Message Number: YG532 | New FHL Archives Search
From: MC
Date: 2001-03-02 09:55:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] Re: Scooting backwards with stuff

Brett..

I have seen my crew 'grooming' each other with this action....if I pick one of mine up and they are being exceptionally 'affectionate' at the moment, they too will 'groom' me...nibble, if you may.

Other thoughts?

MC

Brett Middleton wrote:

> <<< SNIP >>>

> Since our revered moderator seems to consider ferret ethology as being
> on-topic for the group, I have a behavioral question of my own: how
> many of you have ferrets that engage in "frenetic nibbling"? I found
> this term in one of Fara Shimbo's FURO books, and it sounds like an
> appropriate description of something Pogey often did, though Ms. Shimbo
> didn't say what *she* meant by the term. Pogey would press her muzzle
> against my arm (or other exposed skin) and rapidly click her teeth
> together, just grazing the skin. Normally this was perfectly harmless,
> though sometimes she would pick a spot where the skin is a little
> looser, and accidentally catch a fold in a painful little nip.
>
> Do any of your ferrets do this to you? Do any of them do it to other
> ferrets?