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Post by cb0910 on Apr 12, 2019 21:21:45 GMT -5
Hey all,
I have been passively following this forum for years now for information but I have yet to find something that addresses this particular situation. If I missed it I apologize!
I have 3 ferrets (1 male and 2 females) that have been together since kits and are now almost 3. They were brought into our home seperately but very close together. They were all bite trained the same way (redirecting) and did very well very quickly. About a year ago we moved into a place that had our own ferret room (YAY)... and it has been the worst thing for.my relationship with them. Slowly their bite training has gone out the window for two of them. At first, I thought it was just that they were directly interacting and playing together more than with humans although they still get plenty of human time and had simply "forgotten" how hard to play bite. However, now I'm at a loss. It is getting progressively worse and I can't seem to correct it. I have tried redirecting, the time out spot, walking away. Nothing works. The more I ignore, the harder they bite. If I redirect them it gets worse. If their latch doesn't get a reaction at first they quickly readjust without completely letting go and latch harder. It is not aggressive but almost possessive. My male will usually lick first and I try to redirect but if he sees a redirect coming he will bite quickly just to make sure I don't beat him to it. My female biter will literally run over playfully but just to bite me and won't stop once she starts.
Please help me get my sweet babies back. Thank you.
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Apr 13, 2019 9:12:37 GMT -5
Read more: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/25172/unexplained-change-biting-behavior#ixzz5kygzagrrCertainly no ferret whisperer----but maybe consider the time difference they used to have out with you and time now spent in the ferret room. Try and lessen that difference and maybe engage more with your ferrets when they are out. Dragging them around in a sheet is a good game. Some ferrets like jumping on the sheet after you throw it up in the air---getting out the air pockets. I have one that likes riding the mop. Some ferrets like chasing cat toys. My waardie likes for me to try to catch her. Carrying them around letting them poke their head in things and sniff objects that they don't have access to on the floor is a good bonding game. Yes, it will be more fun for them than you(LOL). My waardie always bites my foot while I am at the computer----she is a high energy little thing---I know a game would be right down her alley---not that I stop and go play. I try to acknowledge her though. This morning she has bitten me twice on two different occasions. I decided to put more food in the empty breakfast plate and she ate it. Whether that was why she bit me I don't know. It is kind of hard to figure it out but we do our best. And then there is adrenal disease---although mine have never shown any difference in interaction with me. By the way, are your ferrets Marshall Farms(spayed and neutered)? I have no idea how intact ferrets behave  |
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Post by unclejoe on Apr 14, 2019 9:20:21 GMT -5
Did they used to be free roam? If so, maybe they don't like being locked in one room. I'm not saying you have to change that, but suggesting an explanation. We've had 2 females that refused to be caged.
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Post by Heather on Apr 15, 2019 10:33:54 GMT -5
I"m wondering the same thing as Uncle Joe. Having their own room is wonderful but sometimes it has severe costs....especially if they're actually locked away from the rest of the household. Even though we may make special times with them, to play and to snuggle, we're no longer interacting in the same way as we did when they were allowed full house roaming.
The other suggestion is medical, is it possible that they 2 ferrets that have increased their biting are adrenal. This is a symptom
ciao
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Post by cb0910 on Apr 16, 2019 6:07:44 GMT -5
I will definitely try to add some games in throughout our routine. I know that they do enjoy it but as my one is obsessed with moving feet I'll have to get creative 🤪 My ferrets are neutered and spayed but are not Marshalls. All 3 are Path Valley ferrets. Not sure if that impacts anything. As for if they free roamed before unfortunately no. They got out of their cage with us from when we got home from work until bedtime but confined to the living room (we had an old house and I was concerned about safety issues). However, the living room is where we would spend most of our time during their activity period so it was more directed attention. So although they weren't technically free roam, it may have felt more like it to them and so I think this may be a good explaination. Follow up to that, the reason they aren't allowed in the living room now as before is because we have a pellet stove and I have yet to find a way to secure it from them. I'm afraid their curiousity would get the best of them and they'd get burned! I would love to allow them in the living room with us again! As for it being adrenal, since it came on almost exactly at the same time in both ferrets and directly following a move and getting their own room I lean towards more environmental factors than medical. However, I'm not an expert and I'm not incredibly well versed in the signs so I will look up symptoms and if it seems like a possibility I will most certainly contact a vet. Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. Hopefully I can figure out what they need from me to be happy.  |
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Post by Heather on Apr 16, 2019 11:36:54 GMT -5
LOL...PV...Path Valley says it all...Smart, hard core, heavily interactive. I love them as a farm ferret they're the closest you will get to breeder stock. They require heavy human contact, the more you withdraw from them the more they bite. It's that simple and that difficult. What if you put a cage (some use a marshals playpen) around your pellet stove. PV's may just jump or climb it but it's a good starting point.
