Some people shouldn’t have ferrets

[Guss33 375]

had a ferret returned to me the other week that we sold to a bloke. He said he had no time for it and it bites, well when we sold the ferret to him we had used it a few times and was a good worker and didn’t bite or nip, and had been fixed up ( in Australia we call the cut bucks ) unsure on what you call them over your part of the world. Any way got him back a week ago and he was in a cardboard box backed up in the corner with a slight shake. Put him in a cage by himself to settle down and after a few hours found him hiding in his sleeping box, when I tried to get him out he latched onto my hand and his whole body was shaking then he backed of into the corner of the cage.  Unsure on what kind of lifestyle the poor thin had seemed to be well fed but he was totally s##t scared af any human contact. Been handling him two to three times a day he is slowly not nipping as much as he was a week ago but still unsure. Anyway I made up a while ago some boxes and linked them up with pipes and have been letting him run around in it , but the problem I am having is he won’t come out and need to pull the pipes apart to get him out. I am hoping to get him back to normal again or at least get the nipping out of him and give him a good home to someone who wants a pet ferret. Has anyone else ever had a similar problem and also how much time do I put into it. Any advice would be great. 

[OldPhil 5,801]

 You are quite right there Guss. 

Facts are,.. some folks should not bother with ferrets, (or dogs for that matter..)

These critters just ain't for them,.. and when things become difficult or their enthusiasm wanes,.. the poor animals frequently suffer.

Hopefully, you will reassure the ferret that life really ain't all bad,.. but, do be prepared for, a less than reliable final conclusion....

Keep at it,.. all the best,.. OldPhil..

 

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by OldPhil

[Ferretman65 2,265]

I have had a few like what you're saying out off four I had sadly only one worked out OK some people just don't know mate But good man for giving if the chance it Deserves  

[Ferretman65 2,265]

15 minutes ago, Ferretman65 said:

I have had a few like what you're saying out off four I had sadly only one worked out OK some people just don't know mate But good man for giving if the chance it Deserves  

 

[toolebox 1,558]

In Nz we have a population of "wild ferrets " some are off spring from ferrets that came over when settlers wanted some of their home country game animals since they missed the old country  .These ferret populations were bolstered by others that had escaped when rabbiters kept and worked ferrets at the peak of the rabbit boom. The keeping of ferrets now has a raft of rules & laws that have made finding replacements almost near impossible ,so at times I've been tempered to catch a wild ferret in the hope of taming it down and then work them .This came with at times some major draw backs in that, if the ferret got a little too much attention from a excited pup or was near the surface when I happen to fire the shotgun, they would bolt down to the end of the warren & require digging out.A very small number coped well enough that given a couple of minutes their head would pop up somewhere at the entrants of the warren  however all in all I didn't feel it was successful enough to warrant my time & effort .I since have built up contacts that allow me to seek out a replacement . 

I think while this ferret is and will continue to show this hiding behaviour  as mine did ,one small glitch will have it up set .You might in the fullness of time get him quiet enough fill the role of a pet but my fear would be if he got a fright he may well bite a small child . Its very much a unknown ,good luck ,hope it has a good outcome for all.    

[Luckee legs 472]

Good on you for working to rehabilitate the hob. Give it time, I remember rescuing a Jill and she bit randomly for at least 6 months and was so bad when we got her the kids called her nipper. She was Much worse than 2 feral ferrets I've caught and rehabilitated. On skulking what you are doing sounds sensible, I found the hardest thing with rescues was having the patience not to try and pick them up straight away when handling them. It's really difficult when you want to crack on with life and your others are coming straight to you. Hope it goes well

[Welsh_red 4,652]

A friend of my dads live trapped a ferret for someone in their garden that had been wild for god knows how long . It was crazy thing that wouldnt stop attacking and biting . I took it on to give it a go as he was going to knock it over the head. In the end i realised it wasn't going to happen , thing was like a bull at a gate as soon as you opened the hutch. Anyway , i ended up giving him to a friends girlfriend who had ferrets and she turned him around . Popped in month or two after and i couldnt believe the change.  Took her lots of effort but she got him good 

[Guss33 375]

Well slowly getting their I have introduced another ferret to him and so far it’s all worked out I don’t think he will make it to be a hunter but my kids want to keep him as a pet. He is not as spooked any more and is easer to Handel and not nipping as much. 

[dytkos 17,804]

Well done

Cheers, D.

[gnipper 6,490]

On 29/12/2021 at 20:59, toolebox said:

In Nz we have a population of "wild ferrets " some are off spring from ferrets that came over when settlers wanted some of their home country game animals since they missed the old country  .These ferret populations were bolstered by others that had escaped when rabbiters kept and worked ferrets at the peak of the rabbit boom. The keeping of ferrets now has a raft of rules & laws that have made finding replacements almost near impossible ,so at times I've been tempered to catch a wild ferret in the hope of taming it down and then work them .This came with at times some major draw backs in that, if the ferret got a little too much attention from a excited pup or was near the surface when I happen to fire the shotgun, they would bolt down to the end of the warren & require digging out.A very small number coped well enough that given a couple of minutes their head would pop up somewhere at the entrants of the warren  however all in all I didn't feel it was successful enough to warrant my time & effort .I since have built up contacts that allow me to seek out a replacement . 

I think while this ferret is and will continue to show this hiding behaviour  as mine did ,one small glitch will have it up set .You might in the fullness of time get him quiet enough fill the role of a pet but my fear would be if he got a fright he may well bite a small child . Its very much a unknown ,good luck ,hope it has a good outcome for all.    

I have often wondered about the feral ferrets living in places where they have been for a long time and would have been from good working stock before people bred for looks over ability, to me they would be the ones to breed from instead of all this silly eu wild poleys people are using now.

[Guss33 375]

Well I have handle him well and gained his trust and introduced him to one of my good hunters and they have become great together over time I will put him with the rest of my good hunters but at this stage he will stay home as I don’t think he would be any good. I will hope to find him a good home as a pet once I am convinced he stops nipping. 

[Moocher71 4,050]

On 03/01/2022 at 22:07, Guss33 said:

Well slowly getting their I have introduced another ferret to him and so far it’s all worked out I don’t think he will make it to be a hunter but my kids want to keep him as a pet. He is not as spooked any more and is easer to Handel and not nipping as much. 

Good on ya bud ,now he's calming down and in with another ferret he soon come right and make your kids great pet ,

Atb 

[Guss33 375]

My kids already have a pet ferret each and they only go hunting when the kids go. 

[Guss33 375]

And know their is five. They all seem to be happy but I won’t leave them all together for another week or two.  It so far so well I think he will just end up being a cage mate to the rest of them