young ferret biting

Question
i have just bought 2 young polecats both jills, i have had them for 2 weeks now they are 10 weeks old. my problem is every time i let them out to play they want to play nip me i know ferret skin is harder than our skin but i was just wondering how to correct the biting behaviour?

Answer
Hello Kyle,

I am so sorry about the delay in getting back to you. If you are still looking for information on kicking the "nipping habit", I suggest you try something called the "scruff and snuggle". You should know that ferrets have very thick skin so when they bite each other during play, they don't feel it and they just see you as the "alpha ferret" so they don't understand that we can really feel it when they bite! Another thing you should probably know about ferrets is when they bite, they don't bite like a dog would (which would be bite and then release). When ferrets bite, they bite and then bite harder. That is the norm of what a ferret would do if she were poorly socialized and/or scared. For biting, I like to do the scruff and snuggle, which is a three strike system. The first two times she bites too hard, you gently scruff her and tell her "No" in a clear, calm voice. Then, you snuggle her to your chest and talk to her and pet her, but don't let her down if she starts squirming. Hold onto her for a few minutes and when she isn't squirming to be let down, you can let her down. The reason for that is you don't want to send her the message that she can get whatever she wants just by throwing a fit. The third time she bites too hard, repeat the scruff and snuggle and then put her in her cage or a pet carrier (pet carriers are ideal for a time-out because then she won't associate her cage with bad feelings) for ten minutes. After that ten minutes or so is up, you can let her out to play again. You can also try rubbing some bitter apple spray on your hands so she won't be inclined to bite them anymore. On the flip side of that, you can try Ferretone - rub that on your hands to encourage licking instead of biting.

I hope this information helps and remember, this is a very common problem for young ferrets, especially if they are still getting used to their new surroundings. Just be patient because it may take some time, but this is a tried and true method for me. Please never, ever hit on of your ferrets, even if it is a light tap on the nose, as a punishment because this will just make them associate you with fear and pain and they might start to get aggressive. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Congratulations on your new ferrets and welcome to the wonderful world of ferret parenting!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews