Is she playing or not?

Question
i just got a new 4 month old ferret from the pet store. when i let her run around the house and i try to play with here, she jumps sideways and kind of flips out. how can i tell if shes playing? when i pick her up she always tries to bite me, how do i stop it? is playing when she does bite me? if she isn't playing how do i punish her?

Answer
Hi Joel,

Congratulations on your new ferret! If you ever have any other questions, please feel free to let me know! She is most definitely playing with you. What you are describing is called the weasel war dance and that is the sign that she is having fun with her new parent! Don't worry, that is a very, very good sign as ferrets go.

It sounds like the nipping is probably just play biting. You see, ferrets have really thick skin so when they are playing with other ferrets, it doesn't bother them when they get bitten. They don't realize that isn't how their humans work so that is just her way of trying to get you into the fun. For when she bites too hard, you can try something called the "scruff and snuggle." This is always effective, it just takes time and patience on your part. When she bites too hard, gently pick her up by the scruff of her neck and say "no" in a firm voice. Then, hold her close to you and pet her and talk to her. Then, let her free to play again. (Make sure you don't let her down if she is struggling. If you let her down when she throws a fit, you'll send her the message that throwing a fit is the way to get down. Show her that it is on your time (as the dominant "ferret"), not hers.) If she does it again, repeat the scruff and snuggle. If she does it a third time, do the scruff and snuggle, then put her in her cage for a ten minute time out. You could also use a pet carrier for her time outs so she doesn't link her cage with being bad. (As a side note, please don't EVER hit your ferret because besides being wrong and cruel, your ferret will start to associate you with pain and anger and fear and may start being extremely aggressive.)

Something else to keep in mind with the scruff and snuggle is positive reinforcement. When she is playing with you and she bites, but not too hard, so its a soft play bite, reward her with praise and love and maybe even a couple pieces of kibble (fed by hand as this is a good treat and helps with bonding).

Speaking of food, what kind of food are you feeding her? You should feed your ferret a food that has about 36% protein, 20-22% fat and no more than 3% fiber. Also, taurine should be in there somewhere. Here is a chart listing some of the foods that people feed their ferrets:

http://www.mdferretpaws.org/care/food_treats.html

I would stay above a nine in the ranking if I were you. Another thing you want to look for in the food is that at least 3 of the first 5 ingredients are from meat products (and not fish). Also, stay away from foods with corn or corn products listed in the first three to five ingredients.

If you are feeding a food that doesn't quite go up to par as far as quality, you should switch her food . You need to make the change gradually because ferrets imprint on their food at a young age and they don't recognize anything else as food. Also, you're going to want to do it gradually to be easier on her tummy. You will probably see looser stool than normal for a few days. Just keep an eye on that and make sure she is staying hydrated. If it lasts for more than a week or if she gets dehydrated or stops eating, you should have her checked out by a qualified ferret vet. You should start out with about 85% old food and 15% new food. Keep that ratio for a few days and then put 75% old food and 25% new food and continue that for a few days and so on. You could even mix a couple high quality foods if you wanted to, just in case your normal food changes formula and your little girl won't eat it!

Do you have a ferret vet yet? If you don't have one yet, here are a few links that should help you find a ferret vet in your area. Given that I'm not exactly sure where you're located, I'll just give you all the info I have.


VETS CANADA:   
* http://www.ferretrescue.ca/start.php
* http://tinylink.com/?TlVyYKa6e0
* http://www.ferrets.org/Veterinarian_Listings.htm   (British Columbia)
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-vets.html
* http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/sask_ferrets/

VETS USA:
* http://www.quincyweb.net/quincy/vet.html
* http://ferrethealth.org/vets/
* http://www.ferret-universe.com/vets/vetlist.asp
* http://www.ferretsanctuary.com/vets.shtml
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-vets.html
* http://ferrethealth.org/vets/

VETS  UK & IRELAND:  
* http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ferreter/vetlist.htm

VET INFO/ LIST OF FERRET GROUPS/ CONTACTS IN UK, ITALY, NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA, NETHERLANDS, GERMANY & DENMARK:       
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-overseas.html (scroll down page to find the one you are looking for).


One more side note about food and treats: ferrets are obligate carnivores, which means that they cannot digest vegetables or fruit, so you shouldn't give fruits or vegetables to a ferret under any circumstances. Since a ferret can't digest these things, they will stay whole in the ferret's digestive tract and may cause an intestinal blockage which, if it isn't caught in time, is either fatal or at the very least, a painful and expensive life saving surgery for your ferret. So, please, stay away from the fruits and the vegetables. Stick with meat and eggs only (eggs because they are a high source of protein therefore they can be broken down by the ferret's system). If you are going to feed raw meat as a treat, the bones are rubbery and pose little threat, but bones that are cooked become hard and brittle, which means that they pose a serious, high risk of choking or internal organ rupture.

I know I've overloaded you with information, but there are many things ferret parents need to know! If you have any questions, concerns, or need clarification, please don't hesitate to ask!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews