Advice from Stevy, Sierra, & Frosty the ferrets on nipping and biting:
Hey Stevy, Sierra, & Frosty here with a bit of important information for you all! Now you need to pay real close attention to this because it could mean the life of our cousins so take care and read carefully!
Okay I know some of you humans do not want to hear this but you NEED too! When one of our cousins bites you before you flick their little nose we want you to flick your nose as hard as you would ours. See how it feels! It HURTS! It makes our eyes water it HURTS so bad. Now when you humans hurts yourself you know how angry and up set you get, sometimes you punch something or you kick something because it hurts so bad, well that is how BAD the flick hurts our noses. So all you are doing is making us want to bite you more and harder. Here are some reasons some of our cousins nip or bite.
Nipper: This is when they grab your hand, ankle, or arm quickly (we call it hit and run) leaving a bit of pain but not breaking the skin. Most generally this is for several different reasons. Some of which are:
1) Play with me please.
2) Tag you're it!
3) I am frightened, hurt or annoyed.
Bite: This is a bit more serious. Our cousins not only grab your hand, arm, or ankles, but our cousins literally draw blood and sometimes do not let go. Your first question should be WHY?
1) Have they been hurt?
2) Have they been abused?
3) Are they being tormented?
4) Are they in an environment they do not feel comfortable in?
Once these questions have been answered, you can start teaching our cousins how not to bite. BUT you also have to remember that there is a REASON for this. You must find out, as best you can, the cause. Most generally animals do not bite unless provoked or have been trained that you humans cannot be trusted. Actually you are not teaching our cousins NOT to bite you are teaching them that you can be trusted NOT to HURT them so they have no reason to hurt you!
1) We DO NOT recommend scruffing; we recommend gently putting your hand around their neck so that they cannot look away, placing their face in front of yours Sternly say NO BITES, but no yelling that frightens us! (Keeping the animal away from your face if you have a real biter). Scruffing is an aggressive move if your pet has already been taught that humans are aggressive and mean they then will only bite harder and faster.
2) NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, flick the nose, hit our cousins or shake him or her. If you feel the need to flick a nose, flick your own (see how good it feels.) Hitting our cousins is only reinforcing the "I don't trust human reflex," and shaking him/her can, and will, cause the same brain damage that human children suffer with shaken baby syndrome.
Dealing with a Severe Biter: This is a biter that will bite to the bone, and literally hang from what ever part of the body they have attached themselves to. We highly recommend you find a reputable human/shelter that has experience with severe biters to work with, and rehabilitate these cousins. These guys have been undoubtedly hurt by a human for one reason or another, and they will hurt you every chance they get to keep from being hurt ever again. It takes a very special human to be able to hold the animal that is biting them, with blood flowing down the skin, to talk softly, telling the animal that all is right with the world and they will not be hurt ever again. That Master Largo Kid was one of these cousins and our Aunt Brenda made him all better, BUT not before she gots lots of scars on her arms and legs. That Master Largo turned out to be an okay cousin he did.
So what we is telling you is STOP hurting our noses! Our cousins do not like to be hurt any more that you humans do so if you are gentle with them, if you are patient with them you can get them to trust you enough to stop biting you.
Frosty was a bad bitter the lady that first had us did not know he was deaf and when he did not see her and she startled him he bit her and the more that she hurt him the more he bit her.
Our Mom could not pick him up at all he would attack her, but now she gets kisses and cuddles and no bites. It took Dad a long time to teach Frosty not to bite but now anyone can pick him up and get kisses just like they do from Sierra and me.
Give us love and not Hurt!!
TheTerribleTrio, Stevy, Sierra, & Frosty
Owner: We have a female ferret that we rescue. She is VERY aggressive. We have been trying to do different things for her. But at a lost how we can train her not to bite. I mean she bites like a pit-bull she locks on...I don't want to put her down but I need some advice on what I can do....please contact me back. I'm willing to travel as long as it is help to learn how to Handel her
Shelter Mum: Where are you located? How long have you had her? I will walk you through this - here is a start.
Owner: Omg thank you for response...I'm in Centereach NY...we had her for three weeks. Supposedly she is an Adult but she is tiny...don't know her history we got her from per smart and was a package deal with another male. Who is the sweeties that can be a normal ferret lmao....she is a challenge for me cause I know how fetters are so social and loving....this one I don't know it's weird cause she knows skin.....and really locks on tight.....I don't want anyone to put her to sleep if I have to build her something nice and let her be for the rest of her life I will....but I really would love to learn about this aggressive animal.....but I really appetite you getting back to me cause I have been doing a lot of research and trying all the things they day...only one I haven't done was the clicker.
Shelter Mum: Tell me all you have done and how you are doing it. Is she in the same cage with the other ferret? Do they hang out together? What precedes her biting? Answer these questions we will go from there
Owner: I also want to add that I am that person that has patients and will NOT hurt her....nor hit her nose if anything I handel her with a glove and give her exercise...just so she isn't caged up...she does shake when I hold her and try to tell her it's ok...and kids her forehead. But still she bites...
Shelter Mum: This tells me a lot.. you are doing it correctly. Do you use ferretone? When we get a fur kid in that bites like this whenever I go by the cage if she is up I open the cage and offer a lick of ferretone from the bottle. She does not trust human hands, someone at sometime hurt her. She is going to get you before you get here. It is now up to you to teach her that YOUR hand are safe, she can trust you. Here is one we took in a year ago - see her progress. I sent a request for more information - your doing it right.
Owner: I do let them from time to time play with each other. I separated them from each other cause I felt that she needed more alone time. More personal. She bit my daughter very bad and I refuse to let her take it back cause someone will hurt it as a reflex. But we used yuck and still bite hard. I need to try the ferret tone. Do I have to keep using the glove or Handel her with my hands and deal with the biting till she is used to me... Even I walk bare foot in the room she will go after my feet. Its like she knows what skin is. Now my car she will not attack. She just knows human skin. It's weird...
Shelter Mum: I think I would not let them be together at this time, it may be too much stress for her. Let her learn she is safe in your hands and care. Deal with her fear and insecurity before you let them hang together.
Good if you can I would cover the cage she is in with a sheet. That will make her feel safer. When you go to her cage to get her up, just uncover the front let her get her bearings and some time to adjust. Then offer her ferretone when you take her out. Every time you pick her up or interact with her let her lick the some off the top of the bottle. Only a couple of licks you can Over dose them on ferretone.I use well padded winter gloves until they get used to my handling them - like these:
Oh yeah bare feet is unwise for sure. She knows she has been hurt by a human or humans so is not going to allow any human to hurt her again. You need to cover up, and teach her she can trust you. Don't bet on it. I thought I had Gypsy all set she had not bitten in months then one day I picked her up and she took a bit to the bone and would not let go. That was last month. She is going to make sure no one hurts her again. How did you find us?
Owner: When she is in her cage a while I feel bad. But I want to do the right thing. Thank you so much for your help. I will hear up lol.....I'm ready for war hahaha
Shelter Mum: Do you allow them to free roam? Ferrets feel safe in cages, they are safe zones - do you work outside the home? If so what hours do you work? What do you feed your ferrets? Right now she is afraid, you need to help her find a place she can feel safe, to sleep without one eye open. Tell me what your day is like, I will help you find a balance between what she needs and what helps makes you feel comfortable. My pleasure, it's our goal to help ferret owners have good experiences with the ferrets in their care. No need for war, just lots of love, slow movement, soft speak, and consistency.
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