Ferret kit biting?

Question

Hi

Ive got a ferret kit and im quite worried coz he just keeps biting

is this normal ?

Or not

Thanks

Answer 1

Yes, babies are very mouthy and are frightened easily.  Ferrets react to aggression with aggression so you have to move slowly and carefully until you get used to each other.

Most baby animals chew and mouth things, and ferrets are no exception. Kits play by wrestling and gripping each other's necks with their teeth. Until they learn otherwise, they expect to do this with people too. Babies may bite very hard if they are hungry, because they haven't learned to distinguish food from fingers.

Many ferret lovers deny that ferrets would hurt you on purpose unless they are frightened, but biting is natural behavior in young ferrets. They have sharp teeth and can hurt you if they bite and hang on, and it is good to know how to deal with this situation without getting severely injured. Juvenile males, especially those that have lived most of their lives in a pet shop without much handling, occasionally grab people as they do each other. They take a firm grip, clamp down as hard as they can, and shake their heads. This doesn't hurt other ferrets much, but human skin is not nearly as thick as ferret hide, and we have no protective hair covering, so that kind of treatment causes real pain. If this ever happens, don't pull back but try to remain calm and see if he releases.  If he doesn't, a little water poured on his face usually gets a release.  Do some research on baby ferrets/

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?...

I like this site but do not agree that shaking a ferret viborously or tapping it on the nose is helpful or even the right thing to do.  I think you need to learn more about how a ferret thinks and when you go to pick him up do it firmly and quietly as to not frighten him or get him excited.  Don't try to hold him when he has just been let out of his cage but wait until he has slowed down a bit.  I like to lay on the floor and put ferretone on my fingers and let them approach me and l**k it off.  You have to work with ferrets until you earn their trust and then you can start working on changing their behaviors.  Give this little one time and if he is biting you in play because he has no other ferret to tumble around with, just play with him and don't be scared.  If he is biting and hurting you, just Yelp (like a short high pitched yip) and he shoud realize that he just hurt you.  This is how ferrets play and let the other ferrets know that they are getting too rough.  Ferrets use their mouths to explore the world and to play so you have to let him bite play softly but never hard.  After you yip, you can say "no bite" but do not do it in an angry way, remain calm.  Babies are little sticks of dynamite and he just needs some socialization.

http://www.freewebs.com/ferretwhisperer/...

Here is another cute site.  Just read and take the advice you like and see if it works.  It you are not comfortable with a technique, don't use it and go on.