How to wean a ferret from biting at home: effective methods, techniques and feedback

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

It is widely believed that domestic ferrets are extremely biting creatures. And it is impossible to wean an animal from this habit. Ferrets don't bite out of anger. Although the strength of their teeth is quite large. If desired, they could easily gnaw through the bone. They bite a little. Thus showing that they are disposed to the game.

Nevertheless, these bites are unpleasant and sometimes painful. So what to do, how to wean a ferret to bite? Or will you have to put on thick mittens all the time before taking the animal in your arms? Well, of course not, you just need to do the training of the animal. We will describe in more detail the techniques and methods of training below.

The animal does not know that such an action is prohibited

How to stop biting a ferret, why does it bite? Let's take a closer look. Under natural conditions, the mother and siblings teach the ferret how to bite, with what force and when. At home, this should be done by a mentor, a master. It is he who is obliged to "explain" to the animal what and how.

In general, hori begin to bite as early as 4 weeks of age. And this is the moment when you need to wean the animal from this bad habit. Otherwise, in the future, petswill get a taste. Then it will be impossible to rebuild them in your own way.

This explains why if you buy an animal from a farm, it is extremely aggressive. After all, there is no time to engage in education.

Most often, ferrets bite the owner when playing - this is their natural behavior in nature. Other signs of a playful mood: jumping up, attacking from the side, jumping on 4 limbs and "cooking". This action is usually called "combat dance" - a demonstration of positive excitement. Try to switch the ferret's attention to something more interesting during this period, then he will not bite you.

How to wean a ferret from biting, if he still does it? Try saying "no" out loud and moving the animal away. With this gesture, you will show him that you are in pain and that his behavior does not suit you.

If that doesn't work, move away from your pet as described later in the article. Hint to him that there will be no games until he calms down.

Also use a cage or any other thing that restricts his movement. This technique works great if you have more than one ferret, but several. The beast will understand that of all he is the only one sitting in the cage, and since this is "offensive", he will surely calm down.

Ferret afraid of new housing

If an animal is removed from its usual environment and brought to an unknown place where there are some people who are clearly interested in it, the animal is embarrassed, scared, can hide or bite. It does not perform such an action out of malice. Ferret does itto show that she will not allow herself to be offended.

How to wean a ferret if it bites in this situation? In fact, it is under such a combination of circumstances that nothing needs to be done, just wait a bit. After all, a ferret, seeing that he is loved and cared for, will calm down and become less aggressive.

The animal is scared of people

If biting is caused by the animal's fear, then getting out of this situation will be the most difficult. This usually happens in adults who were mistreated before they got into your house. Enough time must pass for the animal to trust you.

Signs that characterize fear: hissing, sharp squeals, fluffy tail. Never punish such ferrets physically, as this will only make the situation worse. Only with patience and affection can you win the trust of the animal.

First, you need to reduce the number of irritants, and it is better to remove them altogether. On the first day of your ferret's stay, take it to a quiet room where there are no children. The animal remains in the cage for now. To make him feel calmer, you can cover it with a dense "breathable" fabric, or simply place a house for a ferret inside it, where he can hide.

The next day you can release the animal, but limit its space to one room, while you yourself remain in the role of an observer.

And only on the third day, slowly begin to communicate with the ferret, try it gentlypet him, play with him. But first, play with toys that will help avoid bites from the animal. And only when the ferret gets used to such games, it will be possible to pick it up and play.

Ferret trying to get his way

This situation is far from uncommon. Very often, animals, getting into a new home, check the owners on how far they can go. In this case, the animal does this precisely with the help of biting. But what about?

How to wean a ferret from biting in this case? We return here to the above. In this case, only the training methods that have already been mentioned in the article will help.

When to start training an animal?

This process should be started as early as possible, preferably from the moment he came to you as a puppy. Do not wait until the ferret grows up. Otherwise, nothing will come of it. So, how to wean a ferret from biting at home?

First, tell the animal that you are not satisfied with its communication methods. At the first bite of a ferret, you need to say “hey” or “ay” loudly and pull your hand away. In this way, you will show the animal that you are in pain and that you do not approve of his methods of play. You can shout "no" and clap your hands sharply.

There is one nuance in this matter: when screaming, you cannot switch to screeching sounds. They act on the animal "excitingly" and induce him to "attack". If these techniques do not help, then you need to get up and demonstratively move away. By doing this, you will hint to your pet that you will not continue the game until he stops biting. Next, you will have to put the ferret in a cage so that the beast calms down, because for nowhe is "excited", then he will not be able to stop. Stopping play is the worst punishment for a ferret.

The most important thing is consistency

Remember to repeat these steps all the time if the ferret bites. Only if these conditions are met will you achieve success. And your pet will remember that if he bites, then the game will definitely stop.

How to wean a domestic ferret from biting, what other measures can be taken? The method using “sweets” for the animal is considered very effective. Simply put, whenever the animal does not bite while playing, reward the pet with something tasty (for example, meat). Just don't overdo it. The piece should be small, otherwise it will not be the best way to affect the digestion of the "naughty".

How to wean a ferret from biting its feet?

There are some individuals who prefer to bite not on the hands, but on the legs. It is extremely difficult to wean them from this bad habit. Usually, special sprays are used, such as "Bitter Lemon", which are sold in pet stores. They are applied in small quantities to the legs before starting to play with the animal.

As soon as the ferret bites you, you need to rinse off the spray well. After that, you should spread the legs with another, now sweet (special liquid treats are sold in pet stores for this purpose). The place where the “tasty” spray is applied should be allowed to lick the animal. So your pet will understand that biting the owner's legs is completely "tasteless", it's better to lick.

Howstop a ferret from biting? Tricks and last resort

For most animals, the above methods will suffice, but there are difficult cases when extreme measures are indispensable.

With such behavior of the animal, imitation of the behavior of the mothers of these animals is used. That is, if the ferret bites, it must be lifted by the scruff of the neck and gently shaken. So mom teaches them to order. Or another trick is to press the animal lightly to the surface and drag it lightly along it until the ferret calms down.

These are the only extreme measures that can be used. Hitting a ferret or flicking its nose is unacceptable under any circumstances. The only thing that can be achieved in this case is the dislike and aggression of the animal, and we do not want this.

People's opinion

Those who have encountered a biting ferret say they have tried different methods. But in each case, one specific option came up.

Most say that ignoring the animal helps, as ferrets love company. Loneliness for them is really a heavy punishment.

Conclusion

Now it's clear how to wean a ferret from biting. We hope this information will help you in establishing a good relationship with such an unusual pet.

Just do not forget that it is impossible to wean an animal from biting in a couple of days. Be patient, and then after a while all your work will be rewarded withsuperfluous.