From:
"Dan Muldoon"
Date: 2003-05-01 20:40:19 UTC
Subject: Re: Ferret Muzzles?
To: "Ferret Health List" <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <007101c31021$e16b0bc0$269a8693@URD0020647421>
> I have a female ferret a little over a year and since she was 7 weeks has
> been quite the biter. When she was about 6 months old she drew blood
> and now draws blood every time she bites.
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I'm not sure I'd go the muzzle route because she's may well take the
opportunity to bite on those moments when she's "un-muzzled."
My year-old MF sable boy Felix was a pretty hard biter. He would clamp down
hard and refuse to let go. Even the old nose-pinch trick didn't work. I bought
him as a kit from a well-known pet store and I'm certain he was never abused.
The biting got worse as he grew older and stronger; I couldn't even reach into
his cage to get him out.
I should point out that he was an equal opportunist. My S.O. was fair game,
too. I should also point out that he plays well with most of the other
ferrets.
As a last resort, I took to putting bitter apple (the kind from a tube that
has the consistency of petroleum jelly) on the end of cotton swabs. These were
kept handy (in old baby-food jars) around the apartment. When Felix would
chomp down on me, I'd stick the bitter end of the swab in his mouth, between
his molars. He backed off instantly. During his learning curve, he would take
to biting hard enough to break skin, and let go before I could "swab" his
tongue. So I learned to have one in hand before picking him up.
If you use this training method, everyone who handles your little fuzzy needs
to do the same so she never thinks that certain people are "OK to bite!" Once,
when my S.O. was holding him, Felix was trying to find a place to bite her arm
and I was "chasing" him back and forth with the bitter-appled Q-tip. It was
obvious he knew what the bite would "earn" him.
It now is safe to hold the little fellow. Felix still (occasionally) nips legs
and forearms (after give me a few "warning" licks) but rarely breaks skin
anymore. Sometimes it seems he needs a "refresher course."
>From time to time I treat my legs with the spray-on bitter apple when I can't
pay attention to Felix--e.g., when I'm washing dishes That discourages him
effectively. Unfortunately, it also deters my non-biting ferrets who sometimes
lick or "nose" my legs to get attention.
A caveat: Some ferrets don't mind the taste of bitter apple. Nonetheless, if
you haven't tried it, it's worth a shot. Hope this helps!
Dan and his crew