Is there anyway to calm down a hyper or stressed ferret?

Question

And please dont tell me to hold him from the back of the neck's skin because whenever I do that hes caml while i do it but as soon as i put him down hes more hyper than before.

Answer 1

trancepixie is pretty much right on. he just wants to play. they like to play chase too and burn off quite a bit of energy that way

Answer 2

Don't try to calm him all the time. Sounds like he's probably fairly young, and needs to play, have fun and let off steam when you let him out for his playtime.

Instead try to engage in his play. He'd normally expect to have a playmate or 6 to do this with, but if he is an only boy, you need to dedicate time to playing with him and keeping him stimulated.

You can start with something as simple as grabbing any old towel or cloth, and waving it about for him to run and grab at. You can also lay him on it on the floor and drag him up and down for "sleigh-rides". There are lots of wand-style toys available that you can wave about for him to chase and tire him out.

For extra stimulation, you can train him to do lots of different tricks: I find a coat supplement called Ferretone is the best treat to use for training. They can learn to play tag, and I even saw a lady in the UK on tv who had built a tiny agility course and trained her ferret on it.

There are loads of fun things to do with your hyper ferret, but if you want sleepy cuddles, you are gonna have to start tiring him out first lol! The fun ways to do this are limitless, it's down to whatever you can think of. But the first step is to realise that you need to stop calming him down, and actually stimulate him in more productive and fun ways than just biting your toes or whatever.

Just to add, as for the scruffing, that can be helpful when applied in the right way. Don't scruff as punishment, and then put him down to go back and bite your toes again. Instead scruff him until he starts to yawn, then hold him gently in your lap while scratching and stroking him.

Just do it for a few seconds at first, and then reward with a drop of ferretone on a spoon, or if you haven't got 'tone, a drop of cod liver oil will do at a pinch. They love that too. It's important that it's a quick treat that he finishes while still in your lap, rather than something he grabs and runs off with.

You should be able to gradually increase the times he will stay with you and not bite, until this at least not an issue any more. Some will come to cuddle up in your lap whenever you like in time, others will mostly wriggle away, as they are just far too busy lol!

Wriggling away must be permitted though, just as long as he doesn't try for a bite first. Any attempts to grab you, and you do the scruffing til yawning thing over again. That would mean you've pushed it with the timing though, and need to go back a step to shorter times on your lap.

Learn to gauge what he will put up with, and just reward that to begin with. It will increase, but on his schedule, not yours.

Best of luck, they are the most entertaining of friends once you understand one another. And go easy on him, he's probably feeling as frustrated with the lack of effective communication as you are.

Answer 3

What reason(s) are you needing your ferret to calm down for?

The best thing to do for a stressed out ferret is to put them in a quiet, dark place...such as in a blanket in their cage.

As for a hyper ferret, there's not much you can do as ferrets are "hyper-active" by nature. There's two approaches you can take, play with and entertain them until they are so tired that they just want to relax or sleep. I've also learned from one of my little girls (who loves to bite and attack for play) that if you simply ignore them they get bored with you and might find something else to do. Scruffing is only good for as long as you scruff, the second you let go it's a big game to them.