3 Tips For Dealing With Ferret Biting Problems
Anyone who has had a ferret as a pet will probably have been bitten at one time or another. As much as it can sound daunting it is generally not something to worry about and there are usually some simple reasons for them biting.
Let’s have a look at why some ferrets bite, so that you can better understand what’s happening, with a view to stopping it. And don’t worry, with the right care and attention you can stop this behavior.
The Youthful Biter
Youthful over-enthusiasm is the primary purpose for ferrets biting. Younger ferrets, notably if they are siblings, will tend in the direction of tough playfulness with lots of nipping and biting. This isn’t one thing to fret about, until it gets significantly heated.
What does need to be sorted out, early on is their willpower to include their owners in the play, by biting you the way they’d bite a fellow ferret.
There are lots of methods to stop a ferret from biting, however the main thing to ensure, is that you don’t use any aggression in the direction of your pet. At most, you should drag them calmly across the ground to discourage bad behavior. That is one thing a mother ferret would do.
But actually, it’s good to be gentle and considerate in stopping biting, as they’re just trying to include you in their games. It’s up to you to let them know that there’s acceptable play and not so acceptable play.
The Signaler
If a ferret is in discomfort or pain they will sometimes have hassle letting you know. So, instead of having a chat concerning the ache they’re in they’ll bite their owner. It’s a very direct method of getting attention, for sure. If your ferret isn’t younger and they begin biting all of a sudden, chances are you’ll want to pay close attention to them and consider any indicators of ill health.
The biting may be down to a change of circumstances. Be careful, specifically, for the introduction of new pets, including different ferrets. They’ll get nervous around guests or changes to their cages too. If in doubt, it’s likely that your ferret’s trying to inform you something if they start biting out of the blue.
The Persuader
If biting your owner got you what you needed, wouldn’t you make a habit of it? If a biting ferret is rewarded with treats or attention, in the hope of stopping the biting, then there’s no way the ferret will perceive this correctly. They see biting, followed by reward and see this as one of the best ways to get what they’re after. So, over time, they’ll see biting as a approach to persuade you to co-operate.
In case you let this type of pattern build up, for any size of time, it’s going to be quite a difficult cycle to break, though it’s not impossible.
It should become clear fairly quickly when you are conscious of these three habits. When you know what the issue is you can go about dealing with it.
