than a few seconds, you'll collect a crowd. I love it! My babies have one "matchmaking" to their credit. A young couple met each other over the ferret and ended up getting married! Everytime we see each other at a convention, they make a point of letting me know that MY ferret was the reason they met. I've also known shy guys to get a ferret because it attracts so *very* many women. And these nubile young things will let that ferret crawl around inside their sweaters! I've gotten much amusement out of watching the gaping looks of envy on the faces of horny young men as they watched my ferret crawling around inside a young woman's sweater ... :) And once Keesa scored the "talk" of the convention by scooting underneathe the dress of a girl kneeling on the floor and "goosing" her. She squealed quite nicely, and everyone in the room ROARED! Hee, hee. She happened to be a great fan of the ferrets (which is why I let her do that in the first place -- I didn't figure she'd mind). She just was startled. :) Animals can be a great conversation piece, attention getter and vehicle to overcome shyness. Besides, anyone who is attracted to a ferret can't be all bad, right? --Barb-- [Posted in FML issue 0225]