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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2011 0:04:43 GMT -5
This started as a reply to another post but then thought about it and didn't like that it felt like I was hijacking someone elses thread!
ok so it seems then that Sophie Ann is just possesed by satan's demon child or something! It's been 8 months since she came here with Velma...Velma has settled down and will bite still but only when she is over stimulated...she's not one to cuddle but now enjoys a good scratch once in awhile. Velma prefers doing her own thing instead of human interaction, fine by me! She eats and is a happy 2 lbs 10 oz from the 12 oz she was when I brought her home! Progress, it's a good thing!
Sophie Ann seems to make biting and charging at us a sport! Put her in time out and like Lucrezia and Fun-Go she comes out biting...out for blood, ignore her, gently slide her away with a well protected foot and walk away and she stalks you until she can reach a part of you that is unprotected, at feeding times (I feed in the cage) she will launch herself out of the cage at you as soon as the door opens! If you try to pick her up she does this exorcist thing with her head so she can grab onto your fingers or latch onto your wrist, even if you try to scruff her she does a death roll like a Gator so she can find flesh! trying to trim her nails is a nightmare! If timeouts aren't working and ignoring her isn't working....what else can I do?? I'll never rehome her, she's with me for life, if she wasn't here with me she'd definitely be bounced around from home to home until she was put to sleep or came to a tragic end... She's relentless and will occasionally leave me alone when they are having their play time out of the cage or while I'm cleaning their cage... as I said before it's almost like it's a fun sport to her!
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Post by Sherry on Jan 31, 2011 9:45:38 GMT -5
This is such a good thread, I've transposed the thing in it's entirety  Re: Timeouts, tantrums, possesed by satan ferret! « Reply #1 Yesterday at 10:34pm » I wish I had some advice for this one, but I honestly don't know. The only thing I can think of, which I know you are already doing is just keep pushing her away. Hopefully over time, she'll come to realize you will NOT hurt her. If I remember correctly, it's taken Heather well over a year of having to do that with Fun go before he quit attacking. Sooner or later, it will "click" with her. It's simply a matter of outwaiting her. rarnold18 HF Forum Senior Member ******** Re: Timeouts, tantrums, possesed by satan ferret! « Reply #2 Yesterday at 10:47pm » I love her "spunky-ness" but having to have two people on hand to feed the fuzz gets tiresome...one to distract Sophie Ann and the other to put the food in and fill the water bowls. Trimming nails..well that's anther story! Bi weekly weight-in's are a battle even with the rim of the bowl smeared with ferret crack. It's just tiresome. I admire her persistance but really thought that she would of come around by now! sherrylynne Administrator ***** Re: Timeouts, tantrums, possesed by satan ferret! « Reply #3 Yesterday at 10:54pm » I well imagine it would be. And not reacting when a ferret is biting that hard is so difficult, because it HURTS! Unfortunately, she's also learned it works to make you jump. Heather should hopefully be on soon, and she *should* have some more advice for you. We were lucky in that Willow started showing signs of coming around in not too long a time. The only thing that worked for her was to basically have the bottle of 'tone in hand all the time. Every time she came near us, she got some. It was the only way to distract her from trying to tear chunks out. But her's was major fear biting. I'm pretty sure Sophie Ann's is as well. Why she's not learned at all yet that she won't be hurt anymore, I don't know. Other than to say it takes some longer than others. Wish I had more  rarnold18 HF Forum Senior Member ******** Re: Timeouts, tantrums, possesed by satan ferret! « Reply #4 Yesterday at 11:02pm » I've gone through more bottles of tone in the last 8 months than I had the previous 8 before her and Velma! We started out, every time we reached into the cage they'd get a dab, then it was a couple little pets and a dab, then it was pick up and pet a couple times and put down and get a dab we moved very slowly with Sophie Ann and Velma because we do suspect that they were victims of abuse, we know for sure that they were neglected by their body condition. Thankgoodness for tone though or we wouldn't have any bit of progress with those two! I swear I have tone everywhere! The family room has two, one at each end, 1 at my desk, 1 in the bedroom, and I think there is one in the dining room! Sometimes tone doesn't even work and she'll chomp right down on your