New ferret kit bites back

I have recently picked up my ferret kits from a friend, but one of them is constantly nipping me. What should I do?

Ferret kits are amazing. They are as mad as a box of frogs and teach us so much about how and why we should care for and train our animals so they can perform at their best alongside us. Ferrets are all individuals made up from the DNA of their lineage, showing differing traits that run through these lines.

Over the years, I have found that some are a little bit more attentive with their teeth, but not in a vicious way. There is a difference between a play bite — out of mischievousness — and a nasty, intended bite. What this sounds like, without seeing the ferret myself, is the usual exuberance and enthusiasm of youth coming out. However, it is still a bite and not to be taken lightly, nor allowed to fester into something more serious. All I can advise is that you handle your ferrets equally and do not favour the ones that are better behaved.

Spend more time getting them used to being picked up, with your hands on their body and especially around their face and mouth. Without being cruel to them, you want to make the experience of biting you uncomfortable. When they have had fingers placed inside their mouths on my terms and when they associate handling with fun, my young ferrets never bite.

It is all about association. If they are not used to being handled or picked up, they will react. They cannot talk so they use their demeanour, which includes a set of sharp teeth.

Enjoy your kits. They are the best thing in the world to learn from. SW