|
Post by Furetami on Jul 3, 2015 20:00:59 GMT -5
Hello everyone! So I've had my ferrets now for about... a month and a half. They're great and I love them a lot! However, I can't shake this feeling that they don't like me. They don't really enjoy being held, and don't enjoy being cuddled by us. My girl will lick us a lot, and my two boys back away when I try to pick them up and one has a little biting problem, but he's gotten much better. The one who bites is Oliver, and what he tends to do it lick where he's going to bite, then... CHOMP! How Oliver acts could be either him just being really hyper or scared of us. I honestly can't tell which because I'm new to owning ferrets. I know he does the war dance a lot, but I feel like he does it when he's scared as well? Blah. I know I'm explaining this terribly, but I hope it kind of makes sense? I just want them to like me, and I can't tell if they do. I know they're still kind of new, but they just don't seem to be really warming up to us.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2015 20:35:06 GMT -5
Sorry u did not know this about 99.5% of all ferrets. They r very hyper and live for about three reasons--- to investigate, to stash food, and to sleep. Don't feel bad. It has nothing to do with them not liking you. They r not lap creatures. Time to time they will want u to play with them. They will want you to chase them. If they can get away from you when u try to grab them, it will make their day. I grab mine and put them in a plastic bag and drag it. This really gets their goose.
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Jul 3, 2015 21:10:45 GMT -5
You're ferrets don't dislike you....they're just being ferrets Backing up in a hurry...that's a game of chase me if you can. The lick, lick chomp...is a ferret love bite. You're being tasted and found worthy Ferrets generally are not the snuggly, cute creatures. When they're older, sick they snuggle. Ferrets are live wires (as I'm listening to one fellow ripping through the tubes at the bottom of the stairs) Even Atreyu my 7 yr old sicky doesn't like to snuggle. He will lay beside me on the sofa but snuggle no way. The biting thing you can work on, decide just how much mouth play you're going to allow and then use a time out box or ignore when he misbehaves. If you want to snuggle, catch them when they're sleeping, some sleep deep enough you can hold them for a minute or two before they wake up and have to find a litter box You've only had them for a month....give them time. Read through various messages and escapades...you will see your little ones aren't any different than anyone elses' and they probably love you a lot ciao
|
|
|
Post by FireAngel on Jul 3, 2015 21:17:43 GMT -5
It's true, just like abbey and Heather said it's a rare ferret that likes to be held for more then a second! The only time they like to snuggle is when they're asleep and even then only with each other pretty much lol! I have one that will allow me to hold him for like minute but then he does the lick, lick chomp and I have to put him down. Both of my girls wiggles and squirms and just will not let me hold them and one of them nips my elbow or wherever she can get at when she wants to play, it's really a flying nip actually very funny. She runs at me, jumps up and nips until I get a blanket or towel she can chase as I drag it. I'm sure they like you, you just don't know how they show it yet hehe!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2015 21:45:20 GMT -5
Ferrets really do like doing their own thing I wont lie it took bringing in 2 seniors before I had a love bug. At the time we had 6 and they all wantedmy husbands attention just dug and bit me. Even though I fed and cleaned up after them. Pepper the first kit I bought still does her own thing I've had one leg cuddle in 3 years. They all show there love in different ways.
|
|
|
Post by Furetami on Jul 3, 2015 21:50:28 GMT -5
Ahh, thanks for the info! Like I said, first time ferret owner. Didn't really know what to expect! I'm glad to know they do like me~
|
|
|
Post by Desiree on Jul 3, 2015 21:55:34 GMT -5
Its the reason I own both hedgehogs and ferrets. Ferrets like people generally. They love to play and will seek out attention, even with a bite sometimes. My kits would often seek us out and curl up on our laps to sleep as they got older that behavior stopped. I don't mind. Both Tundra and Arbor greet me with kisses and Riot will come to me and roll over so I can rub his belly. They love in their own special ways. While hedgehogs don't generally like people they have no problem curling up on a lap and sleeping. (giggle)
|
|
|
Post by brightstar on Jul 3, 2015 23:53:02 GMT -5
When I brought my first ferret, Penny, home last month, for the first few days she didn't seem to know I existed whenever I let her out of her cage. She found everything so exciting! She wasn't used to humans playing with her, so she thought I was just the boring giant sat in the room. It took me several weeks to teach her otherwise. Now she has devised her own games and taught me how to play them!
I adopted three more ferrets a few weeks after I got Penny, and they all have very different personalities.
Penny cannot sit still for a moment - she squirms and wants to run, play, explore! Sometimes, early morning, late at night or after their playtime, she will let me pet her whilst she's sleeping in her bed. But as soon as she wakes up and realizes I'm there, she wants to play again.
Bianca lets me hold and pet her, but she gets fidgety after a little while. Bear is a deep sleeper - when he's asleep, I can pick him up and cuddle him for ages. Sometimes he will open his eyes and just lay in my arms for a few minutes until he has woken up properly.
