# "Owpleasestopbitingmyfinger" - AKA my ferret



## Dracen (Mar 12, 2011)

My ferret is around eight and a half weeks old. I got him at six weeks. He's been neutered. His name is Draco. He also goes by Owpleasestopbitingmyfinger. 

I need advice on how to get Draco to stop biting. I read up on reasons ferrets bite, and I have a few possible ideas. I'd just like a few other opinions on why he's biting and some advice on getting him to stop. I've tried scruffing him (holding on to the scruff of his necks until he yawns), but most of the time he bites me when I'm trying to clean his litter box or refill his food or water, and my hands are busy. 

Draco has a two-tier ferret cage with a few toys, but nothing very much yet - as a student, most of my money went towards getting him the essentials first off. At the pet store, he was in a cage maybe a third the size of the one he's in now and with three other ferrets his age. I try to take him out to handle once a day, but I don't always have the time and he's a bit too rowdy sometimes for me to hold in his hands. I have a lot of furniture in my room he can get under if he escapes my hands, and I wouldn't want him falling asleep and then doing his business under a bookshelf or my bed (he's still not litter-trained, and his box is in his cage anyway). I plan to take him out more when I have a leash for him, but he's still so young and still has so much growing to do that I wouldn't want to get one for him only to have him either grow out of it or have it be too big for him and him slip out of it. I got him a ferret ball to wander around in, but he's figured out how to escape from it by opening one end, and we have a cat as well - you can imagine how it could end up. I could possibly let him out more when he's fully litter-trained if we shut the cat in a room, but until then I can't take him out of his cage all that much. 

He bites me most often when I move him to his litter box, but I guess this is pretty understandable. What I'm worried about is that Draco is beginning to associate me sticking my hands in his cage with me forcibly moving him whenever he tries to do his business. Some days he's particularly stubborn and will quite literally pounce on my hand and attack it when I try and make him use his litter box. It happens other times, too, though. Today when I reached in to replace his water bottle after refilling it, he bit my ear - quite hard. He also bit my hand when I attempted to move him away long enough for me to get his bottle back in. Sometimes I just put my hand in and lay it down on the floor of his cage and let him approach. In the past week and a half, he's begun licking my fingers, but he also bites them without provocation (or so it seems). 

I have a few different theories: 1) Draco may be slightly scared of my hands - but if so, why does he approach me and lick my fingers? 2) Draco's teething, 3) Draco's bored from being in his cage so long, 4) Draco bites to tell me he doesn't want me around any more/wants a bit more attention, or 5) Draco's still adjusting to my home after a few weeks. I've heard the problem may go away on its own, or that it may not. I've heard ferrets bite either to get attention or because they learn it gets you to leave them alone. I admit I often take my hands away or put Draco back in his cage when he bites me, so I might be contributing to the problem here. Any theories on what the problem itself is? And how can I solve it? Thanks in advance!


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## alan g a (Feb 23, 2011)

Stop putting your finger in his mouth. HA! HA!
Sorry I couldn't resist that. 
I had rat that bit when I first got him. He stopped on his own once got to know that I was the food bringer. Maybe (and hopefully) your ferret will too.


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## Pampered pets (Jun 20, 2009)

First off he should not have been away from his mother at 6 weeks old!

second ferrets are extremely social animals and should not be kept alone esoecially as kits, i'm not being awful but if your a student and can only afford the essentials now how can you afford vets fees?, it sounds like your life is totally unsuitable to have a ferret as you only have enough time to get him out once a day and soemtimes you don't have time to hold him at all.

ALL kits nip, if you don't stop this in kit hood they become aldult biters then you can have serious problems.

why are you removing him from his litter tray when he is going to the toilet? or did i read that wrong?

Ferrets always toilet in a corner, putthe litter tray in the room where he toilets, gradually move it to where you want it.

Ferrets do liek to chase things, your hand moving in the cage is a substitute for another ferret, he just wants to play ferrets have very tough skin so they don't realise how hard they are biting us humans.

