aggretion..

Question
i have my ferret for a week now well exactly a week and before it was so calm like it was playful but it wouldn't bite on anything like cables and stuff now it bites my fingers and the cables is he scared or is there anything i can do to stop him from biting?

Answer
Hi Isabela:

You don't give me enough information to be able to help you. How old is your ferret?  He could be teething; you might want to get something called "N-BONES" for ferrets. They are small gelatin-type chews with chicken flavoring, but they melt when the ferret bites it, so it's very safe and lets them have something to chew on that's safe & even tastes good.

How long does he get out to play each day?  Ferrets need to be able to run around in a large room to get all their energy out EVERY DAY - at LEAST two to three hours of supervised play. Especially young ferrets need a LOT of play time. If they don't get enough, sometimes they get grouchy, just like if you had to stay in your room all the time.

What size cage do you have it in?  A ferret should be able to stretch all the way out in every direction AND also standing up.  If a ferret is in too small a cage, they get cranky. Imagine staying in your closet all day.

Has it been examined by a vet yet?  New ferrets should always be examined by a vet just to be sure they are healthy. A ferret who doesn't feel well *may* nip because they hurt, are injured, or just don't feel like being touched if they don't feel well. Make sure your ferret is healthy and it will *want* to play.  There is also the possibility that your ferret is deaf if he has a lot of white fur around his face/neck area. Your vet can tell you for sure if he his deaf. Deaf ferrets tend to startle easily, so you must be sure he sees you before you pick him up.  There are other things the owners of deaf ferrets need to know to make life easier, but first you need to get your ferret examined by a ferret vet.  Here are some lists of ferret vets - hopefully one is near you:

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/
* http://noahsarkpetsandsupplies.com/index.html   = pet store who MAY take on consignment
* http://www.rescuenetwork.org/locator/search.php   = rescue that takes bunnies AND ferrets
(University in your area who has a veterinary department:  Western Canadian Veternarian                                                                          College in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada)


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)

VET TO VET HELP: (procedure videos & phone consultations)
* http://www.westendanimal.com   Dr. Deborrah Kemmerer *order medical procedure videos (vets)
* http://www.bradleyhills.com   Dr. Charles Weiss - *does vet to vet telephone consultations for a fee*

Do you have toys for the ferret to play with?  If a ferret doesn't have fun toys, they will try to make toys out of whatever is available.  Young ferrets are much more interested in running, chasing, digging and playing than being held. If you take it out of the cage and hold him, he will probably bite you because he is telling you he would rather be down on the floor playing.

What are you feeding your ferret?  Hopefully you are feeding a ferret-specific food with at least 36% protein. A ferret who doesn't get all the crunchy biting he needs to keep his teeth healthy might bite on other items. Totally Ferret is an excellent food for ferrets. They have a 'baby' formula for young ferrets and a lower-protein formula for older ferrets so they don't get too much protein, which causes kidney problems.

Have you read a LOT about ferrets and are you SURE you are not expecting too much of your ferret?   Ferrets are rambunctious, playful, ornery and fun pets who want to go and go and go all the time when they are young. If you try to keep him still, he will bite to get away so he can go play. Plus all the reasons above he might bite also.

Here are some great links that will tell you all about ferrets. I recommend you read as much as this - AS SOON AS YOU CAN:

* http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ferret_school/ferretschool_aboutfe...

* http://www.ferretcentral.org  & scroll down to topic necessary
* http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ferret_school/ferretschool_aboutfe...
* http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ask_angela/index.html

Hopefully this gives you some ideas.  The more you learn about your ferret, the less problems you will have with him. Unfortunately, too many people see a ferret, think they are cute, take one home without knowing a thing about what ferrets need to be happy and healthy.  Ferrets are VERY DIFFERENT from dogs, cats and other small animals - they are more like a 2-year-old child than a pet!  The more you learn, the more fun you will have.

Be sure you DO NOT:  

DO NOT...Flick or hit the ferret ANYWHERE on his body, but especially not near his head or mouth. Ferrets have very delicate sinus tissues that rupture and you can cause serious damage to a ferret with what would seem to be a 'not too hard' flick or hit on the face.

DO NOT...Spend all your ferret's playtime saying 'no' or correcting him. Try to make playtime a positive experience. If you constantly say 'no' or punish him, he will think your discipline is a game and it will not be effective.  Instead try to redirect his play in a healthy, fun way that is acceptable.

DO NOT...forget to let your ferret out to for SUPERVISED PLAY in a FERRETPROOF (check the ferret information links above to be SURE you know your play area is ferretproofed) area for AT LEAST 2 to 3 hours EVERY DAY...less time and your ferret will become ornery, angry and destructive. Ferrets are meant to be happy and playful.

DO NOT...hesitate to write again if I can be of further help. Be sure to give me enough information, tho, so I can help you adequately.  I wish the best for you and your ferret to have many many fun times together!

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers