The Ferret Store Official Blog - Ferret News & Info

Hi, i've just rescued a lovely ferret cob from a pet shop at an old closed down zoo. The problem is he's never been handled properly. The ferret (Who i've named Chip) was fine the first day i got him & i was able to handle him etc. The next day he gave me a severe bit on the hand & i used the scruff method but it doesn't seem to be working. Chip craves attention from me and will run up to me, but as soon as he finds bare flesh he will bite, & he's so quick i don't have a chance to react?

hi tony! How old is chip? As mentioned it is normal for kits to "play-bite" however if he is an adult you need to teach him very quickly that this behaviour is totaly unacceptable.An adult ferret can inflict a very serious bite, right down to the bone, i have seen small ferrets teeth meet in the middle of large mens fingers! He could be biting because he is scared and if this is the case you need to be patient and show him you are not there to hurt him, if its your attention he wants, then use the scruff method EVERY time he bites and put him in a small carrier or his cage for some time out, he will quickly learn that when he bites you he gets no attention. If all else fails take him to see a vet as there could be an underlying problem. Please remember in all cases it takes a hell of a lot of time and patience. Hope this helps, let me know how is goes, Angie.

Hello,

my name is Danielle.
Im 11 years old and my ferret is three years old.
her name is fritzi.
she is biting everyone that holds her!
or she'll bite your toes!
she made me even bleed.
i JUST got her today.
i dont know if its because she's new,or what!

help please.

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Hi Danielle,

She sounds like a completely normal baby ferret! All baby ferrets nip and bite - it's how they interact with each other, so they don't know that it's not alright to interact with us like that. You can find lots of helpful bite training information at the following link:

Training Your Ferret Not To Bite

Hi, I have just rescued an pure albino male ferret that we were told is 11 weeks old and is called Gir but he is very large (Larger then ferrets we have seen who are years old.) for his age. We play with him every day, we take him out of his cage, stroke him and feed him from our hands but he likes to explore and trys to get away from us and when stopping him he bites us. He has drawn blood several times now. We even take him for walks every other day. We use the "No!" and gab him by the scruff of the neck but he soon bites again. We have been told that maybe a friend for him to play with may help, is this the case?
Any advice would be great,

Thanks

Thom

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Editor's Note: Hi Thom,

I don't know that I would recommend getting another ferret until Gir is trained. Ferrets have a tendancy to teach each other their bad habits! Just be patient and continue to use the methods outlined in the blog post, and I think you'll see a turnaround in his behavior fairly soon! Young ferrets are very nippy before they are taught how to properly interact with humans.

Good luck!

Hi my name is James and i have a 5 month year old ferret i got him from the pet store a few weeks ago vewry quickly i trained him he's very smart the onlyu problem is lately since training he doesn't like to play with me i've never caused him any harm give him treats but when i hold him he tries to escape and when we just play he runs away is this normal of is there ways to change this so i can just play and have fun with him>?

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Editor's Note:

Hi James! He may want to play a different game than the one you're playing is all. Ferrets don't like to be held when they're in a playful mood, and if he thinks you're going to try and hold him, that may be why he's avoiding you. Try playing different games with him and waiting for him to come to you for interaction. Here's a link to an article about ferret enrichment that may give you some ideas about activities as well:

Ferret Enrichment

Also, here's a link to an article about ferret toys. This article talks about ferret's instinctual behaviors and why they like certain toys, so it could also help you come up with fun games to play with him:

Toys, Toys, Toys!

Good luck!

I just got an adult 1.5 year old male ferret today from the pet store. When I first got him everything was perfectly fine, we playing, biting wasn't hard at all. After about 3 hours he bit me really hard, and left a very nasty gash all the way along my hand (as I had to pull it away since he wouldn't let go). I firmly said "No!" After this he bit my husband a few times, and in turn he grabbed him by the scruff like it says and said "No!" putting him down again. This only made the ferret angry and it attacked my husband biting him very severly on the hand. I put him back in the cage for a calm down, then let him back out to play about 5/10 min later. After this he kept biting any skin he could find, bringing blood everytime. I'm not sure what to do, I have the sour stuff to spray on hands but it's not helping at all. I tried to take it back to the pet store but they won't take him back and as I'm living in Japan there is no shelter I can take him to...He's a cute ferret but I'm at a loss, and frankly I'm getting scared of him.

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Editor's Note: Chances are if you've gotten a 1 1/2 year old ferret from the pet store, he has had previous owners. There could be abandonment or neglect issues at work here. I would recommend avoiding scruffing him and working instead with positive reinforcement. When he does bite you, ignore him or distract him with a toy. Try putting FerreTone or another liquid treat on your hands so he licks it off instead of biting you.

Make sure you don't raise your voice or physically intimidate him in any way. For some reason, he feels threatened and upset in his new home (even if you aren't doing anything, this is still possible if he has had past problems with humans), so you need to go out of your way to let him know that he can trust you.

Hello! I think that your methohds seem quite good, but Im having problems with my own 10-11 week old albino ferret. She seems to bite me (quite hard) when I try to pet her or play with her. Im really not sure about how to make her understand that when I give her Timeout she should stop biting, she seems to get more agressive when I do put her on timeout. Also Its very hard to put the leash on her so I can take her out for walks. Also I try to use the scruff method (by holding her neck etc) butits quite hard since she seems to be very quick and bite me even more. Do you think she just needs more training (I bought her yesterday from the pet shop)?

By the way is it easier to train a baby ferret or is it all the same?

Thanks.

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Editor's Note:

If you've only had her for a day, it's definitely too soon to see results yet! Just keep using the methods, and make sure to correct or praise the behavior every time. Persistance is key in successfully ending biting behavior.

You also want to make sure that you never correct her in an angry way. Always be calm and patient, or you can undo any of the progress you've made. I know personally that it can be difficult not to get angry when a ferret has just bitten you multiple times, but in those situations, just leave the room and give yourself some time to cool off.

Training can take longer with older ferrets, but it really depends on the individual ferret. Ferrets who have been abused or who are biting out of fear will take longer to rehabilitate.

Regarding the walks, you're not going to be able to walk her yet. First you have to get her used to the harness inside the house slowly. Put it on her for 5 minutes at a time and give her a treat. Once she is used to the harness, attach the lead to it, but don't hold onto it. Watch her drag it around to make sure she doesn't get tangled. Only once she's used to both the harness and lead should you pick it up.

Hi

I just adopted 3 ferrets, 2 seven month old females and 1 nine month old male. The male and one female are very nice and never bite. The other silver mitt female bites but not hard. She doesn't put a lot of pressure at all but you know she's biting even though it doesn't really hurt. She seems to do this any time you hold her. It's like she doesn't want to be held. She just wants to run and play and her way of getting you to let her go is biting. Is this something I need to be concerned about? I certainly don't want her to start biting harder. I have had them a little over a week.

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Editor's Note:

It's only natural for her to act this way during the initial adjustment period. She could be scared, she could be trying to show her dominance, or she could just be trying to see what she can get away with. Be consistent in disciplining negative behavior and rewarding good behavior, and you should be ok. The fact that she's biting but not trying to hurt you is a good sign, and she should be able to be rehabilitated.

One thing to keep in mind - some ferrets just don't like being held that much, so don't force her. Wait until it's a good time for her, such as when she first wakes up or after she's been playing for a while and has tired herself out. But if she bites when you're holding her, don't put her down right away. Hold her in a way that does not give her access to bite you, and wait until she stops fighting to put her down, otherwise you will teach her that biting is a way to get down.

hi i have recently had a little girly ferret called Tinkerbel shes 16 months old and i bought her off a breeder she was lovely at first she comes to me and crawls over me but as soon as my husband goes near her she try's nipping him, last night she had my father really bad and she wouldn't let him go, my dad just stayed there with her on his finger, it wasn't till i phoned the previous owner about it and he told me that she was a working ferret, shes lovley and i don't want to take her back, but i'm getting very weary of her just incase she goes for me, i've left her in her cage, just going upto her talking and giving her food for her to get used to me, is there any info or advise you could give me please,
thanks hayley

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Editor's Note:

Hi Hayley,
You can train her not to bite, but because she is a working ferret, it's going to take more time. Working ferrets aren't really bred with socialization in mind.

You're going to have to handle her a lot and be willing to get bitten. I would recommend interacting with her closely for at least two hours a day. This should not all be in one chunk of time, but it's going to take significant amounts of time to socialize her. Follow the steps outlined in the post above. I would also recommend putting a treat like FerreTone or olive oil on your hands or the hands of people she bites. Make sure that when she bites other people, they discipline her, not you. She needs to understand that they are also in control, not just you.

One thing you absolutely cannot do is leave her in her cage. That is just going to create frustration, boredom, and depression. It will set back her socialization. She needs at least four hours out of her cage each day, at least two hours of which should be spent interacting with humans. Again, this doesn't all need to be in one session. Several sessions throughout the day are preferable.

Good luck!

we just got a 8wk old ferret and at first she was not biting hard. she mostly bites when she doesnt want to be held and just wants to run around we're not sure what shes trying to tell us should we just let her run? and when its time for her to go back in her cage she bites at the bars my boyfriend likes to watch her when shes inthe cage is that incouraging her to bite the cage and what should we do about that?

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Editor's Note:

While it's important to be consistent in your training (always discipline her when she bites), it's also important to consider her mood before trying to handle her. A young kit that is in play mode is not going to want to be held. Limit your attempts to try handling her for longer periods to times of the day when she is sleepy or has already played for a while.

If she does bite you when you're holding her, discipline her, and hold her until she stops struggling. Only put her down once she has submitted to you. If you always put her down when she bites you, she will learn that biting equals a way down, and she'll use it to train you to release her.

As for watching her while she bites on the bars, yes, this is probably encouraging her biting behavior, and it's actually rather like a tease. She is biting on the bars because she wants to come out and play, and as long as your boyfriend is standing there, she's going to think there's a possibility that she's going to be let out soon.

The two main things that cause cage biting are boredom and frustration. Make sure that she gets at least four hours out of her cage every day, at least two of which should be spent interacting with you. Put lots of toys, bedding, and other things for her to play with and explore in her cage. The cage should be large enough to provide her with space to play as well.

hi i recently found a ferret out roaming the street it seemed young and tamed because it ran straight up to me and i decided to keep it i think its a boy ive only had it for about five hours and its already done a complete 180 on behaviour its constantly biting me evry time i hold him and when i put him down he runs up and bites me ive seen this ferret advertised down at my local petshop for sale as nip trained but it just seems angry it might just be scared but it was fine when i found it it wasnt nipping or anything my dog was going at it but so maybe thats why its biting but i really want to keep it and im going to try your biting tips but i had no intention of having a ferret before so i have no toys for it to play with or anything like that its cureently sleeping in my old rabbit cage in a warm basket its outside but i have no way of having it inside because of its temperment and biting any tips its bites are getting harder and if it keeps up ill have to track down its owner but it might have been set free since it was on sale and i dont wanna leave a trained ferret out in an area where theres no other ferrets and im only young so i dnt have money to actually buy all the things to keep a ferret happy like toys and an indoor cage so yeah any tips

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Editor's Note:

It definitely sounds like this ferret is a little overwhelming for you! First, you can't keep it outside, especially at this time of year. In many areas of the country, temperatures are just too cold. If you aren't sure that you can care for the ferret and you think the original owner no longer wants the ferret, then your best bet is to see if there is a ferret shelter near you that you could take the ferret to. You can find a listing here:

Ferret Shelter Directory

He's probably not biting you to actually hurt you. My guess is that he's biting because he's scared about how much his life has changed and he doesn't trust you yet. Having a dog going at him probably isn't helping much either, so I would suggest keeping your dog away from the ferret.

To tell if he is a boy, flip him over. If he has what appears to be a bellybutton, he's a boy, and that's actually his penis. If the belly is smooth, it's a girl.

My ferret (feeby)has been fine so far i`ve had him for about 4 months and shes just had a jill jab about 2 weeks ago before she had this she would bite your loose skin shes very tame and calm but when holding with bite arms loose skin since the jab shes doing more often biting 60 year old loose skin my grandma she goes up her pants and bites the loose skin on there legs.what should i do i shout no and but her in a travel case while socks my other ferret plays but shes not a fast learner.

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Editor's Note:

First, if you're not going to breed her (which is very difficult to do properly and not recommended), I highly recommend you get her spayed. There is no point in keeping her intact past the point where she reaches sexual maturity.

Second, she needs training and interaction. Shouting at her is just going to scare her, and putting her in a travel carrier (for longer than a couple minutes) while the other ferret plays is isolating her and setting back her socialization. I would recommend trying some of the methods outlined above. If they don't work, you will have to come up with some alternative methods, such as holding her immobile or puffing air gently in her face when she bites. The same methods aren't necessarily going to work on every ferret, so you need to tailor your approach to her individual needs and behavior.

As for her biting your grandmother, I recommend that you keep her away from your grandmother until you have completed some more bite training.

I recently purchased a baby ferret from a pet store and she seemed to be very friendly, until I took out the treats. Her body starts to shake when she smells food or even hears the crackle of a bag and she'll latch on to your hand or the bag and will not let go. She broke my skin a few times and when I try to grab her scruff, She won't let go of the bag, and I had to bribe her with a treat so she would let go of my hand! The bag ripped finally and I had a huge mess to clean. She's also agressive towards my other two friendly ferrets and she bites them and takes their treats.Will she always be agressive around food or can she be taught patience?

