# help >.<



## kinkytim2 (Oct 24, 2008)

i got 3 male ferrets about 5 months old from a licensed breeder . they are not neutered n they bite quite alot . its mostly playful bites but one of them bites hard ALL the time , i m jus worried that it might have some kind of illness or somethin coz the others dont bite as much , n any ideas on how to stop it? i tried bitter apple spray but it only lasts for awhile and i cant go buy spray like every week coz the closest pet shops is pretty far away .. i love ferrets they are incredibly cute i tried scruffin them but i can never get a good grip on the loose skin i need some advice  the ferret that bites me all the time is called tom and almost all my fingers have cuts and wounds on them , the nail of my indexfinger got bit through n it hurt o.o i m usin gloves when playin or handlin them but i really wana play with them without usin gloves =___= 

oh yea and today i noticed that one of them has a bruise behind the back of its neck 
should i seperate them ?

help would be greatly appreciated =) thank you


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## Guest (Oct 24, 2008)

kinkytim2 said:


> i got 3 male ferrets about 5 months old from a licensed breeder . they are not neutered n they bite quite alot . its mostly playful bites but one of them bites hard ALL the time , i m jus worried that it might have some kind of illness or somethin coz the others dont bite as much , n any ideas on how to stop it? i tried bitter apple spray but it only lasts for awhile and i cant go buy spray like every week coz the closest pet shops is pretty far away .. i love ferrets they are incredibly cute i tried scruffin them but i can never get a good grip on the loose skin i need some advice  the ferret that bites me all the time is called tom and almost all my fingers have cuts and wounds on them , the nail of my indexfinger got bit through n it hurt o.o i m usin gloves when playin or handlin them but i really wana play with them without usin gloves =___=
> 
> oh yea and today i noticed that one of them has a bruise behind the back of its neck
> should i seperate them ?
> ...


you should only buy hand reared ferrets i have alot of ferrets about 35 my grandchildren play with them.he should of told you they bite.all my ferrets are handled every day from being young.these have not been handled.if seller told you they did not bite i would take them back


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

we only have two ferrets ,but they have been handled from young, and they must still be handled daily, i wouldnt want one that hadnt been handle cos ouch, they can give a nasty bite,


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## tinamary (Aug 17, 2008)

The only thing i can suggest is that you wear gloves for a while and when they stop biting you can try again without them.
When they bite you need to firmly say NO but do NOT put it down or it will associate being put down with the bite and learn that it means you will leave it alone.
They need handling everyday, do not feed them in a bowl but out of the gloved hand and they will associate the hand with food. Here comes the saying "do not bite the hand that feeds you"
Scruffing is ok as long as you don't use it too forceful or as a punishment.

Try to be patient and persevere, you may never be able to handle them without gloves but i think you have already grown attached to them so don't want to give them back to the breeder.

Its a shame that when this happens people stop handling them and they get left in a cage for the rest of their lives, i have seen this all too often.
Keep trying.


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## Guest (Oct 24, 2008)

they will allso fight with each other as they become sexualy mature


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## kinkytim2 (Oct 24, 2008)

i got a sister and 2 cousins livin with me and we always spend at least 4 hours with them and they have a big area to play in 

the only problem i have is scruffing =.= i cant do it 
their heads move too quick and i cant get a good grip -.- is there any way to practice it?

and do u suggest to give them back ? i dont want to coz when i went to buy them they were in a fairly small cage and i dont think that the owner spent much time with them ... so givin them bk is seriously not a good option o.o

everytime they bite they dont bite for long n then release leavin me with not enough time to scruff them or tell them to stop =.= 

btw i hvae tried handlin them without gloves for 2 hours they didnt bite but everytime they sniff my hand i dont know when they will bite ...


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

Hi there

Can i ask you a few questions...... are you afraid of the ferret that bites? if you are the ferret will pick up on nervs and bite you as they can detect fear. How old are the ferrets? How long have you had them? I would sugest maybe keeping the one who is more nippy by itself so you can build a bond with it, I wouldnt say gloves would really be a good idea, do you have a water spray if so if the ferret bites you hard you could try spraying it with water it might stop that way. 

Please keep us updated


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## Laurel&Hardy (Oct 12, 2008)

DKDREAM said:


> Hi there
> 
> Can i ask you a few questions...... are you afraid of the ferret that bites? if you are the ferret will pick up on nervs and bite you as they can detect fear. How old are the ferrets? How long have you had them? I would sugest maybe keeping the one who is more nippy by itself so you can build a bond with it, I wouldnt say gloves would really be a good idea, do you have a water spray if so if the ferret bites you hard you could try spraying it with water it might stop that way.
> 
> Please keep us updated


I must say that this holds up for me. I became quite frightened of my first ferret biting me...he would bite down quite hard and it made me jumpy around. One day I was just like...fine if your gonna bite me then just get on with it...he bit me and then let go and never bit me again...he must have sensed my change in attitude? I mean usually I would have put him down out of fear and to get him to let go but I kept hold of him and carried on stroking him and talking to him. It did hurt but he let go...and I got the ferret that I fell in love with back


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## esiteans (Oct 25, 2008)

kinkytim2 said:


> i got 3 male ferrets about 5 months old from a licensed breeder . they are not neutered n they bite quite alot . its mostly playful bites but one of them bites hard ALL the time , i m jus worried that it might have some kind of illness or somethin coz the others dont bite as much , n any ideas on how to stop it? i tried bitter apple spray but it only lasts for awhile and i cant go buy spray like every week coz the closest pet shops is pretty far away .. i love ferrets they are incredibly cute i tried scruffin them but i can never get a good grip on the loose skin i need some advice  the ferret that bites me all the time is called tom and almost all my fingers have cuts and wounds on them , the nail of my indexfinger got bit through n it hurt o.o i m usin gloves when playin or handlin them but i really wana play with them without usin gloves =___=
> 
> oh yea and today i noticed that one of them has a bruise behind the back of its neck
> should i seperate them ?
> ...


You can find advice about ferret biting and other problems in this guide. I already have it and it looks quite useful for me.


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## kinkytim2 (Oct 24, 2008)

i need to get that guide :drool:

i am a little scared of the one that bites me alot but not scared of the other two :O the other two dont or almost never bite me hard when i pick them up or do anythin with them , but the other jus seems to hate me =.= 9 out of the ten bitten fingers was because of this one =.= 

i have tried puttin them in their cage if they bite or do anythin they shouldnt do it helps and works but only for a few hours before they do it again =.=
do u think i should keep repeatin this method? 

i also noticed that if i seperate the ferrets like feed them seperately they NEVER bite  i had one close to my face coz i was stupid enough to do that it started lickin my cheek instead of bitin me =.= they also love to climb up my jeans or whatever i m wearin =.= 

about water spray 
my friends told me that it hurts their eyes o.o or is that not true? 
i do have water spray but i dont want to hurt them in any way =.=

although i only had them for 2 weeks they have improved massively =.= they poo where i want them to and they dont bite as much now (just that one ferret =.= ) they are appr. 4-5 months old now 

ps. i agree ferrets are the cutest things alive i have petted so far


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

Hi 

You can use the spray buy spaying them on the top of the head, but if you are scared then i dont think you will get the ferret tame. Can i ask where the ferrets fed enough food as ive had rescues who where so hungry they bit all the time. Untill they realised that they where getting fed all the time, the biting got non exsistant. Is the one biting male? and is he in season? as some male ferrets when mature become nippy during breeding season, some ferrets can be back to front and be in season in winter.


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## kinkytim2 (Oct 24, 2008)

DKDREAM said:


> Hi
> 
> You can use the spray buy spaying them on the top of the head, but if you are scared then i dont think you will get the ferret tame. Can i ask where the ferrets fed enough food as ive had rescues who where so hungry they bit all the time. Untill they realised that they where getting fed all the time, the biting got non exsistant. Is the one biting male? and is he in season? as some male ferrets when mature become nippy during breeding season, some ferrets can be back to front and be in season in winter.


i m only abit scared of the one that bites all the time (tom) my hand pulls bk involuntary when it sniffs my hand 
they are fed with all different types of food (dry ferret food) and with raw meat too, and they are fed all the time so it shouldnt be the hunger thats causin the bitin

yes the bitin one is male all 3 of them are 
so when do they become mature? 8 - 10 months? or througout the first year


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

Hi 

Ferrets have poor eyesight and if he sniffs your hand he may nip you because thats his natrual instinct. The 1st step is you will have to try and handle him with a positive attitude try not to handle him if your feeling nervous. Dont you know anyone near you who would take him and hand tame him for you? that might be better. They become mature at 10 12 month yeah. But id say if you dont get the biting under control soon he might always nip.


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## kinkytim2 (Oct 24, 2008)

o.o they might always bite? 
everytime i feed them now i seperate them and feed them of my hands without gloves they do not bite or nip when i have food in my hand i will keep tryin that and also i only had them for a month or less i think i can do it !!! 
my love will change and tame them xD =P
they bite or nip usually when i try to pick them up
do u suggest me to keep pickin them up ? or leave them 
i jus wana know which is the best way and safest to make my ferrets stop bitin =P


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

Hi ThereId say let them eat 1st then wash your hands then try and handle them, you could try keeping a tiny bit of the food back and hold them if the ferret dosent nip then offer it the extra food as a treat, the more you handle them the better they should get.* I would just handle them about 2-4 times a day untill it got better.


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## uptheferrets (Aug 19, 2008)

Agree with DKDream, ferrets(and any animal) will pick up on fear or nervousness.

