Bizarre change in behaviour

Hi, I have joined the forum in the hope that someone with a bit more experience of ferret behaviour might be able to shed some light on some strange behaviour that one of my ferrets, Flea has been displaying lately. 

Bit of background first; I have 3 female ferrets, 2 spayed & one who has recently had the hormone injection. This one is Flea. The other 2 spayed females are Mylo & Chalky. Flea is a year younger and looking back, I think she was taken from her mum too early. When we first got her she was tiny & followed Mylo around at first, squawking at her if she went too far away.


Mylo is boss and up until recently Flea was a really laid-back, happy go lucky little girl. She came into season earlier than I expected and so we got the injection to bring her out of it. About a month later she seemed to be getting really itchy & agitated by the itchiness (the vet has said this is unlikely to be related to the injection). I took her to the vets who gave me a mite treatment and coincidentally (or perhaps not) Mylo had a really dirty ear which I understand can be caused by mites -this seemed to clear up after the mite treatment as did Flea's itchiness.

During the time she was itchy Flea became a lot more clingy than before, wanting to be with us instead of playing with the other 2 (she used to be incredibly playful and really verbal). Since stopping with the itching Flea has become even move clingy, sitting & being fussed for ages, being enthusiastic about preening us and now, if Mylo or Chalky come over whilst we are nearby, Flea will attack them & squeak at them. Also, before Flea NEVER bit us, she didn't even bite the vet who hurt her when injecting her with the hormone injection. NOW, if she gets new your ears when one is preening you, she will bite your ear & lock on, getting harder and harder.. Today she grabbed my finger & tried to lead me away which she has never done before.

Also if we do a kissing noise at her, she seems to become really neurotic & will run as fast as she can to you & launch herself Onto you.

Not sure if all the factors 1 have mentioned influence his recent charge on behaviour. I was hoping someone might know why she has charged in her personality, especially the clinginess & what seems like possessive behaviour of us towards the other ferrets?

Also if we do a kissing noise at her, she seems to become really neurotic & will run as fast as she can to you & launch herself Onto you.

Kissing noise you are making, may sound like a baby ferret crying.  This may be the reason why she is doing this.  Squeaky toys will also set off this type of behavior in certain ferrets.  Easy solution....stop kissing to her.


Today she grabbed my finger & tried to lead me away which she has never done before. 


Some ferrets will do this.


You said she came into season. How long has it been since the injection?


She might be in mommy mode and might take some time for her body to catch up. One of reason she is separating her self from the others.