Here're some things i'm finding are gradually working for me with regards to toning down a kit's biting and training the kit to a litter box: NOTE: all of my ferret training mechanisms seem to take weeks or a few months to have proper (but lasting!) effect. Have other people experienced that time span? 1. Litter training. I started by putting papers in all the areas the ferts had designated as 'corners' (one roommate gets the Sunday NYTimes. Excellent source of paper :), so that mistakes would be (hopefully) caught. Then, when I woke them up to play with them, i would make sure they used the litter BEFORE i let them out, and i'd reward them JUST after they went (you have to really have raisins in hand and be very sneaky about getting the raisins, lest they forget about pooping and just beg!). The important fact here is that ferrets will almost always poop shortly after waking up, especially if they've been napping a while. I also combined a few other methods of corner deterrant - the one that works best is a towel NEXT to an additional litterbox. Still, about the only thing you can do for misses is watch the ferrets closely and plop them in the litterbox if they seem interested in a corner. Dont punish them! Ferrets will do almost *anything* for treats - if you're vigilant enough about rewarding them for pooping in the litterbox, i guarantee you'll soon have a ferret who does one of the following: either FAKES going to the bathroom in the box while you're watching (*so* cute, Potpie did this for months) or goes *just a little* if you're watching or have just given a treat to another ferret. Hee hee hee. Noodle and Easel are both guilty of this (and all the other messes i find in the box are of normal size and shape, so they're not ill/obstructed, they're just Being Good For Mom. *grin*). Also, a short period every day confined to a cage *does* help - i found if mine were out 24/7, they used their cage litterbox almost never. If they were in the cage 8 or so hours (at night, say), then let out all day, they go back to the cage to use the litter *MUCH* more frequently. This even holds for Friday 'Free-range pooper' ferret. Another reason for random poop placement seems to be a too-small litterbox. If one of them is waking up and going to poop, chances are *all* are waking up and needing to poop. If you have a litterbox big enough for at least three at a time, the instances of missing the box drop dramatically. 2. Biting. The most effective ways i've found so far are, again, a combination of a bunch of singular methods - 'time-outs,' bitter apple, and nose-flicking. The way i'm training Easel right now is as follows - if i'm wrestling with her with my hands, if she bites me, i stop the game by pinning her and holding her still. She rapidly gets bored. You really need lightning reflexes to train a ferret not to bite, i've found, because you have to react to their biting either *while* they're biting or milliseconds after. The holding-down method usually just requires responding with the hand already in contact, and therefore it's a bit easier to respond quickly to the bite and the ferret makes the connection. Put Bitter Apple on your hands during random play intervals - the random reinforcement seems to work better than a constant reinforcement. I've found that play-biting is easiest to contain if, when you *can* catch them fast enough to flick their noses, you smooch and love on them a bit afterwards before continuing playing. This sends a strong, "No biting! But i still love you." message. For those random instances where the ferrets just dash up, bite you, and dash away, seemingly without purpose - well, you're *obviously* not paying enough attention to them. :) The frequency of these sneak attacks goes down with the amount of attention you pay to them. I've found that a good way to make them feel they're always being paid attention to is to either chatter to them constantly, or tussle with them for a few minutes every ten or so that you're otherwise busy (like, making dinner or folding laundry, two things my ferrets seem to hate me doing if i could otherwise be playing with them). Random ferret psychology: No matter how much we play with Noodle, every time he sees us playing with Easel, he gets sulky and then attacks her as soon as we leave her alone. Fortunately, Easel's very easy-going, but it's kinda funny to watch Noodle, when i'm playing with him and John's playing with Easel, look over to Easel playing and then stomp off to sulk. I've been spending upwards of fifteen minutes per playtime (they're out all day now) cuddling and snuggling with Noodle, and he's still being a dork. *sigh* Random bonding tip- hand-feed your ferrets their normal food. They love the attention. More random ferret psychology: How many of your ferrets will obey you (or stop disobeying) because you look at them when they're doing something wrong? Potpie knows that carpet digging is bad, so if she sees me watching her do it, she either flat-ferrets and gives me the *hugest* sad eyed look as i come to get her, or she runs over to me and tries to hop into my lap. If i have to go so far as saying, 'Hey!' (my mild version of 'no' - if i use 'no!' the ferts know they're caged toast) she'll either dig more determinedly to get those last few enjoyable seconds, or instantly leave and come to hop into my lap. Or, alternately, go off to do something dastardly somewhere else. They're so darned cute. Melissa ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Melissa Litwicki "Is it ... atomic?" [log in to unmask] "Yes! VERY atomic!" [Posted in FML issue 1691]