Biting Ferret Help!

[The one 8,512]

Is it biting and latching on or just a nip ?, some ferrets are never going to be handled they just bite and latch on . but you have all summer to turn her fed her and handle her you might be surprised how she changes , Then you say she lets you stroke her and turns to bite you is it the same bit your touching when she turns to bite you , is she sore there ?.

[Rich.h 4]

Have to say i'm in the "man up and take the bite" camp. Until the ferret learns you are not a threat but a friend as it were, it will continue to bite. Also it will never learn this unless you are handling as much as physically possible, it's simple maths the more you handle the quicker it happens. As for shouting, flicking etc I don't see the point as your just establishing a bad relationship from the beginning, once it has got used to you is the time for the odd hiss or scruff and shake as they then know it's simply displeasure and nothing to be scared of. Also avoid gloves they are less than useless as one day you are going to have to take them off and your back to square one with the ferret investigating this new texture called skin, and the biting starts all over again.

 

Accept the bites for the next couple of weeks and handle lots. Worst case if it does latch on just scruff hard and hold the whole ferret up. You won't do any real harm and the tension helps a tiny bit to restrict the amount of pressure they can bite (it will still fekin hurt though).

[Rob Greenhill 2]

just plenty of handling, i had two albino jills thay were like piranahs when i got them but my 5 year old niese holds them now and they are soft and anything. try cracking and egg in to a bowl and stroking them whilst they are lapping at the egg, i gets them to asociate your hands touching them with something nice and pleasurable.

 

atb

 

rob

[GreyRake 108]

Avoid flicking on the nose, especially if your working them, you want that nose in good working order yeah? Scruffing can work, for some ferrets only! Always be gentle, its not to hurt them, just to talk in their language to say your the boss, but if you think its making her worse as in shes rising to the challenge of whos boss you need to abandon that method. Do you let them out for play/exercise? If so a small empty carrier can work as a sort of jail cell, ferrets get very board and knowing biting means five minutes in the cell can discourage them. Letting them lick treats from your fingers can help them realise you hands are good and more worthwhile licking rather than biting. Try to praise good behavior with words, stokes and/or treats depending on what you think the ferret likes.

[zac1988 18]

flicking is a last resort and i have done this with one of mine 2 or 3 times and has coursed no harm to her nose I prefer scrufing or his but all ferrets are diffrent so what works for one wont work for others

[ferretess 230]

 

I have a pair of 6 month olds. The hob was really nasty at 2 1/2 months of age when I got him. Biteing fingers and hissing like I was food. Well I just took my finger back from him, grabbed him by the scruff and hissed back at his face and yelled "NO" put him back in the cage and played with the other ferret in front of him so he saw what he was missing out on. His caper didn't last very long after those reprimands and now my 4 year old daughter carries him round no fear and he hasn't looked like biting. Its good to be a little rough patting them to get them even more used to you. In saying all that I think some ferrets just must inheret some 'bitey' gene, some are just nippy

are you serious?????

I know you are probably serious Fergus but it had me in fits tears running down my cheeks

Handling them every day is about the best way to stop them biting a lot off people may disagree but a wee ping off the nose helps too, but I don't mean pinging hard or shouting at them

[The one 8,512]

As said only constant handling helps ,pinging a ferret off the nose is no way to build up a relationship of trust ,If you going to be scared to put your hand down a dead end to pull a rabbit out what use is that ?.

[Joe67 239]

ill repeat what everyone else says, keep handling. putting a clenched fist in first does work spit on on it and move towards ferret, or some raw egg. if you dont wanna use your fist, put a tray/bowl of raw egg in first, garenteed it will start eating then handle at the same time

[RyanC1995 0]

its a bite and let go and in some cases yeh it bleeds

What kind of bite is it? Bite hard and hold? Or a quick bite and let go? Is it hard enough to make you bleed?

[Wayne Andrew 38]

ha funny as fck gloves,smack him in the nose wit yer big gorrila finger pissin mysel laffin ere. ferrets bite thats just what they do yeh sum are tame enuff with enuff handling but at sum point yer gonna get bit hard thats what they do even when playin fck sake

if you dont want bit catch it quick lol

[foxtails 272]

either coming into season? but need loads more DAILY HANDLING! ATB MATE foxtails

[Huan72 687]

As already said handle them as much as you can and dont be too worried about it, handling will work and if the ferret really wanted to hurt you you'ld be walking about with a lump of mucsle and teeth attatched to your finger

[RyanC1995 0]

thanks for the replies I will take this information into consideration

[RyanC1995 0]

Is it biting and latching on or just a nip ?, some ferrets are never going to be handled they just bite and latch on . but you have all summer to turn her fed her and handle her you might be surprised how she changes , Then you say she lets you stroke her and turns to bite you is it the same bit your touching when she turns to bite you , is she sore there ?.

she latches on but I think she needs to be handled more the person I got them off didn't seemed interested in them and no pain she will allow me to run my hands all around her body

[rob190364 2,594]

Any progress with it?