Ferret Biting Behavior

 Biting Behaviors

All animals (even humans) bite, and they bite for a variety of reasons that can be a part of normal behavior. Biting can be used as a form of communication, a part of grooming, a process of socialization, a disciplinary measure, a defensive action or for hunting. Bites can be mild (from a little tweak with the teeth) to serious (deep puncture wounds with severe bleeding). Some animals are more likely to bite than others; this depends not only on the species, but also the individual personality of the animal and its environmental situation.

“Based on the information gleaned from sources such as the Ferret Mailing List and vets and individuals I’ve talked with, I would say that a ‘bad biter’ is not at all typical,” said Todd Leuthold, a Pennsylvania ferret owner who has named the group of ferrets that live with him the Fuzzbutt Rodeo Clowns. “Any ferret that has been handled properly its entire life is about as docile a pet as you can find.”

If you have a ferret that nips or bites, determine why it bites through careful observation of behavior and an understanding of the ferret’s history.

“I do not believe there are many bad biters among pet ferrets,” said Randy Belair, founder and president of The Ferret Aid Society in Toronto. “It’s not the biting ferret that needs to be worked on, it’s the human who cares for it.”

Problem Ferrets

If you eliminate all the above possible causes of biting, yet still have a biting ferret, you may be dealing with one of those few ferrets called a “bad biter.” These ferrets bite intentionally and hard — down to the bone. They often “latch on” and lock down on their victim, causing painful, bloody bite wounds. Two types of bad biters seem to exist. One is a dominant biter, and the other is a fear biter. For both types, the keys to rehabilitation are patience and consistency.

If you decide to rehabilitate your bad biter, expect to get bitten. Make sure your tetanus and rabies shots are up-to-date and have bandages on hand. No matter what pain you receive, you need to give bad biters unconditional love and acceptance. You need to have the patience to stay calm and not react physically to the bite. Daily (or more frequent) interaction is crucial, so the ferret learns that human contact is part of normal life. Paige Townsend, vice president of the Ferret Aid Society of Toronto, allows a problem ferret to bite her on many occasions with no repercussions. This teaches the ferret that it won’t be hit for biting.

One of the hardest temptations to resist when rehabilitating a bad biter is the use of gloves. Using gloves may protect your hands, but they can also make the problem worse. A fear biter sees a much larger and scarier hand and becomes even more fearful. Bad biters also learn they can bite hard and do little damage, so when the gloves come off, look out! Only use gloves if all else fails.

Some of the initial solutions for a bad bite are last resorts only. Some people use bad-tasting sprays or creams (bitter apple, bitter lime or pepper) so the ferret is punished for biting by a bad taste. This solution should be used on a temporary basis only, because it only masks the behavior when the spray is present, and doesn’t solve the underlying behavioral problem in the long term.

If you are the recipient of a latch-on bite, and you can’t get the ferret to let go, don’t yell or use force because fear will make the ferret clamp down harder. Instead, cover the ferret’s nostrils with the thumb and forefinger of your free hand — the ferret may let go to breathe. As a final resort, run the ferret’s face under water. It is unlikely you can force the ferret’s jaws apart without causing some damage to the ferret.

https://www.chewy.com/education/small-pet/ferret/ferret-biting-behavior