Chew/Bite Kit?

Question
QUESTION: HI! The baby ferret we are getting is 3 or 4 months old. He is ADORABLE, but I have a question. I have seen baby ferrets and I know they nip and bite, but CONSTANTLY? This one is a boy from Marshall and even if you touch him he starts chewing on you sorta lke he is teething. Is that normal? The only time he is not doing that is when he is sleeping.  HELP!  HE comes home on Wednesday.
  By the way....my ferret that would not climb in the cage is over it. You were right. He LOVES to climb up and get in the hammock with a view of the room!

ANSWER: Hi Claudia:

Kits (baby ferrets) are often teething, but there are some ferrets are are, by nature, just more nippy than others and they may or may not ever change. At 3-4 MONTHS old, he should be playing with lots and lots of energy, but shouldn't really bite where it breaks the skin often - IF he has been handled regularly.  

I'm curious...are you getting this ferret from a pet store, or a private individual?  If it is a private party, I would question their reason for re-homing him. It's possible they have done all they know to do and he continues to bite and they are just fed up with it.  Pet store ferrets who are teething are usually 8-10 WEEKS old, so don't let anyone tell you that a 3-4 month old ferret is "teething". He may still be working on some molars, but they are certainly not in the process of weaning this ferret, no matter what they told you.

I know you've been waiting for a while for a ferret, is it because they were telling you it was too young to sell yet?  That ferret is considered full grown at SEVEN MONTHS OLD.   If he does still bite at the age he is, possibly he has not been handled enough, or he has been handled roughly by humans and he is afraid of them. Ferrets always bite because of fear (or pain).  There is always a reason ferrets bite, but it often takes a very special person who is experienced in working with biting ferrets to help the ferret learn not to bite.  I have never worked with a biter and I wouldn't be much help to you - it will be difficult to find someone if you aren't willing; and as your first ferret - I would DEFINITELY not bring a biting ferret home. :-(  I know you would be really disappointed, but I would surely rather you end up with a ferret you can really love and not have to be afraid of his whole life; or that your home is just another along a long list of homes he will go thru in his life because people just don't know  how to handle biters and it is very very frustrating, I'm sure.  Often, people just get sick of it, put an ad in the paper or drop the ferret off at the pet store or humane sociaty.  It's never good for the ferret - every home change makes his psychological problems worse.  IF you decide to bring this ferret home, PLEASE promise him that you will always keep him, that you are his *forever home*?   Next to the worst thing someone can do it to keep moving the ferret from one home to another - the WORST thing they can do is tire of his biting and just leave him in the cage and feed and water him. Ferrets are social critters and some have psychological problems and need special care; others are sweet and laid back.  But you know how this guy is BEFORE you are bringing him home....so IF you do bring him home, please please commit yourself to helping him overcome the biting, learning whatever you need to learn, being patient with him - getting angry will certain compound his problems.

Depending on your answers to the questions above, you may  seriously want to reconsider the purchase of this ferret.  If you don't want to work with a biter..there are folks out there who work with them specifically - it takes a lot of patience and sometimes they just are 'biters' and nobody knows why....maybe something that happened to them when they were teeny tiny; maybe something in their genetic makeup.

There is the chance that he just hasn't been handled by humans enough that he realizes your skin isn't as thick as his brothers and sisters.  It *MAY* take some work to get him to stop biting if he is biting and drawing blood.  If you aren't willing to do that, certainly DO NOT bring him home - tell them you want a different ferret. If this ferret has already been traumatized by being in numerous homes, it would just compound the problem for someone who has never had a ferret (and wants a nice, cuddly one) to put him through another home change.....not good for you; not good for the ferret either.

I hope you will give this some serious thought before Wednesday.  You certainly are not  legally bound to bring this ferret home or complete the purchase, are you?  I would think not and I would assert that very clearly to the current owners/pet store. My best suggestion from all you are telling me is that you should leave this little guy for an experienced ferret owner.....and continue to shop until you find a sweet, cuddly non-biting ferret that you will enjoy....and you can't put a price on that.

Let me know how this comes out, k?

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers

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

QUESTION: Thanks for the fast reply. The ferret is in a pet store.  I was there when he cane in off the supplied box or however he gets there. They put him in a cage alone.  he has a hammock and that's it.  No one plays with him that I know of.  He Has LOADS AND LOADS of energy. they are saying 3 months old but they got him 2 weeks ago so he should be younger than that shouldn't he? My husband said he looked the ferret over well and he only has his 4 insiors in,,, i a am not sure  what to do.  I have another ferret, snow.  i am worried that this baby  may be too much for him.  if the problem is not used to humans that will be solved.  what ya thinbk????
ANSWER: From what you've described - since you know how Snow acts - do you think you would want to deal with a biting ferret?  I do believe you should look at the 'worst case scenario' and ask yourself if it's a good idea to get him. Personally, I probably wouldn't recommend this ferret as a first ferret. But, you say now that you do have another ferret. How old is that ferret?  If that ferret is pretty old, sometimes a baby will cheer them up; sometimes it drives them nuts.  It's always a good idea to make sure the two ferrets will get along before bringing the new one home too - I didn't realize you already have one.

That is SO SO SAD that they put him in a cage alone with a hammock, no toys, nobody to play with :-(   I'm very confused about this scenario - something just doesn't seem right.