He needs lots of stimulation, toys and hammocks and ideally another ferret if you can't provide this for him then i'd say it's best to rehome him.

To slove the problem of him biting your hand as you do things in the cage.......simple, remove him first.


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## Dracen (Mar 12, 2011)

Pampered pets - I'm living at home, so I can indeed afford vet fees. You also did read it wrong - I move him TO the litterbox IN a corner when he tries to go in a different one. I suppose I wasn't clear enough in my original post, but a lot of the time I do have time to take him out; I've had pets before and know they need time. He'll scramble quite a lot when I'm holding him, though, and it appears to me that he tries to get back into the cage, so I'll put him back. Is this misinterpreting his signals?

EDIT: I did a bit of research and learned I wasn't letting him out enough. I let him wander around my room with the door closed for a long while and didn't try to hold him back and he didn't try biting - though he did get a bit rowdy at one point and began pouncing at my hand, at which point I put him back. I think that last bit was him playing in his own way. What can I do in that case?


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## FourFerrets (Oct 10, 2009)

Dracen said:


> What can I do in that case?


Play back?
Ferrets can be very hands on and like to play and chase and roll and twist 
Obviously you don't want the hands to be the focus of play, as let's face it, ferrets have sharp pointy teeth and they know what to do with them 
A ferret's best toy is another ferret really, but if for any reason you cannot get another 1 ( or 6 ) then you have to take that place.
Ferrets like tunnels, crinkly bags, towels (but watch out for claws getting caught) chasing things, rattly balls, ping pong balls, some like soft toys, some like squeaky toys. Any rubber toys (like puppy/dog toys) have to be checked if they start to chew/rip bits off them.
You are your ferret's source of amusement. Get amusin'.


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## Pampered pets (Jun 20, 2009)

He needs another ferret, i hate social animals being alone imagine living life by yourself and NEVER seeing another human or being able to interact with one it would be pretty miserable, especially if you were a child and just wanted to play with another child which is essentially what your kit is, personally i consider having a single ferret cruel but i would never keep one of any species of animal that was social, if i couln't afford more than one i wouldn't keep them full stop.

As has been said preivioulsy kits LOVE to play it's what they live for they have endless amounts of energy and there is no other substitute than another furry friend with the same energy.

If your absolutly adamant your not having another then he needs to be out of his cage about 3/4 hours a day with lots of stimulation, ferrets that get bored can start rattling the bars on thecage, once they start this it's virtually impossible to stop and not only will it drive you crazy but the ferret can chip it's teeth.


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## Dracen (Mar 12, 2011)

I think I will get another, then. I've devoted a lot of time to him over the past couple of days, but both of you are right, another one would be a good thing probably. I'll have to save up a bit, but better late than never, right?


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## Pampered pets (Jun 20, 2009)

Sooner rather than later would be best, you should find that then he will spend so much time playing with he friend, he will be very happy.

You will still need to remove them from the cage as you clean it or both will likely grab your hand as it's moving.


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

I got him at six weeks. He's been neutered. His name is Draco.

I take it your in the USA? I agree with others he needs a play mate i would maybe sugest an older kit to himself that is litter trained so he can coppy of it. Sounds like he was taken away from mum too soon poor lad.


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## Dracen (Mar 12, 2011)

Canada, actually.

What sex should the second one be? Despite being neutered, would two males not get along? Should I get Draco a female counterpart to avoid problems?


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

any sex should be fine. as he is neutered - its upto you, but I find males more cuddley the females are more independent


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## Dracen (Mar 12, 2011)

Okay, that's good to know  Thanks!


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## Nelson (Feb 2, 2011)

What are you feeding your ferret?


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## Pampered pets (Jun 20, 2009)

This is not a dig at you but i find it absolutly shocking that not only are 6 week old ferrets for sale in shops when they should still be with their mums but they are also neutered, it's disgraceful and it's now proven that early neutering causes adrenal disease so be prepared for some probable hefty vet billsin the future.


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