From:
Troy Lynn Eckart
Date: 2002-06-27 13:05:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Very nippy boy
Is he a blaze or have a white face? Deafness is found sometimes in these.
Is he eating well?
Sounds like he might be deaf and of course he's not had his social skills
learned since he was in a pet store alone for so many weeks. The
launching is typical of ferrets his age and since he's not had any gentle
bite training he doesn't know that it hurts when he bites you. What he
is actually doing is trying to initiate play. The response of the bitee
would seem to him like what he is doing - jump squeal run - sounds like
ferret play to me. If he's deaf he won't hear the squeal so then it
really sounds like play action.
He really doesn't realize his jaw strength and his only intent is to make
up for all those weeks alone and not able to let out the enormous amount
of stored energy. He must have been so frustrated.
Gentle training. Whenever you pick him up, have the ferretone/linatone
handy to give him a treat. Try not to hold him for more than a few
seconds or couple minutes at the most. Sometimes these types are easier
to handle on a full stomach so it's sometimes helpful feeding recipe
before handling.
My favorite bite training technique is to gently hold their little jaws
when they bite. You can place your fingers on either side of the mouth
and gently hold while you have them scruffed. When you get a little
braver you can put your finger across the inside of his mouth and thumb
under the bottom jaw and gently hold. Be sure to tell him NOOOOO bite
making sure that he sees your words formed by your mouth (in case he is
deaf). If your finger is too far back you'll get bit and it hurts too so
be careful and very gentle. Your intent is not to cause pain but to
deliver a message that biting is not a good thing to do.
Ferrets have very tough skin and we don't but they don't know that so when
they play as roughly with us as they do with each other, we sometimes get
hurt. I have a 6 yr old that gets in the play mood and leaves red welts
on my hands when he gets excited. It's just ferret play. His feelings
get hurt if I get stern with him so I don't reprimand him. Hey, at 6 I'm
happy that he plays so vigorously now and again.
Your little one is not a bad boy, just a baby with built up frustration
and no social training, who might be deaf.
Hugs. tle
Troy Lynn Eckart, F.B.S.
Ferret Family Services
http://www.ferretfamilyservices.org
http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~sprite/ffs.html
http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Haven/5481/