I really don't know what to advise you at this point, Claudia.  I think maybe you and your husband need to sit down and look at all the positives and all the negatives, discuss what you are willing to commit to this ferret.  If it doesn't get along with Snow, are you willing to clean TWO ferret cages a day?  Are you willing to have two separate playtimes...and still not play favorites?  This new baby is going to need extra time spent with him...which means you should spend extra time with Snow too.  There are so many different considerations here. I really think you need to sit down and discuss this before you actually take the dive and bring this ferret home.

Please let me know what you decide?  I know that tomorrow is Wednesday...the day you are supposed to bring him home.(?)  Know that you and this little one are both in my thoughts and prayers. I will be anxious to see what you decide....

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers
(YIKES....sorry about the other answer, I had you confused with another gal I've been working with who needed to talk to her parents LOL - SORRY!)

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

QUESTION: Snow is about a year old now.. getting another ferret was actually something we wanted to do for Snow.  He seems so lonely and bored. I don't know if bite is the right word gnaw may be better.  The baby doesn't break skin just non stop gnaw...I thiught cause no one handles hoim. When I put him back in his cage at the store he trieds to jump out at me.  Beginning to
Wish I had never seen him.
This ferret!


ANSWER: Actually, that's good news. Snow is old enough to be the "alpha" ferret when baby comes home, so the new ferret will take cues from him as to how to act, etc. If Snow is well behaved, you will be surprised - he may actually help you train the little one :-)    That's actually the best thing I've heard about this whole deal.....it's almost always a good idea to have to ferrets to play with each other. Having Snow - as long as they do get along - will actually help, especially since he is young. He's just right to be just a little settled down to show the baby how a good ferret acts...and young enough to keep up with the baby (I hate to see people put kits in with old ferrets - they just get annoyed for the most part, especially if they are sick and/or not used to other ferrets).  But - Snow is young - that is good.

I totally understand what you mean.  I actually backed out of getting a ferret once because it didn't get along with my existing ferrets and I was not willing nor able to have two cages to clean, separate playtimes, etc. I wanted a ferret for a companion for the existing one. Boy was I shocked when I saw - they both hated each other! I didn't know at the time, but ferrets are like people - some get along with others and some just want to be left alone or want to pick their own playmate and they can get really upset!

Just remember:  "No poop, no blood, no foul"  In other words, IF you do put them together unless one of them poops while wrestling, or gets bit enough to draw blood (not a scratch) - then we don't interfere. They have to establish who is the "alpha" ferret.

SUGGESTIONS When/If you do bring new ferret home:

Keep ferrets separately until the new baby has had a vet exam, poop test for parasites, and says it's okay to put it with your existing ferret.....

THEN....When the time is right...........

1.  Give each ferret a bath so they don't smell "different". I even put a touch of my weak cologne, just dabbed a drop on their backs so they smelled alike. DO NOT PUT THEM TOGETHER UNTIL they've both had a bath and all 'strange' smells have been removed from each of them. It really makes a difference in whether they accept the other one right away or not.

2.  Introduce them in a neutral area - play room, NOT in a cage.

3.  Have their cage all cleaned out so it doesn't smell like either of them - again, neutral territory. If one has been using it, pull out all blankies, hammock, etc, and put freshly laundered ones.  The idea is to keep everything "neutral" so they either smell alike, or are freshly cleaned removing most odors.

4.  Make sure there are places for them to sleep separately in the cage. They always say you should have one sleeping area more than you have ferrets, so if you have two ferrets, you should have three sleeping areas available to them, so if they don't want to right away, they don't have to sleep together - eventually they *probably* will, but don't push it.

5. When they are initially introduced, it's best if you stay back and let them wrestle and fight (they always do) and do NOT interfere unless you see poop or blood.  Make sure the room is relaxing, no hard rock music, loud kids, etc in the area - it should just be a relaxing place with toys to play with and you *casually* observing them.  If you pick up one, expect the other to feel left out especially initially - so take care to give them kisses and attention equally.

6.  Have the "mutual cage" they are going to stay in in the room when you introduce them. They can go in and out and check it out while they are also checking out each other.

7.  Have some Ferretone handy so you can give them a bit of a treat; maybe even drizzle it on a plate so they can "share" for the first time and feel how nice it will be to have a brother.  (this is great - at first they will sneak up and take a quick lick, then stare at the other ferret; repeat a few times, then finally give in and lick the plate once they decide the other ferret isn't going to take their head off.  It's a great way to help them do something *together*).

Let me know how it goes.......I know you will do whatever is best; for you AND for the little one.  

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers

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

QUESTION: I GOT HIM!  I talked to the pet store and they agreed for me to bring the baby home to meet snow....give them a few hours and if not getting along or having problems they would take him back. Snow loves him. I was worrie.d about his biting and annoying Snow. Not a chance! It's the other way around I think. Snow tried to drag him off to hidey hole! Now they play for hours and then collapse in the cage. He is too little to go up ladders and all but he has lots of toys. Thank you for helping me thru this! Nopw I just have to find a good name for him. He is not as old as the pet store says. He is way too tiny. Thank you again!!

Answer
OMAGOSH, that is WONDERFUL, Claudia!! Especially that he and Snow get along - great for everyone!  You will get to see a new, energized Snow playing like he's never played before.

Be sure to get one of those clear dry hose tubes for them to run thru.  They will chase each other and really get silly AND you can twist the hose  in all kinds of configurations.

BTW.....when you see their tails wagging back and forth quickly - that means "ohhh, dis is FUN!!"

AWESOME!

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers