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| outside_thebox |
I posted before about my new ferret who is biting..not nipping..full on
attacks..she was abused previously, and we are a soft spoken, moving
household. We have many types of rescued and abused animals. Many of them
were once shy or aggressive, and over time learned to adapt to a happier
life. This ferret however, wont budge in her habits. Tonight the worse. My
husband took her from condo and was rubbing her back slowly ..talking to her
...and she just "went off" biting him..you cannot scruff her, because she
moves head so quickly and gets more "nuts" if you try. She bit him 22 times
and on the last bite grabbed down to bone, took 15+ minutes to open her
jaws. Blood was everywhere and my husband had to goto hosp for a shot ..(he
has a rare disease he was born with and very low immune system at time). He
was in shock and really so hurt. We are use to bites, nick, scratches, and
the works, and tolerable ofthem all, never anything but kind and
understanding to an animals needs...but I just dont know what to do with
her...since we had her she has not changed even a pin top. I feel bad for
her and am at a loss for what to do. I feel I have done everything I have
read to be wise..but did use a glove at times from her bites and vintage
suggested we dont..and we havent since...then this happened..please
help..poor baby needs us to get close to get love the right way...sorry so
long..im so very upset..hurt..sad for her...sad for my husband who just
loves her and is hurt too.. thanks all..God Bless you.. and love to all you
furry kids!
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| Nanny |
I do have one practical advice. If you can't pry her jaws loose open a tap
and hold her under the stream, and she'll let go. 15 minutes of this kind of
attack is agony.......they really go to the bone then.
I had to give away a ferret like that, I didn't even have to pick him up, he
came to me to attack me, and he turned out to be a woman hater. His brother
was almost as bad, but a bit easier to handle, so he stayed with me. After 2
years of distrust I started carrying him around a lot, telling him that I
was the boss (yeah, right......), acting a bit crazy when I carried him, and
not letting him go at the moment he wanted to, but a bit later. He still
can't be trusted a 100%, but has gotten a lot better.
Then, almost 2 years ago I got a stress biter, that I handled with gloves, I
couldn't even open his cage without him attacking. 'Fortunately' he got ill,
and I had to give him medicine for several days. After that he's always been
such a sweet, loving ferret, not only to me, but to everyone he meets.
Somehow we built up trust during those days. I'm sad to say his hind end is
now paralysed, and I don't know how long he has to live.
Nanny
"outside_thebox" <outside_thebox@pa.net> schreef in bericht
news:4%FDe.2646$Q75.510371@newshog.newsread.com...
>I posted before about my new ferret who is biting..not nipping..full on
> attacks..she was abused previously, and we are a soft spoken, moving
> household. We have many types of rescued and abused animals. Many of
> them
> were once shy or aggressive, and over time learned to adapt to a happier
> life. This ferret however, wont budge in her habits. Tonight the worse.
> My
> husband took her from condo and was rubbing her back slowly ..talking to
> her
> ..and she just "went off" biting him..you cannot scruff her, because she
> moves head so quickly and gets more "nuts" if you try. She bit him 22
> times
> and on the last bite grabbed down to bone, took 15+ minutes to open her
> jaws. Blood was everywhere and my husband had to goto hosp for a shot
> ..(he
> has a rare disease he was born with and very low immune system at time).
> He
> was in shock and really so hurt. We are use to bites, nick, scratches,
> and
> the works, and tolerable ofthem all, never anything but kind and
> understanding to an animals needs...but I just dont know what to do with
> her...since we had her she has not changed even a pin top. I feel bad for
> her and am at a loss for what to do. I feel I have done everything I have
> read to be wise..but did use a glove at times from her bites and vintage
> suggested we dont..and we havent since...then this happened..please
> help..poor baby needs us to get close to get love the right way...sorry so
> long..im so very upset..hurt..sad for her...sad for my husband who just
> loves her and is hurt too.. thanks all..God Bless you.. and love to all
> you
> furry kids!
>
>
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| Brian S. |
Hold old is she? There might be a factor there and also is she your only
fuzzy? I had one in a store that i was in get me for a good 20 minutes, but
then after he was done and new i was not going to do any harm he started to
play. but not knowing the age, it might be abuse or something else.
brian s.
"outside_thebox" <outside_thebox@pa.net> wrote in message
news:4%FDe.2646$Q75.510371@newshog.newsread.com...
>I posted before about my new ferret who is biting..not nipping..full on
> attacks..she was abused previously, and we are a soft spoken, moving
> household. We have many types of rescued and abused animals. Many of
> them
> were once shy or aggressive, and over time learned to adapt to a happier
> life. This ferret however, wont budge in her habits. Tonight the worse.
> My
> husband took her from condo and was rubbing her back slowly ..talking to
> her
> ..and she just "went off" biting him..you cannot scruff her, because she
> moves head so quickly and gets more "nuts" if you try. She bit him 22
> times
> and on the last bite grabbed down to bone, took 15+ minutes to open her
> jaws. Blood was everywhere and my husband had to goto hosp for a shot
> ..(he
> has a rare disease he was born with and very low immune system at time).
> He
> was in shock and really so hurt. We are use to bites, nick, scratches,
> and
> the works, and tolerable ofthem all, never anything but kind and
> understanding to an animals needs...but I just dont know what to do with
> her...since we had her she has not changed even a pin top. I feel bad for
> her and am at a loss for what to do. I feel I have done everything I have
> read to be wise..but did use a glove at times from her bites and vintage
> suggested we dont..and we havent since...then this happened..please
> help..poor baby needs us to get close to get love the right way...sorry so
> long..im so very upset..hurt..sad for her...sad for my husband who just
> loves her and is hurt too.. thanks all..God Bless you.. and love to all
> you
> furry kids!
>
>
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| vintage |
Ugh! Oh no,, I'm so sorry! I feel terrible that that happened. I've
never come across such a biter! Geez. I wish I could tell you what to
do, I have no idea! Not with that kind of agressiveness. I hope this
works out tho, I know you love your ferty! ;'(
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| Daring_daisy_do |
I am sorry about what is happening with this little one. Hold old is
she? Where did you get her from? Is she deaf?
My take on biters, we have many that came to us as biters and we have
re-habbed for the most part<grin>.
No gloves. I absolutely do NOT believe they will learn the gentleness
of the human touch if they don't feel skin. There are a couple of
biter holds that you can use, besides scruffing, that will keep her
from being able to nail you. Check and see if there is a ferret
shelter near you, call them and ask if they have biter experience.
Most shelter moms/dads do and can teach you good holds. When she does
get you/hubby do what was suggested above, a quick dip in/underwater
and she will release.
If possible, control everything about her life. Become her ALPHA-boss.
Hand feed her, and it will be rough for a couple of days/weeks but
feed her kibble and/or gravy from your hands. (both you and your
hubby) Over-night leave a small amount of kibble in her cage, and of
course fresh water always being readily available. If you are home
during the day, take her out to feed her some kibble/gravy atleast ever
3-4 hours. Make her depend on you, just like she depended on her Mom.
If you are not home during the day, just like overnight leave a small
amount of food for her.
Treats come just from your hands. Again, you need tomake her depend on
you and have her understand that hands are all good. Food is good so
hands are good.
NEVER, ever yell or screech when she nails you. That can be very hard
not to do! LOL I know this from experience. When in mid bite always
talk to her softly and gently, even as your are dipping her in water!
Talk to her constantly. Hold her constantly. Whisper to her how much
she is loved and how it is for forever.
Simple, right. Yea, until you get nailed. But patience and
persistance is the key for this to work. Don't give up. She will come
around or lessen the severity of her attacks eventually.
Good luck and love her well. It sounds like she came into heaven from
ferret h*ll and just needs help in realizing that she has it great now.
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| Joan |
It can be very difficult to distinguish between ferrets who bite
because they were not properly trained, abused, mistreated, or
misunderstood and those who have an unstable, psychotic type
temperament. The former will eventually come around and be loving,
reliable companions. The latter will always be unreliable and bite
whenever the oppportunity presents itself. What you're describing
sounds to be the latter, especially as you've had her for some time
with no change in attitude or behavior. Given your husband's
condition, it seems to me that she presents a very real danger if she
remains in your household...regardless of the reason she's this
vicious.
outside_thebox wrote:
> I posted before about my new ferret who is biting..not nipping..full on
> attacks..she was abused previously, and we are a soft spoken, moving
> household. We have many types of rescued and abused animals. Many of them
> were once shy or aggressive, and over time learned to adapt to a happier
> life. This ferret however, wont budge in her habits. Tonight the worse. My
> husband took her from condo and was rubbing her back slowly ..talking to her
> ..and she just "went off" biting him..you cannot scruff her, because she
> moves head so quickly and gets more "nuts" if you try. She bit him 22 times
> and on the last bite grabbed down to bone, took 15+ minutes to open her
> jaws. Blood was everywhere and my husband had to goto hosp for a shot ..(he
> has a rare disease he was born with and very low immune system at time). He
> was in shock and really so hurt. We are use to bites, nick, scratches, and
> the works, and tolerable ofthem all, never anything but kind and
> understanding to an animals needs...but I just dont know what to do with
> her...since we had her she has not changed even a pin top. I feel bad for
> her and am at a loss for what to do. I feel I have done everything I have
> read to be wise..but did use a glove at times from her bites and vintage
> suggested we dont..and we havent since...then this happened..please
> help..poor baby needs us to get close to get love the right way...sorry so
> long..im so very upset..hurt..sad for her...sad for my husband who just
> loves her and is hurt too.. thanks all..God Bless you.. and love to all you
> furry kids!
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| chasw |
I'm not a ferret expert, too new for that. However, I'm a lifelong student
of animal behavior. Animals bite people because they are either afraid or
agressive. In the course of normal human-pet interaction, the latter is
rather unlikely. Also, the possibility of a mental disorder causing the
biting is also very low, unless the animal has been subjected to intense
crowding or adverse artificial environment. Even then, they would most
likely recover once the adverse conditions were removed.
Fear is the more probable cause, which can most of the time be overcome with
prolonged loving care and a careful feeding routine. Fear biting is a
conditioned response which takes tome to reverse. I also sense that ferrets
are closer to the wild than cats and dogs, therefore they may be more prone
to fear biting. Any past abuse would highten this tendency. If the little
one were mine, I would not give up without a long slow attempt to win
him/her over. - CW
"Joan" <jbclague@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1121959137.821121.92550@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> It can be very difficult to distinguish between ferrets who bite
> because they were not properly trained, abused, mistreated, or
> misunderstood and those who have an unstable, psychotic type
> temperament. The former will eventually come around and be loving,
> reliable companions. The latter will always be unreliable and bite
> whenever the oppportunity presents itself. What you're describing
> sounds to be the latter, especially as you've had her for some time
> with no change in attitude or behavior. Given your husband's
> condition, it seems to me that she presents a very real danger if she
> remains in your household...regardless of the reason she's this
> vicious.
>
x
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| Fhbythesea |
The best thing that I can recommend is when dealing with a biter -
first and foremost - let them play for at least 30 minutes before
attempting any behavior modification. Let 'em burn off the initial
energy first so that they have a better chance of paying attention.
Talking softly but firmly helps - and I keep a Qtip dipped in bitter
apple nearby (vinegar also works). When they go to bite, tell them in a
very firm voice "No no bad ferret" and the Qtip goes in the mouth.
Ferrets are not stupid and will begin to associate the bad taste with
the unwanted behavior.
I can tell you from personal experience that placing the ferret under
cool running water when they have bitten and won't let go works very
well - in this case, it was a breeder rescue that was almost a year old
and totally unsocialized.
The biggest thing that you can't do is move quickly - that startles an
already shaken ferret and may trigger more protective behavior (ie
biting). I have also used ferretone or some well palatable treat on my
hands to discourage biting with some success. Patience is the key -
they did not develop this behavior overnight - and can take upwards of
a year to get a ferret that can be trusted. I have never used gloves.
I have many scars from biting ferrets - but I have been lucky that I
have been able to gain the trust of all of them over time. Good luck to
you....
