I wont even bother to attempt it without tone, plus the ferrets know now so when they get turned on their backs they start licking their lips lol

__________________
Tiggy, 13 yr old Collie x Alsation, Lucy 11 yr old epileptic cross breed, Kara, collie x whippet

Do you ever take your ferrit out for a walk on a body harness & do you feed him raw meat i have 2 ferrets i hold every day they play with my cats & i only feed them cooked meat as the tast of blood could turn them

It's a myth that feeding them raw will make them vicious/bite. Young ferrets (or even ferrets not handled a lot) are more likely to bite because they haven't learned otherwise. You can train them not to bite.
Feeding cooked meat is ok, feeding raw meat is PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE, even encouraged, as raw bones can help clean teeth amongst other things. Never feed cooked bones (same with dog and cat) as cooked bones can splinter and cause internal problems.

Just sounds like you have a playful kit on your hands there. This is why I often suggest older ferrets to someone looking to buy their first ferret. At that young age they are at a playful and nippy. Kittens and puppies are just the same. They have to be taught right from wrong. You must take the place of their mother and show them what is exceptable for you. It just takes time and patience to get them out of the habit. Just happens that ferrets can bite a lot harder. Watching my two play with each other I feel very fragile in comparison.

The leaping you described sounds like a playful ferret doing his war-dance. Not meaning he is a war with you, but he's happy! My boy Laurel is a nutter (he is like Peter Pan, he never grew up!) constantly wanting to play and war-dancing around bouncing off things leaping on his brother and me. He used to bite quite hard as a kit, but I would scruff say a firm "NO!" (not shouting though) and as has already been suggested drag him along the carpet for a second or two. His brother has mellowed with age (they are 18 months old now) Laurel is still as playful and bouncy, pouncy as he ever was! However, I set the groundrules at play time. When I am playing with them, I usually use a dangly toy, or their favourite waving a piece of tissue paper around they love the sound! If I play with my hands, Paws are the only arsenal of their's that is allowed. Biting is NOT exceptable. It won't work if you say it is ok in one circumstance but not another. Especially, with a young kit. Laurel learned quickly that he can open his mouth and even pull my fingers into it, but he won't close his mouth and make a "bite".

Nowdays, when they are biting each other in play, if they decide to include me they treat me like I'm so fragile! It amuses me. The only issue I have is with Hardy. He can't resist toes or eyebrows and will take a hold. He is worse with other people than he is with me (might be more of a combination that I am expecting it more and he will get scruffed and dragged, where as with other people he tends to get away with it. By the time I find out he has scarpered!) usually he bites softly at first and then increases the pressure if he doesn't get a reaction. You have to catch him quick and reprimand immediately afterwards. There is no point in my running after him after he has grabbed someone's toes and then run away and scruff and drag him because he won't associate it with the toe-biting, for example.

As for the comment feeding raw will make them vicious that is complete stuff and nonsense! An old wife's tale, nothing more. Ferret's teeth are designed to slice and tear at raw flesh rather than crunch up biscuits. Mine get their ferret complete mix ad lib but also have various raw food sources as well. Rabbit, chicks, mice, as whole and pieces of chicken including bones (but only when raw. Cooked bones can splinter and cause serious problems), beef mince (a favourite), raw egg, pretty much everything except pork. Only because that is fatty meat. They much prefer the raw food to the ferret biscuits! The tendons and bones are also great for flossing ferret teeth and keeping them in tip-top condition.

As for Ferretone that stuff is a god send! I couldn't be without it! A squirt on the belly and nail-clipping is a breeze! I look back and have no idea how I managed to clip nails without the stuff! It's definitely up there in my ferret-owning arsenal! Also great for getting them to do the things up want! There re-call is pretty good and very handy when they are playing hide and seek with me! I know they will come when they are called for some ferretone!

Basically, it is just going to take time and patience on your part. It might be a good idea to get him a ferret friend around the same age (even from the same litter if possible) so that he has someone he can rough and tumble with! It will make him a lot calmer when being handled by yourself as he will have been keeping himself amused with a friend when you weren't there and won't rely solely upon you for interaction. Of course, I would advise getting another hob to avoid pregnancy, and you will have to get them both neutered to avoid fighting when they reach sexual maturity. My pair started to get rough with each other at about a year old coming into the "breeding season". Once they were neutered however calmness (ok not the right choice of word when speaking of ferrets! But, they were friends again) was restored.

I have just recently got a kit and he is also my first ferret

I havent had too much trouble with him nipping, at first he was pretty bad but he seems to have settled well after taking the advice of the chap i got him from. He told me one of the best ways to train them was to scruff them, tell them no and then gently squeeze the cheeks into there mouths (if you can imagine squeezing your own cheeks while your mouth is open to make you look like a fish lol best way i could think to describe)

It worked a treat and after a week or two of persisting and not letting him get away with biting it worked!

Hope this helps, Hannah!

Hi,
How old is your kit? He may be reaching maturity!! Basic rules of kits is consintency at all times. Agree a method and stick to it, make sure everyone who handles him knows the 'bite' routine. Our routine works for us:
1. Time out box, not the carrier you use to take him out in to vets etc as he will associate that with being naughty and you will create another problem. My husband made a 'ferret jail' small wooden box with a grille on the front.

2. What is a bite? Establish what is acceptable for you. e.g. 'mouthing'. We do not accept mouthing as our ferrets are PR ferrets and are handled by the general public. However the choice is yours.

3. Scruff and say 'NO', if they hiss then hiss back and immediately put in time out box.

4. Length of time in box. We usually have around 1 minute or so. Too long and they forget why they are there. When bringing them out of the box, if they attempt to bite then back they go.

5. We have 7 ferrrets in our resident group and by offering 'the free' ferrets a treat whilst having a 'prisoner' and giving lots of attention definately helps.

As others have said ferreTone is fab, you can buy online at Companions Choice. Be wary of accidental bites from having ferreTone on your hands. Good luck. Word of caution!!!! Ferret Maths is addictable with no known cure

Keep him from being hungry...Think of him as a hulking moody kid, if they are full they are less likely to bit. A time out box after the scruff and drag works wonders (not a pet carrier as they will feel they are being punished if they have to being taken out somewhere like the vet) only give time out for a couple of minutes or he will just go to sleep.

Search for a local ferret rescue near you, they will give you all kinds of support and advice. A kit is a no no for first time owners, we run a rescue and get so many kits in due to people becoming scared of them cos' of the biting. An adult ferret from a rescue is the way to go.

Wish you loads of luck and try to persevere through the pain (ouch!!)

Been having the same problem with one of my young jills, I got 2 sisters 3 mths ago and 1 is an absolute dream but the other althogh treated exactly the same shows no signs of stopping nipping.

Will try some of the advice in this thread so thank you!

__________________
http://www.myferret.co.uk
For ferret lovers everywhere......

http://widnestown.co.uk
Promoting Widnes!

I completely agree with consistency, with any pet ive had a firm No has always worked wonders and so has a sharp clap or 2.

__________________

Again I completely agree with consistency.

Your Kit sounds like my 2 brothers when I got them back in November and I found them a complete handful and that was after only having adults.

Newbies to ferrets are better off going to a rescue and getting a pair of adults IMO

1st you should have 2 this little guy needs to play and have fun, my boys love to wrestle each other and this little guy is missing out on the fun.

Never flick noses

I am not a fan of scruffing, one of the brothers Loki would bite hard and jump at you. We spent ages just simply saying a big NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO at him and put him on the floor. We did it 50 times plus during a play session and after time he stopped. He is still a little so and so every now and then but we keep it up!

__________________