ciao
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Post by cb0910 on Apr 16, 2019 20:21:05 GMT -5
Oh! Well that explains it then. I didn't realize that breeding had THAT much to do with it. I was told by the pet store that they were from very good bloodlines and I can see it, but I didn't realize it was that prominent. I thought he was talking me up to sell me on them 😂 And gates are a loss for us haha if it can be climbed, it will be climbed. But I will get creative. Summer is coming too which helps! Since you seem knowledgable about PV ferrets specifically I have one follow up question I've been wondering lately if you don't mind? My ferrets were always smaller than the Marshalls I have originally been around but in adulthood I thought they would get a little bigger than they are. But I've also been told that Marshalls are unhealthily large due to bad and overbreeding. They aren't skinny, but they just dont have the plump look to them. Is this potentially a PV thing too? Thank you SO MUCH to all of you. LOL...PV...Path Valley says it all...Smart, hard core, heavily interactive. I love them as a farm ferret they're the closest you will get to breeder stock. They require heavy human contact, the more you withdraw from them the more they bite. It's that simple and that difficult. What if you put a cage (some use a marshals playpen) around your pellet stove. PV's may just jump or climb it but it's a good starting point. ciao |
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Post by caitmonster on Apr 16, 2019 21:16:19 GMT -5
My first male was from Path Valley; not sure what size yours are but he was about 2lb summer weight and 2.5lb in winter. I was of the impression that Marshalls actually tend to be smaller than average--more convenient both as pets and for lab animals, or so I've heard. He was a handful as a baby, and into adulthood... he'd nip feet if he thought you were ignoring him, and was easily offended, but very much wanted attention and company. I discovered he loved it if I got down on my hands and knees and followed him around--he'd pause, look up at me, and start clucking his "song".  Diet has some effect on physical condition/fur thickness and musculature. What do they eat? |
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Post by cb0910 on Apr 16, 2019 22:07:17 GMT -5
I will weigh them tomorrow again but that sounds close to me. All of the Marahalls ferrets I've been around (I used to work at Petco) were much larger than mine 🤷♀️ But that may have just been the place we got them from. I'm definitely not an expert so I may be wrong. They were on PV food until about a year ago but we moved and I no longer have access to it so I feed Marshall food since it's really the only thing I have access to that I can afford. I know its not the best but the other option is the kaytee brand and I know that's not ideal. My first male was from Path Valley; not sure what size yours are but he was about 2lb summer weight and 2.5lb in winter. I was of the impression that Marshalls actually tend to be smaller than average--more convenient both as pets and for lab animals, or so I've heard. He was a handful as a baby, and into adulthood... he'd nip feet if he thought you were ignoring him, and was easily offended, but very much wanted attention and company. I discovered he loved it if I got down on my hands and knees and followed him around--he'd pause, look up at me, and start clucking his "song". Diet has some effect on physical condition/fur thickness and musculature. What do they eat? |
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Post by caitmonster on Apr 17, 2019 7:44:31 GMT -5
Yeah, it's unfortunate how difficult it is to find quality ferret products sometimes.  If you're able to order online, Amazon and Chewy carry the most recommended kibbles and freeze-dried diets: Orijen, Nature's Variety Instinct, and Stella & Chewy's for cats, and Wysong. |
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Post by cb0910 on Apr 17, 2019 9:09:53 GMT -5
I will look into those! Thank you again everyone for great information without judgement. Here's to getting my fur babies back to where they want to be! 🥳 Yeah, it's unfortunate how difficult it is to find quality ferret products sometimes. If you're able to order online, Amazon and Chewy carry the most recommended kibbles and freeze-dried diets: Orijen, Nature's Variety Instinct, and Stella & Chewy's for cats, and Wysong. |
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Post by Heather on Apr 17, 2019 14:05:42 GMT -5