finger when you offer it to her! Heather Administrator ***** Re: Timeouts, tantrums, possesed by satan ferret! « Reply #5 Today at 1:16am » Hello, was someone calling my name  A Fun-Go B Squiggly...my daemon child  Sherrylynne's right...well half right...it took me almost 2 yrs before I could comfortably handle Squiggly, maybe by 18 months When I got Fun-Go, I went one step farther than you....I didn't touch him for a month...probably 2 months. If he attacked we slid him aside and ignored him. During those first couple of months we just ignored him. Didn't touch him, cut his claws, weigh him ... nothing. I opened the door to the cage and stepped back....just let him launch himself out of the cage. We started acknowledging him when he stopped attacking. If he didn't attack, I would make eye contact and talk to him (now he couldn't hear me, he's a deafie) but when we talk softly we also convey softer body language. It was about 2 months when he finally would wander in and watch you and not attack. That's when I first picked him up. I picked him up, kissed the top of his head and put him down...he tried to bite me  , so I turned my back on him and walked away. He ran by a little later, I picked him up again, kissed him and put him down....each time he tried to bite me...but he didn't attack me. So we went weeks doing that....maybe even months (truthfully, I still do it to him). We did start working with him, cutting his claws, no weigh ins at that time. We discovered we couldn't touch his head. If you brought your hand over his head he would attack you (that happens even now, I can touch him all over but I'm the only person who can) I did discover by holding him harness style with his back legs draped over either side of my arm and used my index finger to prevent him from snaking his head around I could for the most part stop him from biting me while I hold him. Fun-Go isn't a big boy, but having 3 lbs of ferret doing a death shake on your hand, fingers or foot is very painful (as I'm sure you know). This will be Fun-Go's third summer with us, I got a kiss from him a few months ago. He does this every now and then. He now snuggles when you wake him up out of a sleep box, he loves to be held closely and firmly. He's learning to play (he still gets over stimulated and bites wayyy to hard). Will I ever really trust him...as it is right now...no. He will bite if you make the wrong moves at him. He is aggressive and I don't think I will ever be able to cure him of that. He does very much want to be loved, but like an abused child he doesn't know how to get lovins and he lashes out without reason. Patience....lots of patience, love and a good supply of bandaids Good luck ciao |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2011 12:26:21 GMT -5
Thanks! I'm very "IG" and like to see progress or a difference pretty quickly, I think that's why I like using the pressure washer, instant results! I knew that taking Sophie Ann and Velma in was going to be a challenge as soon as I met them, but how could I say no to these poor underfed, skinny, non-ferret ferrets that were handed to me in a 10" x10" square box that was duct taped shut? I couldn't and when I reached in to take them out Sophie Ann drew her first blood, I knew it was going to take a couple months, Thankfully Velma has come around but gosh... 18 months, 2-3 years....oh my! I can only imagine the trauma that Sophie Ann, Velma, and even Fun-go went through to make them this way...poor babes!
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Post by Sherry on Feb 1, 2011 10:37:59 GMT -5
I know. And I'm so glad you've taken them. Elsewhere, they'd have been on a fast road to death, pure and simple. The neglect/abuse they've obviously undergone had to have been pretty extreme, but Velma has already started coming around. Sophie Ann will, too |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2011 13:58:08 GMT -5
You're an angel for taking these two in. Thank goodness they have you now to love and protect them!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2011 19:25:46 GMT -5
Yes, Velma (or Vicious Velma as we were calling her in the beginning) has started to come around but if you do put your hand near her head she will bite, but more of a warning nip than a full blown puncture with blood as it used to be. You can even hold her for short peirod of times until she get overwhelmed then you have to let her be free. The raw diet has done wonders for her, her fur is so silky and she's getting so chunky i love it!
Sophie Ann will come around in time...she's doing great with the raw too, I so badly want to cuddle her and pet her as her fur is so luxorious now...but she doesn't enjoy the interaction. Both of Sophie Ann's top canines are broken and she's only 1-2 years...one day I'll be able to rub my face in her belly without loosing blood or loosing an ear!