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Editor's Note:
It's not that she lacks patience. It sounds to me like you're dealing with a ferret that had issues getting enough food at the pet store. She may not have been fed enough, or she may have competed with other ferrets - and lost - to get to the food. It is something that she should be able to work through if you are patient with her.

First, you never want to bribe her with a treat to get her to let go. That only teaches her that biting you will get her a treat. When she bites you and won't let go, you can try forcing your finger further back into her mouth a little, but don't push it down her throat obviously. You could also purchase a bite deterrent spray and spray a little on a cotton swab when you're about to open treats or food. If she latches on to your hand, stick the swab inside the corner of her mouth. Of course, the best way to avoid this situation entirely is to open treats up on a table or high surface that she can't get to, and take out how many treats you need before going down to her level on the floor.

You don't say how long you have had her, so there could be trust issues involved in addition to her food aggression. It could be that as she becomes more comfortable in her new environment and realizes that she isn't going to starve, the behavior will disappear on its own. However, there are a couple things you can try to help her.

• Put FerreTone (or another liquid treat) on your hand and let her lick it off. While she licks it off, stroke her and talk to her softly and soothingly. If you are afraid that she will bite you, you can put the FerreTone on a plastic dish or plate. Do this daily.
• House her separately from your other two ferrets until she is more comfortable in your house.
• Offer her treats from the palm of your hand while you are holding her.
• Spend more time with her and allow her time out of the cage by herself without the other ferrets. This will help her to get used to her new home (without the stress of other ferrets near her) as well as foster trust between you two.
• Never reach in to take her food bowl, even to fill it or clean it, when she is in the cage.

Good luck!

I bought a baby female ferret (~ 7 weeks old) 2 days ago and I tried to interact with her in and out of the cage. I've been bitten a couple of times, especially when I prevented her from going in unreachable and dark places. Her reaction is just too quick for me to properly grab her scruff, and to protect my hand, I have been using a large cloth over her to grab her. Although she still turns around to bite, I am protected by the cloth and to me, that means no painful bites and not dropping her off. Is it an acceptable approach? Also, to get her used to my fingers around her, I gently scratch her head and sometimes put one finger in front of her mouth. She will start off by smelling it, then nibbling a little bit and then snap! How can I get her used to my hand/fingers so that she doesn't feel threatened whenever I reach for her?

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Editor's Note:

Since you just brought her home 2 days ago, it's going to take some time for her to trust you, and part of that is going to be teaching that your hands aren't going to hurt her. Start by not handling her at all until she is more comfortable with her new home. Put her cage on the floor, and allow her to go in and out of it herself - never reach into the cage, and never put her back in it. Give her time to explore her play area, and sit on the floor while she's out. If she comes near you while she's out, hold your hand out with a treat in it. If she takes the treat, talk to her softly and praise her while she eats it. If she bites you, say "No" loudly and firmly. You can also use the above methods when she bites you, but limit contact for the first few days.

You can also try smearing something like FerreTone or olive oil on your fingers before putting them in front of her mouth. If she goes to bite you, she will realize that you taste good and lick you instead. If she licks instead of bites, praise her and take the opportunity to pet her gently. If she moves away, stop petting her, but continue to let her lick the treat off your hand.

I probably wouldn't recommend the large cloth approach for two reasons. First, putting any kind of material between your skin and her fur is going to increase the amount of time it takes for her to get used to you and to being handled. Second, depending on how large the cloth is, it might frighten her to suddenly be covered by a big piece of fabric and lifted into the air.

Good luck, and remember, patience is the key! Teaching her to trust you is going to take some time.

Hi im 14, we got a ferret like 3 months ago and i play with it 2-3 hours a day. Bronco (my ferret) use to bite so i tried your methods. i still do them today but when i put him in time out when he comes out he seemes to be mad at me and i think he wants to bite me. what should i do stop putting him in time out. thanks. Levi

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Editor's Note:

How long are you leaving him in time out? If it's longer than 5 minutes, he probably doesn't remember what he was in there for when he comes out, so it's not really going to help with the biting. He may just not respond well to timeouts too. That's why there are so many different bite training methods - use the ones that work best for you and Bronco.

Also, are you sure he's mad and not just trying to play? If he's jumping around in front of you, bouncing from side to side with his mouth open, that's an invitation to play, not a sign of aggression. If he was agitated, his tail would be bottlebrushed (all the hair sticking straight out), he would probably be hissing, and he would attempt to strike at you or run away immediately.