A positive attitude when handling is essential (lol)
I had a sever biter, but with plenty of handling and whenever biting was occurring or iminent I got quite good at making a big fuss loud no's etc repeated over and over, I could have got an Oscar, lol! 
When she bit down hard, and it is difficult to release the jaw without them clamping down again on another patch of flesh, I had a pencil i kept to push between the jaws. Sideways, (pencil horizontal not poked in mouth, I would add) it took a few weeks but she became very tame with me but my O/H was a good target and she drew blood from fingers and ears. But now she is a gentle and lovable ferret and well worth the effort involved

You haven't had these very long, but persevere it will be worth it.

Another thing to remember is that ferret skin is far tougher than ours and they have to be taught that we are fragile compared to them.


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

Hi

I agree with uptheferrets too. Just keep trying and donf give up.


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## kinkytim2 (Oct 24, 2008)

=D thanks alot guys 
i will keep tryin from now and that give them treats method works pretty well xD they gently pick the food up with their mouths without hurtin or touchin my fingers xD very nice =) 

another thing i m worried about now is vaccinations 
do u guys suggest i should get some? i hvae no intentions of lettin them out for a walk if not necessary because there are lots of dogs livin in my area and my house got 7 rooms they can roam around in 

some people say that they never had to vaccinate their pets and they lived to a natural age before passin away without any diseases


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

HiI wouldnt bother with vaccinations being honest I think they are not good for ferrets.* Theres ferrets that live in the wild that never get anything im sure some will but not many.* All the vaccine will do is give your ferret a "slightly" better chance of fighting the virus's it may come accross but as you say you dont intend to ever let them walk about and keep them as indoor pets I dont see them as very useful important, but thats just my opinion, maybe chat to your vets see what they say, its upto you if you dont get them dosent mean you are a bad owner.* If you are going to show the ferrets i would however get them the vaccinations.


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## uptheferrets (Aug 19, 2008)

I haven't had mine vaccinated.
There are 'fors & against' it really is your own choice

I don't take mine for walks, there is ample play space here, and you really don't walk a ferret, you follow it wherever it goes

I have read that the vaccines aren't licensed for ferrets, but Nobivac one of the dog vaccines has been used, but as DKDream has said you should check with your Vet, but make sure that the Vet is ferret knowledgeable (ferrets have their own quirks)

Hope the nip training is going well:laugh:


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## kinkytim2 (Oct 24, 2008)

=) yea the nip trainin has improved even though i do not expect it to stop for like 1- 3 months =P i will be patient =)

o ryte =O i dont wana vaccinate them coz i heard they have more chance to catch a disease when they go to the vet lol =.= so i wont take them there if it isnt a big problem =) i also get changed when handlin them incase i have any virus or bacteria harmful to them on my clothes

btw i should take some pictures of them cuties =D


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## Laurel&Hardy (Oct 12, 2008)

Yup...you should definately take some piccies  I'd love to see your wee terrors


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## Tokay (Oct 25, 2008)

My first ever ferret was a biter. He was a 3 year old working ferret that hadn`t been handled other than to put him down a rabbit hole. He bit me through to the bone once (I still have tiny scars where his teeth went) and wouldn`t let go, but after a bit of perseverence he became as tame as a lapdog, following me around and going to sleep on my knee. My method was to wear gloves to deal with him generally but to regularly put the back of my bare hand to his nose and if he went to bite, I would tap him on his nose. I must stress that this was a tap, just enough to make it unpleasant for him, not a hit. After only a short while (maybe a week) he was making no attempt to bite and eventually I was confident enough to dispose of my gloves altogether. That was 20 years ago and I still use the nose tapping method with any over excited or unhandled youngsters, they learn that they can play but just have to be a bit more gentle with you. Do be careful though not to be too heavy handed if this method is used, it isn`t meant to cause them pain, just an unpleasant shock. Good luck with your ferret, I hope you become good friends.


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## Guest (Nov 10, 2008)

Hi Several years ago now, I found a ferret loose in the woods, Picked him up and took him home to live with my other 5. To start off with he would bite but after a few weeks of gentle handling he became lovely and docile.
You have only had yours for a couple of weeks and they are still quite young, they really should settle down soon, even the biter as you sound like you have given them a lovely home.
Ferrets usually go through a biting stage and as yours were not handled properly, they are going through it a little later than most which means the bites are a lot harder
Best of luck and don't give up


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## kinkytim2 (Oct 24, 2008)

hey =D 
the biting is improving incredibly well fortunately =) 
i can handle them without gloves now =D even though sometimes they still bite when they play =) everytime they bite me hard or attempt to =P i touch their noses gently and they release immediately =D and since my last post in this forum they have not bitten me when i pick them up =D and it was good to be patient =) coz the reward is worth it 

=P i will try to take pictures of them when my camera is fixed =_=


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