Baby Ferret Biting?

Question

I have two male ferrets. One is about 20-23 weeks and the other my new Canadian is about 8 weeks. The older Marshall one is very sweet, has never nipped and is calm. The new 8 week old is vicious. According to the company I purchased him from he was not handled much. He can be sweet at times but also a bad biter. He will get fingers, faces, clothes and yank and pull. He bit my 11 year old daughter so bad today she was bleeding. I have tried to yell "No!" have put him in "time-outs" I have scruffed behind his neck and drug him on his butt (like I've read to do from the books and many sites), I have bought the bitter apple spray and used that on my hands and my daughters but nothing seems to help. He is a bit nervous of people, when I walk into the ferret room he will usually hide until I sit down on the floor. I spend many hours each day around him so he gets a lot of attention. I don't like keeping him in his cage but its the only thing I can think of left to do. Any advice?

Answer 1

I think the breeder might have been right. He probably wasn't around people much when he was born. Just stay around him often. I think you are on the right track; just be persistent and I think he will eventually stop.

Good luck to you and your ferret!

Answer 2

the same thing happened with my ferret, i used the spray on my toes but he still bit me, so i sprayed him right in the mouth and she didnt like that, she quit biting, my boyfriend also sprayed her with water in the face and she quit biting him too. One time my boyfriend flicked her nose to cause she wouldnt let go of his finger. But she quit biting and began to follow us around, And she even began to bring us her toys. Shes cute.