Dealing with the Behaviorally Challenged Ferret

In This Chapter

•  Knowing the reasoning behind your ferret’s aggression
•  Handling and taming the biting fuzzbutt

Some potential ferret owners, even after reading many books and magazines on ferrets, still aren’t prepared for the endless behavioral possibilities they may face. You really can’t know what all to expect until you’ve actually walked several miles with fuzzies attached to your shoes. It isn’t just the newcomers who get all the surprises; many experienced fuzzy owners encounter unexpected problems after years of perfect fuzzdom. And consider this: It may be the ferret owner who’s the problem and not the poor fuzzy.

This chapter is mostly about problem-solving and preparing you as much as possible for the issues you may face. It deals with some of the reasons people give up their ferrets — in other words, it deals with the behaviorally challenged carpet sharks. I discuss the biters, the misunderstood ferrets of the world, and the aggressive beasts. You get the information needed to understand these fuzzies and reform them into acceptable members of the family.

Understanding Your Dracula in Fuzzy’s Clothing

Once in a blue moon, a person will adopt a ferret that’s just plain mean — in other words, she’s a biter — and nothing much can be done about it. This is common in all pets, and ferrets are no exception. Most ferrets are loving and layful family members. Out of all the ferrets that have passed through my shelter or have remained as permanent residents, I’ve only encountered four severe biters. My experience has been that a lovable pooch is still far more dangerous than the typical fuzzy. But problem biters do exist, and you may adopt one someday.

The good news is that there’s hope for the biting ferret. Most aggressive ferrets can be turned into gentle critters if their owners are willing to work on their relationships. If you’re serious about being a fuzzy human, dumping a problem carpet shark at the nearest shelter should be your absolute last resort. This section is for the ferret lover who’s willing to work to keep the ferret a part of the family.

Ferrets can bite for many reasons. Although you may not have all the colorful information about your fuzzy’s personal history, you may be able to put the pieces together just by being a good observer. It may mean learning how to deactivate the bomb before it goes off, or it may mean taking time to convince your fuzzy that not all humans are evil. Usually, it’s the latter (humans are the root of most biting evils).

Remember

Not all ferret bites should be considered attacks. In fact, most aren’t. Ferrets often have a good reason to bite; biting is sometimes the only way a ferret can communicate her needs or wishes. For example, a fuzzy can’t reach up and smack you on the back of the head to say, “Tag, you’re it.” However, a nip on the ankle may be just as effective. Tag, by the way, is a favorite ferret game.

After you identify why your ferret is biting, you can address the situation appropriately. The following sections take a look at the most common reasons ferrets bite. (The later section “Socializing Your Biting Beast” explains what you can do to correct the problem, and Chapter Putting Your Ferret through Basic Training: Easy as 1-2-3? deals with training your ferret not to bite.)

Remember

You must recognize the difference between playful biting and aggressive biting and try to correct both. An aggressive biter may bite you and hold on, or she may bite so hard that she draws blood. The pain caused by an aggressive biter is unmistakable. Playful bites include mouthing, light nips, and even “nip and runs.” Although playful bites cause little to no discomfort, they may cause future problems.

I’m having growing pains

Baby ferrets are natural nippers. They are, by nature, animals that face predation pressure. Young kits may react to startles by biting, simply as an instinctive reaction. Nothing is wrong with them; they just tend to react instinctively. And like all mammals, they explore the world with their mouths. And they have teething pains that can be severe at times, and gnawing on the closest available thing — your arm or a chew toy — helps to alleviate the pain. If your biting furball is a kit, I tend to think the situation really doesn’t fall into the classification of “problem” — yet (see the following section).

Nobody told me not to bite

Many owners fail to nip-train their ferrets at an early age, when training is so crucial. The kit stage is the time when members of the ferret litter teach each other their biting limits. It is how a large male kit can play with a small female and not harm her. The rule ferrets learn is to never play harder than another ferret. An untrained fuzzy may be the owner’s fault, the fault of a previous caretaker, or even the fault of a pet shop that failed to handle the cute babies on display. Perhaps the fuzzy you’ve adopted hasn’t had limits set for her. Unfortunately, innocent kit nippers turn into bold biters if you don’t stop the nipping early.

Often, people dump their nipping ferrets because they just don’t know how to set limits and be the human bosses. The reason is due purely to frustration and lack of education. Chapter Putting Your Ferret through Basic Training: Easy as 1-2-3? covers how to nip-train a fuzzy. Educate yourself and don’t give up on your little furball!

I’m in pain, darn it!