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Post by Sherry on Feb 1, 2011 21:14:55 GMT -5
Just curious, but what did the vet have to say about her broken teeth? Are they possibly causing her some pain?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2011 21:22:15 GMT -5
No, there were no concerns for it..just a watch and see type of thing... There is no redness or discoloration of the gums and the teeth themselves, other than them being broken, look good no tarter or discolorations. She's a great eater and loves pork rib tips, tears them up! Sophie Ann has gone from 1 lb even to 1 lb 10 oz since she's been here and looks great, she's sleek and lean (and mean) and an awesome climber!
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Post by Sherry on Feb 1, 2011 21:28:30 GMT -5
That pretty much definitely rules pain out then! She most likely broke them off because she was caged constantly, given their history. Which might actually explain the lunging when the cage door is opened. She could be blaming your for putting her back in there. It's possible she still believes on some level that she'll never get out again, poor thing |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2011 22:43:43 GMT -5
Considering the chick that gave them to me handed them in a 10x10x10 cardboard box that was sealed shut with ducttape....yeah I doubt that she was ever allowed to be free and they were probably kept in a craptasticly too small cage...
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Post by Sherry on Feb 1, 2011 22:48:11 GMT -5
I don't suppose there's any one room where they can safely free roam?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2011 23:01:18 GMT -5
I wish I did have the ability to allow them to free roam! But it's safe to say that we're pretty full here... and though I think the dogs would be fine with them roaming about I don't trust Sid Kitten, when the ferrets come out to play he gets put in a bedroom because he has tried to "catch" himself a ferret and he went for the neck...no good. The other cats want nothing to do with them, nor do the dogs. The fuzz get a couple hours in the morning and then a few at night once the kids are in bed. Plus I babysit Satan and I don't trust him with any of my animals and has been caught kicking my dogs, pulling at ears, and tails, and actually on purpose jumped on my dog feet first while the dog was laying down sleeping! He'll be 5 next month and should now better but his mother does nothing about it...
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Post by Sherry on Feb 1, 2011 23:06:42 GMT -5
Oh, so not good! And the worst part is if the dog bit him in self defense, you'd be the one in trouble, and the dog might have to be either destroyed or at least listed as a "dangerous dog" |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2011 23:18:51 GMT -5
I know! And when I told his mother about it her response was "Oh well if the dog had bitten him he would of deserved it and hopefully learned a lesson" I was blown away! I have three Pitbulls and I really don't think that if Satan was bitten she'd be so ok with it! Especially if he needed medical treatment! I sure the heck don't want my dogs taken, Thankgoodness they've always been around kids and are super laid back!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2011 14:27:49 GMT -5
Sophie Ann "possesed by Satan" ferret seems to be getting worse...she's now doing a sneak attack.... she's a fast little bugger and I'll think that it'll be safe to reach into the cage to put food in but she'll hear the squeek (is WD40 safe to put on the cage hinges? not just for fuzz but for the cage itself? it's a 124+143) and in a blink of an eye be on that level chewing on what ever peice of hand or arm she can get too! Heck even if I manage to close the divider between the levels, she'll reach through the cage with her paws and grab onto my clothing, pull it in (usually a t shirt) and attack my shirt!
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, so I turned my back on him and walked away. He ran by a little later, I picked him up again, kissed him and put him down....each time he tried to bite me...but he didn't attack me. So we went weeks doing that....maybe even months (truthfully, I still do it to him). We did start working with him, cutting his claws, no weigh ins at that time. We discovered we couldn't touch his head. If you brought your hand over his head he would attack you (that happens even now, I can touch him all over but I'm the only person who can) I did discover by holding him harness style with his back legs draped over either side of my arm and used my index finger to prevent him from snaking his head around I could for the most part stop him from biting me while I hold him. Fun-Go isn't a big boy, but having 3 lbs of ferret doing a death shake on your hand, fingers or foot is very painful (as I'm sure you know). This will be Fun-Go's third summer with us, I got a kiss from him a few months ago. He does this every now and then. He now snuggles when you wake him up out of a sleep box, he loves to be held closely and firmly. He's learning to play (he still gets over stimulated and bites wayyy to hard). Will I ever really trust him...as it is right now...no. He will bite if you make the wrong moves at him. He is aggressive and I don't think I will ever be able to cure him of that. He does very much want to be loved, but like an abused child he doesn't know how to get lovins and he lashes out without reason.