Mel likes giving kisses. She's a deep sleeper like Bear, so it's possible to get a quick cuddle with her before she wakes up.
Bear, Bianca and Mel all like to be chased. They often nibble at my feet, scratch at my leg or even take leaping dives at me. It is all perfectly normal behavior.
Ferrets can be difficult to understand if you're a new owner. They're not like cats, dogs or even some other smaller pets (like rabbits). They are very energetic and independent, but that doesn't mean they don't like you. As you get to know and understand your ferrets better, you'll start to see the things they do that show they love you (like kisses, and trying to entice you to a game of chase).
|
|
|
Post by linsul on Jul 4, 2015 0:01:34 GMT -5
For us, snuggles only happen when we wear them out playing. When they're done and tapping out they'll fall asleep anywhere! You can do "pseudo-snuggles" with a hoodie or a pouched shirt of some sort maybe, we have 2 that like that a lot and one that thinks he can leap great distances that would likely injure him! Lick, lick, chomp is a game that never gets old. They're just goofballs at heart so as long as they want to play with us I assume ferret love lol
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2015 5:15:51 GMT -5
With time they will warm up to you :3 ferrets are... a bit special LOL
its not that they don't LIKE you, they don0t know you well enough. They will start showing apreciation soon ^^
My ferrets took some time to get used to me and be ok with me picking them up or cuddling. And even then I felt like they didn't want anything to do with me xDDD they are just like that. Ferrets are not like Dogs or Cats.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2015 16:17:31 GMT -5
Like everyone else said, I can get snuggles when I find them extremely tired from a lot of playtime. This is especially true with Liam. He does not like to be held really, unless we are going for walks. He wants to be held for a few minutes now and then. I'm not sure if its because he needs some security or if he wants to experience the surroundings from a different height, as I usually show him branches at this time. He's fallen asleep on me twice during two especially active park trips. But it took months for this to happen. He's licked my arm maybe 3 times in the last few months and I'm going on a year having him. Where as Loki, that I've had for over a year since he was an oversized kit, licks my face frequently.
|
|
|
Post by lyles on Jul 4, 2015 19:20:33 GMT -5
I've had ferrets of all different natures.
My first one, Ayaka, was a fear biter when I bought her. Sometimes she would bite down to the bone (OUCH!). That really wasn't a very good start for a beginning ferret husband. I gave her up after a month of trying all the wrong ways to correct it to no avail. my hands looked like they got smashed between two cars lol.
After that I've had one that was very hyper and loved to rough play all the time, then one that didn't like playing and just wanted to snoop around and take things, another that was a little sweetheart that wanted to be held all the time and just lay in my lap while I watch TV and then there was Crystal who was also a snuggle bunny. My latest, Nei, is still a baby (2 mo.) so I haven't really seen her nature yet, right now she is just a typical kit who wants to play all the time and keep me up all day and night lol.
No idea if there is a coincidence or not, but thinking about it now, the disposition of each ferret was better and better as I became more experienced in keeping/handling them.
|
|
|
Post by FerretsnFalcons on Jul 4, 2015 21:17:08 GMT -5
When I first got the ferrets, I was convinced that Katie hated me. She always nipped pretty hard, and she seemed to come up to me just to nip. It took a couple months before she began to trust me, and her nipping decreased. Some ferrets are just more sensitive to being in a new environment (especially those females, man they can be feisty!) But I'm sure in time they will come to love and trust you unconditionally, even if they are never snugglers. I think all ferrets show their love in different ways.
|
|
|
Post by unclejoe on Jul 5, 2015 9:48:14 GMT -5
I think all of my ferts have reached the point where they will tolerate being held for at least a few minutes. The youngest 3 of them will turn 3 this month. And they don't mind being cradled in one arm and caried around while I do one-handed tasks. Or put them over the shoulder while walking around. They're definitely not lap critters. Of 25, only 1 has ever slept in our laps more than once. So you have to figure out their style and their timing. You can't expect them to want to be held while dancing around and playing, even if that's when they are the cutest. Eventually you'll probably se that they will come to you wanting to be picked up. And it's really special when they start coming to their name.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2015 10:53:34 GMT -5
My experience has been that each ferret is different. But they all take their time deciding to give their love and friendship. A month is not very long. The more time that you spend with each of them, the more you build a bond. My boys, Ponce (who is gone now) and Roamy and Wynstan are snugglers. They will sit with me on my lap and snuggle. That took quite a few months though. My girls are different. Mika was a baby when she came to me and she happily snuggles and licks my arms, like she is nursing. Juliet is far too busy and she runs up and gives me frantic little kisses but no snuggles. Keller is playful but doesn't snuggle. She gives me kisses though. I've had them now for at least a year for Keller and two years for the others. It just takes time and building a bond.
|
|