biting ferrett

Question
My mom has 2 ferretts from the same litter, a boy and a girl, which she has had for 3 years in the same cage.

Recently the male started biting the females ear and making it bleed.  She was sick but she is getting better.

Any reason why the knew behavior would just be starting?

Answer
Hello,
Thank you for your question. One of two things could be the problem. First, check her ears for infection, or earmites, and clean the ears of the female thoroughly. I would also ask your vet to check her ears. These things can cause excessive licking, chewing and biting  by other ferrets. If he is BITING and DRAGGING, then my best guess is that it is dominance. Frequently a dominant ferret will drag the other ferrets out of a hammock, or by the scruff.

This can be the cause of the behavior you are seeing. So, if she gets a clean bill of health from the vet, give BOTH ferrets a thorough bath. Q-tip the ears gently to remove any old drainage. Then, after their bath,  take a little "Bitter Apple" (this is a bite deterrent you can find in the dog training isle of your pet store) and spray it on your finger, and rub it on the female's ears,(After, wash your hands thoroughly!) . It is an alcohol base, and it dries fast. It is safe for your ferrets, because is also used for a "chew stopper" for dogs with skin problems. Hopefully this will help the problem. Since these two have been together for a while, my best guess would be she has a mild ear infection or mild ear irritation that's causing him to chew on her ears, rather than dominance... Especially since she has been sick recently.
Hopefully this will help.
Thank you.
amy