Full on ferret conversations

[ghostie]

Oatmeal, for whatever reason, has a recent quirk in the last month that I find to NOW be completely harmless, and.... oddly cute. But at first it was confusing as all getout. 

Any time she would get into trouble, I'd put her in time-out back in her cage, and talk to her to scold her while I did. I guess she picked up on this, and at first would hiss back at me in irritation because she didn't want to be put away. Then while she did, I couldn't help myself and would talk back like "well you shoulda listened then! 5 mins and I'll let you back out." She'd hiss back but lil quiet responses.

NOW it's totally different. She actually just straight up uses it as a form of "talking" back to me. She'll dook and run around my feet, play, and jump to wrestle, and she'll randomly hiss the whole time. She'll be around the room and I'll say, "Oatie, where'd you go?" and she'd pop out of some box, hiss, and then run to my feet to play with my toes. I think she's figured out a way to communicate like a cat meows - but I'm gonna be honest, that was a VERY confusing moment when she first did it while playing. I was beginning to think I was getting a behavioral response out of her that I'd have to fix, but to be honest, it's harmless. She's never once bitten or threatened to, even when she did it to complain.

I heard ferrets are smart, but my journey with Oatie has been a wild one, lemme tell ya. At least it's some weird form of enrichment - literal conversations, ha.

[Corvidophile]

Cute! Mine is silent now, and even when he was young he would make a sound very, very rarely. Always wished he was more vocal so he could communicate better!

[unclejoe]

That's so cute. you are lucky to have a talker. I've only had one male that hissed, but he had a vocabulary of every sound a ferret can make. the girls only hiss when scared or mad.

OMG I almost forgot about Poppy.  She hissed when she wanted something 

[Charlie]

That is so cute!! When my ferret was young he was more vocal but now he doesn't say much these days.

[ghostie]

I had originally thought she was being sassy, and would put her in time out thinking it was some temper tantrum! It took me a moment of serious confusion before I had a sudden realization that she was doing it even when playing to TALK, haha. It definitely spooked me, but I do love that she talks! Especially because I talk to her all day long, even before she did this.

I know she'd jump and think I was hissing at her when I'd open a soda bottle. She might think that's part of it, too, and now thinks hissing isn't an aggressive thing, though she will do it when she's cranky. I can tell the difference now from chatty hisses, and complaining hisses.

My girl's always been really really vocal. She used to whine (RE LOUDLY) every day for sometimes hours. She was just a baby at the time with some separation anxiety when I'd go to work or sleep, but after a while she got really quiet and wouldn't make a peep unless she was flopping around my floor dooking. I figured she'd grown out of the whine and would just stay quiet forever, but I kind of like that she hiss-talks. I just hope I don't accidentally misread which hiss it is when I catch her on a bad day!

[Charlie]

Jan 18, 2021 10:58:55 GMT -5 ghostie said:

I had originally thought she was being sassy, and would put her in time out thinking it was some temper tantrum! It took me a moment of serious confusion before I had a sudden realization that she was doing it even when playing to TALK, haha. It definitely spooked me, but I do love that she talks! Especially because I talk to her all day long, even before she did this.

I know she'd jump and think I was hissing at her when I'd open a soda bottle. She might think that's part of it, too, and now thinks hissing isn't an aggressive thing, though she will do it when she's cranky. I can tell the difference now from chatty hisses, and complaining hisses.

My girl's always been really really vocal. She used to whine (RE LOUDLY) every day for sometimes hours. She was just a baby at the time with some separation anxiety when I'd go to work or sleep, but after a while she got really quiet and wouldn't make a peep unless she was flopping around my floor dooking. I figured she'd grown out of the whine and would just stay quiet forever, but I kind of like that she hiss-talks. I just hope I don't accidentally misread which hiss it is when I catch her on a bad day!

The whining was definitely because she was lonely and had been removed from her mom way to early when she was a kit.  What some people have done was carry their kits around in a body hammock to keep them close while working around the house.  Glad you little one has grown out of it.

But the talking and chatting with you, I hope she keeps that up, it's so cute when they talk.  Hissing isn't always viewed as being annoyed.  It's good that you can tell the difference now! I think you will know when it's a sassy hiss in the context of what she is doing and getting into trouble. lol  She sounds like a real sweetheart!!