Hi I'm hoping someone who has kit training experience can help!

I currently have 3 male ferrets, one which I raised from a kit and another that I rescued last January, both of which are just over a year and a half old and are castrated. 
I have recently taken on a new kit and he is proving very difficult to train (he's completely different from my first ferret that I raised).
The new kit isn't aggressive by any stretch but he is, for want of a better term, a lunatic, I know that kits are very playful but he's on a completely different level. He doesn't seem to need to sleep like a normal ferret: I noticed this when I got him at 8 weeks old, and after a few days I decided to do an experiment and time how long before he got dozy, it took nearly 4 hours. He's now nearly 12 weeks and only getting more energetic. When it comes to training, I am trying to teach him that fingers are never to be bitten and use soft toys etc to play with him, but he doesn't seem to be getting the message and when I scruff him (I don't believe in flicking) it just gets him more excited like it's all a big game. The other two ferrets get really annoyed with him, they enjoy playing for a while but get tired much quicker than the kit and get stressed that he's still buzzing round them trying to bite and play.

I'm hoping that some of you guys will have some training tips that will help get the message across to my kit with regards to biting etc. Will he ever calm down and become compatible with the older boys? Thanks in advance guys:)

I always kept my kits separate from my other ferrets.  This gave me time to train (litter box and nip training) and bond to the new ferret.  My ferrets are free roam of house when I am at home.  I spend lot of time with my kit to make sure they use the litter boxes thru out the home.

With a kit that is nippy, I usually block off the ferret room.  Let the kit explorer and play for a few hours.  Then I would go into the room and sit down and play with the kit.

Kits have a lot of energy...it will take some time.  remember, they are in a new environment, new smells, new toys.  Let the little one explorer it's new home.  In time, he/she will get bored.

Here are some ideas for nip training.


1. Pick the ferret up gently but firmly by the scruff and say "NO" loudly each time the ferret tries to nip. 

2.  Drag your ferret by the scruff for a short distance on a soft carpet or bed.  Ferrets do this to each other to show dominance.  You are teaching your pet that you are the alpha ferret. 

3.Do not give up. This ferret needs more attention from you. 

4.  Some people like to spray their hands with bitter apple extract to discourage nipping.  I find that this stuff upsets my ferret stomachs, causes some funky poop. So I don't use this stuff. 

5.  Do not quit giving a nipping ferret attention.  They need more attention, not less. 

6.  Cuddle your ferret and talk constantly in a gentle, soothing voice.  

7.  Never play using your hands, always use a toy. 

8.  Time out cage -   I like to use a carrier, not their regular cage. 

Toes and legs:

This is what I do.  Watch your ferret’s body language.  Once you see him/her coming towards your feet.  Take you’re finger and wave it in front of him, at the same time
tell him/her no.   Then immediately turn his/her attention to something else.  What I do is turn them over on their back and tickle their belly.  Then I chase after them and make a game out of it.  “Don’t you bit mommie!     This works for us.  

Goal is to turn the behavior to a positive one, not a negative behavior.


I hope this helps. 

Thank you that's very helpful, some of what you have suggested I am already trying so I guess it's just perseverance, but there's a few new things you have given me to try so thank you :) hopefully he will eventually calm down!

P.s. Have you any thoughts as to why scruffing, dragging etc has no effect and only gets him really really excited like it's a game and tries to play and bite me more? Is there anything I can do to try and combat this?

Hey! Welcome! 
First thing is first....Dont fret!!! He will calm down! My ferret was EXACTLY the same. Scruffing only made him more hyper, bite more, and try and play more. The apple bitter works good for toes, if you have a toe biter, and as for scruffing, if it doesnt work, try something else! Time outs in his carrier cage wokred verrry well for me! Make sure you leave him in there long enough for him to realizse he did something yoi didnt like, but not too long (i usually did aboit 4 minutes) when you let him out of the carrier, make sure he is calm and not biting at the carrier door. You can also try scruffing him as soon as he bites, and carrying him by the scruff, into time out! (Support his bum if yoi think hes a bit heavy for scruffing) hope this helps a bit. Most of all, like i said, dont give up! I remeber some days just rolling my eyes and thinking "what have i gotten myself into" and although still a little troublemaker, meechy is 1 million times better! Good luck!

Oh my goodness thank you, that has set my mind at rest... I thought I had a defect haha! But if your little Meechy has calmed down as you say hopefully Sparta will too! I will definitely try a time-out box, thanks again for the tips :) 

They are little crazy at that age.  Normal kit behavior...always testing us out.

That is why, I like my ferret room.  I can block off the room and little one can play for a few hours and burn off some of that energy.  I think their little minds get over loaded when they go into a  new environment.  Just think about it.

*take away from their moms
*spayed/neutered
*then put into a store  (small enclosured) for resell

Then you bring them home.  WOW!  what's this.....

Be patience....with the little one.  I am sure he/she will come around.

Hi and welcome to the group!
I've have a couple ferrets that don't respond to scruffing unless we grab them just right, like you have to find the sweet spot.  Try scruffing a couple different spots.

THE DOOKS OF HAZARD

Great stuff! Loads of new techniques to try, thanks everybody for all your advice, you've all been really helpful :) to give you an update, I have started trailing giving Sparta time-outs in a carrier and already it seems to calm him down and he's only been in there for two 4-minute periods so fingers crossed!