Lisa Leidig, Head Ferret
Shelter Wench in good standing
The Ferret Haven "By-the-Sea"
www.ferrethaven.org
Alas, How terrible is wisdom when it brings no profit to the wise -
Louis Cyphre
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| swamp |
On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 05:01:52 GMT, "outside_thebox"
<outside_thebox@pa.net> wrote:
>Tonight the worse. My
>husband took her from condo and was rubbing her back slowly ..talking to her
>..and she just "went off" biting him..you cannot scruff her, because she
>moves head so quickly and gets more "nuts" if you try. She bit him 22 times
>and on the last bite grabbed down to bone, took 15+ minutes to open her
>jaws. Blood was everywhere and my husband had to goto hosp for a shot
Just an addendum/modification to Nanny's and other advice. Fill a sink
w/ cold water *before* you interact w/ the problem ferret. If you put
your hand at the bottom they stop biting and come up for air. When she
comes to the top, wrap your thumb and index finger around her neck,
thumb on top of index finger nail. Not too tightly, just enough to
control her. She'll wriggle but can't bite you when you've got her
like that, and she won't go crazy like she does when you scruff her.
As to the big picture, if yours is anything like mine it's going to
take a while. The hands were sore sometimes, and you're going to empty
a few sinkfulls of pink water, but she'll eventually come around. If
it gets to the point you're scared of her, you might want to contact
the local shelters.
From what I'm told, the worst biters become the gentlest ferrets,
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| chasw |
Ah, the reference to scars brings back memories. We once raised a two
Malemute puppies. The male was a happy biter, in other words biting hands
was play for him when he we very young with his needle-sharp puppy teeth,
similar to the way most ferrets can't resist nibbling on bare people feet.
Puppies in a litter constantly bite each other playfully, and since they
have relatively thick coats, they don't draw blood. Of course, thin human
skin is another matter, but what does a puppy care?
In the case of canine pups, its counterproductive to try and dissuade them
from biting. The discipline will have unwanted side effects. Better to
avoid giving them too many chances at your tender hands and just let them
outgrow it. By the time they reach maturity, they start pulling their
punches. With the humans taking the dominant roles in the family "pack",
the adult dog is careful not to sink teeth, barring unusual circumstances
like a feeding frenzy or a threat from a stranger. But between approx 12
and 16 weeks of age, my Malemute pup gave me many scars on the back of my
hands. - CW
"Fhbythesea" <fhbythesea@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1121989379.912334.293730@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> The best thing that I can recommend is when dealing with a biter -
> first and foremost - let them play for at least 30 minutes before
> attempting any behavior modification. Let 'em burn off the initial
> energy first so that they have a better chance of paying attention.
snip>
> I have many scars from biting ferrets - but I have been lucky that I
> have been able to gain the trust of all of them over time. Good luck to
> you....
>
> Lisa Leidig, Head Ferret
> Shelter Wench in good standing
> The Ferret Haven "By-the-Sea"
> www.ferrethaven.org
>
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| Joan |
Like you, I have been a student of animal behavior all my life, both
wild life and domestic. I was also a long time Basenji breeder and am
now breeding ferrets (my current litter are F2 hybrids, btw), so have a
great deal of actual experience to draw on in evaluating temperament.
I can assure you that, just as puppies and kittens can have unstable
temperaments which are apparent almost from birth, so can ferrets.
While some of this behavior may well be instincts left over from their
far distant wild ancestors, they are not suitable in any animal which
is destined to be a pet. The trick is to balance those components of
temperament which make good pets, and breed out those ones which don't.
In addition to a stable temperament, I also select for intelligence
and personality.
The only scar I have from being bitten by any animals (wild or
domestic) was one I got about 25 years ago when separating 2 alpha
Basenji bitches who were determined to kill one another. The one who
bit me was horrified when she realized she got me and not the other
bitch, and spent the next week "apologizing" again and again.
Biting behavior is extinguished when it is not rewarded and/or when it
is discouraged; it is not something that the puppy outgrows. Every
puppy I have bred and/or raised was taught at 6 weeks that this was not
an acceptable behavior, so that nipping and/or biting people was never
allowed to develop. I also bred for a high bite threshhold, so I had
very few that ever even attempted to nip after several generations.
This same approach works equally well in breeding ferrets.
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