PV are not the ferret of choice up here. About 10 yrs ago, they had health problems, no idea what, can't even guess and they dropped off selling. I've heard of them being sold recently in mom and pop shops since then but none of the big names The stores found them unmanageable as kits. In fact just plain vile. More often than not drawing blood and they did not forgive and forget. They were for a time up here, they were cheaper, but the shelters found as they were usually surrendered by the time they were 9 months of age and they were hellions. They were my first ferrets Mad Max was my most memorable....what a brat. He was wild and crazy smart. He might have weighed 3 lbs at his very best. He was long, lean whippet style ferret. Always looked underfed and hungry. To quote my son....with big pointy sharp teeth. I clicker trained that boy not to bite. I would find him playing in the top of the closets that's how well he climbed. He learned his name, responded to a number of commands and I really missed him when he traveled on. He had such spirit but I was never able to train him completely not to bite. As far as size, they were bigger than the Marshals at the time...but....Marshals were trying for the micros. I had a male, Meeteef who barely tipped the scales on a good day at 2 lbs. They remind me of my albinos that I keep now. Smart, lean fast...my albinos come from hunting lines. To be a good hunter you have to be fast, lean (get down burrows and be able to double back) and crazy smart. ciao |
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Post by cb0910 on Jun 6, 2019 10:30:39 GMT -5
All of this information goes hand in hand with what I'm dealing with! From attitude, intelligence, climbing (2/3 have ended up crawling things almost to the ceiling like its normal), etc and ALL THREE of my babies are PV. I got them at a mom and pop and was told they were the best bred ferrets available. Goes to show not to take people's word for it. I love my babies and although they are hellions they are all also loving thank god. I'm relieved to hear that your PV was also incredibly small. Every marshall ferret I've ever seen (and I've been around a lot since Petco that I worked at sold exclusively Marshalls) my babies are significantly smaller particularly girth wise. They're roughly the same length. Particularly in the spring I would swear my one female just doesn't eat because she gets so tiny but does it every year and doesn't seem the least bit bothered by it. I can 100% understand why a lot of them end up in shelters as kits. Mine were unmanageable. Fortunately though this forum, tons of research, and an unwillingness to quit on them they trained rather quickly originally. But I can see how an uneducated person would struggle and ultimately get frustrated. They're insane but I love them. Thanks for the information heather! PV are not the ferret of choice up here. About 10 yrs ago, they had health problems, no idea what, can't even guess and they dropped off selling. I've heard of them being sold recently in mom and pop shops since then but none of the big names The stores found them unmanageable as kits. In fact just plain vile. More often than not drawing blood and they did not forgive and forget. They were for a time up here, they were cheaper, but the shelters found as they were usually surrendered by the time they were 9 months of age and they were hellions. They were my first ferrets Mad Max was my most memorable....what a brat. He was wild and crazy smart. He might have weighed 3 lbs at his very best. He was long, lean whippet style ferret. Always looked underfed and hungry. To quote my son....with big pointy sharp teeth. I clicker trained that boy not to bite. I would find him playing in the top of the closets that's how well he climbed. He learned his name, responded to a number of commands and I really missed him when he traveled on. He had such spirit but I was never able to train him completely not to bite. As far as size, they were bigger than the Marshals at the time...but....Marshals were trying for the micros. I had a male, Meeteef who barely tipped the scales on a good day at 2 lbs. They remind me of my albinos that I keep now. Smart, lean fast...my albinos come from hunting lines. To be a good hunter you have to be fast, lean (get down burrows and be able to double back) and crazy smart. ciao |
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Post by unclejoe on Jun 6, 2019 15:11:54 GMT -5
Scamp was a Real Canadian, and he knew just how hard he could bite to make me yelp. He was almost 3 and still pushing my buttons, but playfully.
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