New info about the ferret might help.

Question
QUESTION: Im looking after one of my brothers ferrets and she is really strange! She doesnt want to play or be handled, when i put her on the floor she bites my shoes and makes a hissing sound, i try tell her no loudly and tap her bottom or head but she carrys on! I try distract her with other toys but shes not intrested just my shoes, i put other pairs on and its the same! Its not fun anymore she hissed at me so i hissed back i dont understand why shes acting this way HELP

ANSWER: Hi Joanne,

Ferrets really love feet. It is a fetish that I have seen in all ferrets that I have encountered. I'm not really sure why, but they just love feet! She may be feeling threatened or scared and that is why she might be hissing at you.

The best way to discipline a ferret is to grab her by the scruff of the neck and let her dangle, and then say "no" in a firm voice. They don't respond to being tapped on the nose or other places and that might lead to her associating you with fear and aggression.

While she is staying with you, I would suggest putting all your shoes away, except the ones on your feet, of course! I have heard very sad stories of ferrets who have a habit of taking their parents shoes. The ferret parent thinks nothing of this cute ferret behavior but the ferret could be chewing on the insoles when she hides the shoe. If she ingests the insole, and enough builds up in her system, this could cause a serious and possibly fatal blockage. At the very least, if the blockage gets bad enough, she would need a painful surgery to correct this problem.

In the meantime, keep trying to divert her attention with toys or play.

If you have any other questions while you have these little house guests, please don't hesitate to ask!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: RIGHT, Today i found out this ferret is having babies. Would this change her behavior? She bites and is quite scary is she just being protective? Should i leave her alone and not let her play rough games? ( she wont play anyway ) general pregnant information would be helpful! i looked for you again because i thought you were very good information!!

Answer
Hi Joanne,

I am going to be honest with you right up front: I don't have any experience with breeding ferrets. I know some of the basics but I have never personally bred ferrets.

I don't mean to be rude, and forgive me if I am, but does your brother know she is pregnant? Do you know how long she has been pregnant? If she has been pregnant for a while now, depending on how long she is staying with you, you could possibly witness a ferret birth! Ferret pregnancies last 41 to 43 days.

The biggest things I can tell you are:  she needs to be kept from any big falls, she needs to be kept away from anything that can irritate or harm her stomach or nipples, she needs extra protein and extra fat in her diet and depending on how far along she is, she may need to have a nesting box put into her cage. If you are keeping her for the birth, you are going to want to handle her (gently) and love her quite a bit. She needs to get used to your hands and smell in case, for some reason, you need to interfere with the birth.

I have a little bit more information, but I don't want to give it all to you if you aren't going to be the one keeping the ferret for the birth. Considering your brother bred the ferret, does he have any literature you can read? If not, please let me know and I will give you everything else I have.

Please do not hesitate to ask if you need anything else! I will help you in any way I can and feel free to keep me updated!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews


P.S.

I forgot to mention how much extra protein and fat: 35-40% protein and 15-20% fat. Meat baby foods are good for treats (just meat, not meat and rice or anything) and to supplement her diet, you should try cooked (unseasoned) meats and cooked (unseasoned) eggs.