Your ferret has limited ability to say “Hey, my belly aches” or “I have these nasty bugs in my darn ears,” so she may bite instead. Your biting furball may be suffering from a treatable condition, such as a severe ear-mite infestation, or a more chronic disease, like adrenal disease. There are many, many medical conditions that can lead a ferret to bite.

Be a good human and be mindful of sudden changes in behavior. Many times she just isn’t feeling well and needs your help. If the biting seems out of character, take your biter to the vet (warn the vet in advance about the aggression) for a complete physical. Rule out any illness or injury that may be causing your ferret to lash out in pain.

I’m a manly or bully ferret

Unneutered male ferrets can (and probably will) be more aggressive than their altered counterparts. As with some teenage boys, it’s the male ferret’s hormonal duty to dominate whomever he can. Usually, an unneutered ferret chooses other male ferrets to bully. Female ferrets can also be targets of this type of male aggression. Sometimes, he’ll bully the human who unknowingly tests his ferret manlihood. If you want to fix the aggression problem for this type of ferret, neuter that boy!

I’m facing a lot of change right now

Change, whether good or bad, is scary. Imagine this: Some giant picks you up, rips you out of your house, and plops you down in the middle of who knows where. Strangers are poking at you. Everything smells and looks funny. Some big, wet nose is sniffing at you and blowing snot on you. The new noises are enough to make your head explode. If you had a tail, it would be puffed out like a bottlebrush! You don’t know whether to poop, run away, or bite. Heck, for all you know, you’re in for the nightmare of your life.

A ferret in a strange situation may act scared and confused. Whether she’s with a human she’s loved and trusted for years or in the care of a brand new human, she doesn’t know what to expect. When a ferret is under this much stress, she may bite. Give this ferret time to acclimate to big changes before rushing in and forcing her to bond with you. It may take hours, days, or weeks. But go slowly and let her explore new surroundings or new people.

Biting always worked before!

If your ferret was once under the care of another human (or perhaps you were the culprit), it’s possible that she may have been trained to bite inadvertently. I don’t mean “Caution: Guard Ferret on Premises!” I’m talking about a weenie human who gave the ferret her way every time she nipped. For instance, if the person picked up the fuzzy and she nipped, the person put her down and gave her freedom. Or perhaps when the ferret bit, the human thought that she must be hungry, so the person rewarded her with food. In other words, the ferret was training the human.

Remember

Never positively reinforce a biting ferret. You shouldn’t view biting as a cute way to tell you something.

I’m still fighting back

The main cause of a biting ferret is mistrust of humans. Humans can be pretty nasty animals. Some humans react violently or impulsively to stuff they don’t understand; others are just jerks who thrive on being cruel. Unfortunately, animals are frequent victims of human abuse. In these cases, you can’t blame a rescued fuzzy for remaining aggressive. Abused fuzzies learn several things during their abuse: 1) Attack or be attacked. 2) Hands equal hitting, feet equal kicking, and humans equal pain. 3) Every ferret for herself.

Working with an abused ferret takes extra time and patience. If you’ve ever been badly hurt by someone, physically or emotionally, you know how long it can take to trust again. Head to the following section to start the road to recovery with your scared fuzzy.

Some other reasons for my biting

Some ferrets react aggressively to particular noises, smells, or objects. My ferret Sybil (appropriately named), for example, came to my shelter with two other nutcases, Buster and Fidget. Sybil reacts aggressively when the dogs start barking, no matter where they are or why they’re barking. How does she react? She runs up and bites me when they bark. Many ferrets react similarly to other stimuli, such as

• New smells (especially on the hands or clothes)
• The ruffling of newspapers
• Vacuum cleaners
• Brooms
• Loud music

The list goes on. This is called displaced aggression, and there isn’t always a reason why it happens. Some ferrets just get extra freaky around freaky people. This type of carpet shark may chase a timid person around the room and nip at his ankles. Most of these quirky ferrets are otherwise lovable and sweet, as most fuzzies are. The bottom line: If you’re smart enough to identify the trigger, you should be smart enough not to trigger your fuzzy when she’s out of her cage. (Oh, and by the way, most ferrets do have foot fetishes!)

Socializing Your Biting Beast

Not many fuzzies are just determined to be aggressive no matter what their owners do. A hopeless fuzzy case is a rarity. If you think you have an eccentric head case that you just can’t handle, I suggest that you just haven’t found the right approach or haven’t been consistent with your technique. Your fuzzbutt may even be suffering from a combination of neuroses or a serious medical condition. Every ferret is a unique individual and responds differently to different methods of resocialization. Your job as your fuzzy’s human is to find the best combination of love and gentle discipline.

In the following sections, you find out the best way to handle the biting ferret, as well as what to do if you should find yourself with a ferret hanging off your finger. With patience and consistency, using the tips here, you’ll be able to turn your Dracula into a charmer in no time.

Norm and his magic touch with aggressive ferrets

Norm Stilson of the Greater Chicago Ferret Association uses the same method to socialize all biting ferrets, and he has a tremendous success rate. He admits that his reconditioning process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple years. It depends largely on the severity of the ferret’s mistrust of humans (in other words, how big of a jerk her previous human was) and how much time Norm has to work with the biter. Still, I’ve seen him in action, transforming the most hopeless biters into snuggly, happy fuzzbutts.

Norm uses the upper body grip, which I describe in the “Getting a grip” section, and spends a lot of time talking gently to the ferret. He uses his free hand to stroke the fur on top of the fuzzy’s head and neck at the same time. He cuddles the fuzzy up against him (keeping control of the ferret’s head) and even kisses the top of the fuzzy’s head. Norm’s version of the method, in my opinion, is the best.

Getting a grip

I find that the best way to handle an aggressive carpet shark is to firmly hold the upper part of her body from underneath, but with more control over her head — the grip method. You may have to distract her a little to seize her this way, but it allows you to hold her so she can’t twist her head around to latch onto some vital part of your body. Simply follow these steps:

1. Grab your fuzzy by the scruff of the neck.

2. Take your free hand and hold her from underneath, just above her chest.

3. Wrap your fingers around the fuzzy’s neck.

A paw may also go in between your fingers.

4. When you’re confident that you have the ferret safely but firmly in your grip, you can release the scruff.

5. Now you can use that free hand to smother her with gentle petting.

This is a great handling method and doesn’t require gloves (see the upcoming sidebar). And it usually works, too.

Getting unstuck

If a ferret bites you and doesn’t want to let go (an uncommon behavior), you can use some techniques to get her off. Unless you’re an experienced ferret handler, though, you’ll probably be too busy panicking and overreacting to think about these techniques logically. Most people just try to fling the ferret from whichever body part she’s latched onto.

With a little preparation and knowledge, you may be able to keep your wits about you in a latching situation and get unstuck. Some of the following tips may come in handy:

• Place a tiny amount of bitter solution into the corner of the ferret’s mouth (use a cotton swab or small controlled spray). You can find this bitter solution at most pet stores. While she’s ptooeying out the taste, your finger will be ptooeyed out along with it.

Warning!

Don’t spray bitter solution directly into the ferret’s face. Ever. Doing so is painful and cruel, and the fuzzy’s next bite will be justified.

• Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and touch the corner of the ferret’s mouth. This method usually works wonders!
• Ask a helping hand to gently squeeze the carpet shark’s jaws open and aid you in prying her off, one tooth at a time.

Remember

A real fear biter can “jump bite,” moving from your skin to the helper’s skin. Be extra cautious. (See the earlier section “Understanding Your Dracula in Fuzzy’s Clothing” for more on the reasons for biting.)

• Have a helper thread a wooden chopstick behind the skin under attack. A gentle yet forceful twisting motion can loosen the bite grip just enough to allow for an escape without harming the ferret.
• Drip some Ferretone or olive oil over the tip of the ferret’s nose. The ferret should automatically start licking the treat, releasing you in the process.

A gripping question: Gloves or hands?

Some people think that thick gloves, made of leather, are great for working to tame the aggressive ferret. Gloves can help protect your hands from the serious ouchies an aggressive biter can inflict. Using gloves allows you to handle the fuzzy confidently and without fear if you’re serious about taming her. If you’re skittish around your aggressive ferret to begin with, this option may be the way to go. Another option is a fillet glove, which is thinner and has metal armor that prevents bites from getting through. You can find these gloves at sporting goods stores.

Although many people advocate using gloves to tame the biter, I believe that doing so may actually defeat the purpose. I think fuzzies find the feel of a gentle but firm human paw a little more soothing than the feel of a stiff, groping glove. Being held with a glove may feel a bit more like being manhandled, which may be why your furball is so ticked off in the first place. I’ve never used gloves. They’re too bulky on my tiny hands, and I can’t seem to hold a fuzzy comfortably. Also, I never want to give a ferret the impression that my skin is tough and can withstand such torture!

“I will probably bite you even harder if you . . .”
If you opt for one of the following techniques to get your fuzzy to unlatch from a bite, you’ll probably make the problem worse: Mist a bitter spray or another deterrent in your fuzzy’s face Bite her back on the ear or head (some people actually do this)	Flick her on the nose or head when she bites Hit her or throw her across the room Isolate her from the world for long periods of time

Although I often stress the importance of not rewarding biting with treats, giving a reward is justified during an extreme, prolonged bite. The object is to get unhooked without causing further trauma to you or the frightened ferret.

• Find a cold body of water — such as water in a toilet, bathtub, or sink — and submerge her until her desire to breathe overtakes her desire to mangle you.

This is a last-resort solution. Don’t flush her down the toilet or drown her in the process. Bite wounds heal. Death is irreversible, and guilt haunts for a long time. You can also use cold running water from a faucet.

Warning!

Don’t try to get your ferret to release by pulling her or jerking her away. In other words, don’t try to send her for a flying lesson. Doing so only causes more damage, and you’ll feel really stupid if you further injure yourself or your fuzzy when you have many better options.

The main thing to remember when being bitten is don’t panic. Panicking usually makes the situation worse. If you know you’re dealing with an aggressive ferret, you can opt not to handle her unless someone else is around to come to your rescue.

Taming the critter

Remember

Depending on your ferret’s personality and her past life experiences, she may or may not respond to certain methods of reconditioning. Some fuzzies learn quickly that humans can be trustworthy and can make great playmates. Others need quite a bit more time to come to this conclusion. This section presents some ideas that may or may not work for taming your biting ferret. Unfortunately, some may even make matters worse, but it may only be temporary. Don’t give up on a tactic right away just because it doesn’t work the first time. Winning over a biter takes patience and consistency. If, however, the biting gets more severe and more frequent after much patience and consistency, you probably should try a new tactic.

This list gives you some of the more obvious solutions you can try:

• If your companion biter is an unaltered male, neuter him.

 Rule out medical reasons for biting through a veterinary exam and get veterinary care for any illnesses or injuries.

• If you know the biting trigger, such as barking dogs, don’t subject your ferret to the trigger.
• If your fuzzy is visually or hearing impaired (or very young), take extra care not to startle her when handling her.
• Make sure that your ferret is well fed and given a proper diet.
• Spend more quality time with your ferret instead of keeping her cooped up in the cage for days on end.

And here are some more creative ideas; you can use these in combination with the previous solutions and with each other:

• Put a bitter spray, such as Bitter Apple (the spray works but the cream is better), on your hands so a bite doesn’t taste as good.
• Screech, growl, hiss, or loudly yell “Ouch!” or “No!” when the ferret bites (use simple words, not sentences). Some people do a quick, firm shake while verbally reprimanding the biter. Many ferrets see this as a sign that biting definitely isn’t a good thing to do.

Warning!

Some ferrets may bite harder if a verbal reprimand is accompanied by a scruff, especially if you include a firm shake. This is a definite individual thing.

Another method is to tell her, “I’m in charge, darn it!” and place her submissively on her back with a scruff. Hold her firmly in that position high up on her body to keep control of her head. After a few minutes, give her a timeout in her cage.

• Sentence the ferret to short-term (no longer than 30 minute) jail time by placing her in a small carrier for biting. A fuzzy should always get a timeout immediately after biting.

Remember

Timeouts are important for many forms of ferret discipline but should be used with care. Some people believe that an immediate timeout after biting is a reward to a ferret that wants to be left alone anyway. So, if you can, try to physically hold the fuzzy for several minutes after the bite occurs before you put her away for a timeout (see the section “Getting a grip”). However, if you’re too angry to be rational or too busy cleaning up your wounds, you should put away the fuzzy immediately. If these timeouts don’t seem to work, try the “I’m gonna hold you anyway” method to see if this form of dominance works better. And get your tetanus shot updated!

• If your fuzzy currently has no playmate, try introducing a fuzzy friend so that she’ll have someone to rough and tumble with. She may be bored to frustration.
• Immediately substitute a toy for the human body part and allow the ferret to only bite that.
• Wrap the fuzzy securely in a towel and carry her around like a bundled baby. Talk to her and stroke the top of her head gently.

Tip

Don’t use your ferret’s cage as a timeout place. This can work one of two ways. It can make the ferret view her cage as a “bad place” where she doesn’t want to go at any time, or the timeout can be viewed as a reward because the cage is where the ferret wanted to go in the first place. I think it is better to have a special, very small timeout cage — a cat-sized carrier would work fine.

Remember

Aggression isn’t a training or conditioning tool. In my opinion, aggression only leads to aggression, whether you’re dealing with a human or a fuzzbutt. Chances are, what got you to this stage had something to do with a human who was being a jerk. So, throw away all the tough love and put on your compassionate hat. The biting ferret reacts positively only to a firm but consistently nonviolent approach. And don’t forget to always reward your ferret for acceptable behavior. Ferrets are extremely intelligent and learn according to how you teach them. Heed what Bob Church, ferret guru and enthusiast, says: “A gentle hand grows a gentle ferret.”

 by Kim Schilling