Hello everyone :) I'm new to this forum, and a first time ferret owner, and am pleased to have found a place where there seems to be no end of helpful people! A little about me and my new friend: I'm 22,have lived in France for 11 years and am a student in musicologie in a large town called Poitiers where I have lived for almost 4 years. I have wanted a ferret since I was about 12, but my parents were dead against it. For the first 2 years in my own place I had 2 rats, the best pets to date that I had had (hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs..), but still I was longing for my own ferret. And today, after years of waiting, and especially thanks to a lady who ended up with babies that she wasn't planning on having, my wish came true. I have named him Casper, due to him being an albino and mainly that I am lacking in imagination. He is certainly a curious little fellow, when we went to collect him, as soon as the cage door was opened he threw himself out and was desperate to get down and run around. He's 6 months old, and also extremely excitable, within minutes of being let out of his cage in his new home he was hopping around and making little squeaking/grunting noises. From the research that I did before I decided to take him I understand that this is a good thing and simply means that he is happy? The problem : I currently have savlon cream smothered all over my hands due to small yet very painful puncture wounds. I know that it is probably because it is early, I met him approximatly 5 hours ago and took him away from his family and everything he knows, stuck him in a cage and then in a car for an hour and a half so I'm bound to not be his favourite person at the moment. However its not because I picked him up, I decided to let him explore first and let him make the desicion as to when he was willing to allow himself be picked up/ stroked and approach me. He came running over to me fairly soon, and immediatly threw himself onto my hand and sank those sharp little gnashers in. I think he was meaning only to play, as he was making a squeaking sound at the same time and rolling onto his back. I did have to rescue him from a bag at one point (of course he managed to find the one bag in which a bag of ferret treats was stored) and it was at this point that he really latched on and refused to let go, drawing blood and, as I have ridiculously fragile skin, giving me a fairly impressive bruise. I'm guessing that it is the time that he adapts, but I would like to know if there is any way to nip (haha!) this problem in the bud before it becomes to much of a habit? Thank you those who have been brave enough to read this all the way through, and thanking in advance for any helpful advice and tips (not necessarily related to biting) that anyone would be willing to share so as to help my new friend settle in and be a happy ferret!

Hello and welcome.  

There are several ways to "nip-train" a ferret.  It is important to be consistent.  And patient.  What has worked for me in most cases is to grab the ferret by the scruff of the neck and hold it, or even pick it up.  Doing this immobilizes them, usually.  Then look him in the eye and say NO BITE!  You may gently tap hmm on the nose, (not enough to cause pain) then put him in time out for 5 minutes.  It's best if you have something like a carrier for time out and not just his cage. 
Ferrets normally grow out of this biting phase by 6 months if they are handled often.  Albinos are known to have attitudes, like our Rosa.  I've had her almost a year and she still gets me sometimes.  Keep working on it.  

Other members may have other ideas,  I would give any idea a couple weeks at least before giving up.  Ferrets can and do learn at their own pace.

THE DOOKS OF HAZARD

Here are some suggestions:

 Do not tap them on the nose, you are only making the behavior worst.....you don't want this. 


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 both for your helpful advice! :) I had hoped that this morning I would have a slightly calmer ferret, but after having watched him tearing around the place as if he was on fire, it is certainly not the case! Even if now he is tucked up in his bed snoring away happily (and probably dreaming about infinite toes for him to eat..;) ). However, on the upside I have no more new puncture wounds, so that is one thing. But he is certainly feisty and rather stubborn. The word "NO" has been said more often than any other, as he has decided that running up to my feet and leaping onto them to grab my toes and then the backs of my legs is his new favourite game. He appears to respond well to finger in front of the nose whilst I hold him by the scruff, but then he does have a certain "don't care" attitude about it, and will begin again soon after. I'm hoping that at almost 7 months he isn't to old to train, I certainly have some questions for the previous owner as something isn't adding up. Firstly, his size. For 6 months, he is enormous. Even bigger than his dad who is over a year old, and he is at least 3 times the size of the sister I saw. Is this an albino characteristic? I haven't been able to find anything online or in my book that says so, so perhaps he is just naturally big? Secondly, I'm wondering if his parents are brother and sister, and if so, would this have an effect on his behaviour? The lady I bought him from didn't say much and talking about it with my best friend who accompanied me, looking back she seemed rather hurried and cagey when we asked her questions about him, but unfortunatly I was so excited that I didn't really pay much attention, which is regrettable. I am also now in doubt about the fact that he was perfectly fine with her young children, as last night when my friend came back over he decided to attack her feet and the backs of her legs, almost as soon as he was out of the cage. Luckily she knows ferrets and has owned many (which is also why she came with me) but even she says she has never seen a ferret who sets out to deliberatly grab a part of you. Which is certainly what he appears to do. As soon as he sees a hand approach (to remove him from the sofa for example) his first instinct is to turn and bite, but it does not appear to be out of fear. Could it be that he has poor eyesight and therefore gets spooked? I know my sister had albino mice who I ended up with as they scared her, and because of their red eyes they weren't too good at seeing and had to be approached gently. As it is only early days, and he must be still confused as to where he is, where his family has gone and why I'm here, I'm obviously giving him the benefit of the doubt for the moment. But I have to say that I am quite worried about his behaviour. He does not like cuddles, belly scratches or any form of stroking, certainly objects to being picked up, and for a ferret that has apparently been handled every day I find this quite strange. I'm planning on taking him to the vets so as to see what he thinks. I'm also worried that he may not be in the best of health, he has never been vaccinated, washed or had his claws cut, and his coat is dry and dull. For a first ferret it is certainly an experience at any rate!

Is this an albino characteristic?

No.


You can also try hissing at him.

Sounds like normal ferret behavior.  He just needs to be taught how to behavior.  Just be patience and consistent with your training.

Please remember, he/she is in a new environment.  Lots of new stuff, smells and a new routine to get used to.
Give him/her time to adjusted.

My personal preference and what I do in my household.  I like to keep the new comer in a room that is block off from the rest of the house.  (ferret room).  I let them explorer this room on their terms and run off some energy.

Then I go into the room and sit on the floor and wait for the little one to come to me.  I like for the ferret to bond with me first.

I hope this helps

Has he been neutered?  Doing so may calm him down, but it's no guarantee.  I have one girl who is from Marshall's and albino, who is the worst biter I've had.  I've had her almost a year and I have not been to diligent trying to train her until recently She's getting better.

I had another male sable (poley) s close to 3 when I got him.  He would grab the back of my knees too.  I once got so mad I scruffed him with my teeth and got down on the floor and dragged him a good 3-4 meters.  He never bit me again.  I've done that once with Rosa, but she has bitten me once since then, although I think she got the message. You can try scruff/drag by hand.

THE DOOKS OF HAZARD

I have had 5 albino's although I only have one still alive at this time her name is Suzy one of them Peanut was my favorite ferret of all 48 that I have had since owning them. None of them were biters but Susy who has never bitten me at all did yesterday because she felt I was taking to long to give her a treat she really surprised me but it wasn't a hard bite no broken skin just a hey mom I want one now. Male ferrets under a year here in the states can get really big for awhile at least some of them not all but then seem to get smaller as they age. Most of my ferrets now are over 3 years of age and there are only two of the males that are still pretty big the others aren't much bigger than their sisters. Keep doing what others here are telling you about biting and it should work it has on my kits.