Runt Ferret

Question
Hello my name is kayla i have to male ferrets and i have had the one for a while his name is Rex and he is 3 months old, but my new one is 2 months old his name is Taz and is very very small and scared of people very scared, do you think maybe he is a runt , how can you tell?? and also how could i make him okay with people other than me.. haha

Answer
Hi Kayla, Rex and Taz,

I'm not sure being the runt of the litter has anything to do with why he would be scared to be held and scared of people. He might have fallen on some hard times before he came to you (i.e. abuse, shock, uncomfortable environment, etc.) and that could be the reason he is timid. How long have you had him?  Did you get him from a shelter? Another thing to think about is that he is only two months old. Ferrets don't reach their adult size until about six months. That could be a reason why he is small. If you don't mind me asking, what are you feeding him? A bad food could be the reason Taz is on the smaller side.

The only real way to get Taz to be more sociable is to hold him and love him. Basically just shower him with love and affection (that shouldn't be a problem, right?) and use a soft voice and talk to him. Play with him. Let him know that you aren't here to hurt him, that you are here to love him. It is a long process and it will take patience, but letting him play and snuggling him up close to your chest (as often as he'll allow) will definitely help. Something you might want to try: when he is out playing and exploring, lay down on the ground and let him run around you and explore you. That way he will learn your scent and know you are his human. You could also put a shirt that you've worn all day in the cage with him so he can learn your scent that way, too. The first thing you need to worry about right now is getting him socialized to you and not overwhelming him with a ton of other visitors. As soon as he accepts that you are his human and you love him, then you can start introducing him to other people.

I hope I answered your questions. If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews