Into to Charcoal

[rene]

I have been a ferret owner for almost two weeks, and until today was wondering if maybe I hadn't made a mistake. I did my own research, as well as interviewing other ferret owners at length. Still, things were not going as well as I had thought they should be.

Charcoal is a male 2 yrs old white with black on his tail and woven through the white in alot of places. The lady that I got him from said she just didn't have enough time for him and felt he needed more human companionship. All she sent with him was a harness and a leash, which he really likes. I had the feeling that he didn't have a cage there at her house. She said he likes Deli Cat dry food and was the only food that didn't give him the runs. She also said that he nipped now and then, but didn't really try to hurt anyone.

He has a cage at my house, and I felt badly about that, but let him out to exercise. The unfortunate thing is the "now and then" nipping. The now and then is just about any time he sees bare skin. Two days ago I had let him loose in my computer room while I was doing research for school and he bit me hard 3 times, and drew blood on my palm and my wrist. He had this real nasty habit of trying to steal my socks while they were on my feet and connecting with my skin underneath also. He is a very sweet baby and I know that often it is more of a person problem then a creature problem, so I started taking him out when I was in the shower. While I was in the shower, he stayed away from my skin and toured the bathroom. When I got done with my shower, I would stand in the shower and put my clothes on while the water was draining and then pick him up and let him play in the tub while I put my makeup on in the bathroom. Then I got another idea. I put on my knee high boots and leather gloves while he was running around my bedroom. Then we could spend some time together learning to trust each other that didn't end with me and neosporin and band aids.

That felt pretty strange but it worked. I let him run around my room and he would come and visit me and started slowing down enough to let me love on him, instead of just being in his proximity. I opened the bedroom door and thought that I had shut it good, but left it open a crack and of course he found it. I was following him around calling to him and he thought that was great. He was hopping around making this chuckling sound, almost like "catch me, catch me, if you can ha ha". He was so cute when he came out. The dogs water dish is in the hallway and he stopped to get a drink. My husband was amazed watching him drink from the bowl.After I got him back in the bedroom and he played some more and investigated, good lord he is curious, when he got tired he curled up on the dog bed.

I will still wear my "protective gear", for awhile until we both adjust to each other. I also found out where potty is located. I bought one of those corner ferret litter pans, that attaches to the side of the cage, but all he has done with that is pull it off and dump it. Today , while he was out and I was checking the bottom pan I was confused that there was nothing in there. Made me worry that maybe he wasn"t going and I hadn't realized it and maybe in spite of all the energy he was sick. Then I pulled out all of the tee shirts to put new ones in there and in the opposite corner from where I had placed the litter box he has been going, and there was some Yesterdays News from the bottom cage that was pulled up through and soaked and the tee shirts were nasty and he had poop in the bars. He may not be a litter box critter, so I put a poop pad that I had been putting in the bottom pan in his preferred corner with some Yesterdays News on it, and cleaned out the corner , and gave him some clean T-shirts.

Any additional ideas to make Charcoal and my life easier and more pleasant are appreciated

[yukkabelle]

Allo Rene and welcome to the group and welcome to the Ferret's World.
It seems for me that what you are doing is very good and if it was me, I will continue on this way. Both you need time to understand and to have confidence in each others.
Give to both of you time and be very patient with Charcoal. Patience is the secret of almost everything with Ferrets

To have a cage for him is good. Don't feel bad for that. When I am not at home Bear and Nahum are both in their own cages. And it is only for their security. They love their cage it is as their little home. And even when they are free rooming, they will by herself go inside their cage for snuggle in their hamoc and blanketts. When it is not possible to supervise them, it is better to let them in a secure place.

I have used garden gloves with Bear who was a terrible bitter. That worked so well. As for your feets I will more suggest to you to uses VERY big tick sock (man work socks) as I still do I am afraid with shoes or boots to crush a little paw or tail...

Sometimes ferrets can be aggressive because illness, perhaps make certain that Charcoal is in good health with a vet visit.

When you don't wear the gloves a thing which is working well is to let your finger inside his mouth and softely push down, automatically he will to push back your finger.

I don't like any kind of punishment and don't believe at it. I am the one who will rewards the good behaviors and ignore the bad. You can give him some treats as "pounce minouche" or also ferretone...

Also try to play with him with a toy, plush toy, cord toy, similar that you will do with a dog, instead to take your hand with his teeth he will take the toy, and you will be able to play together like this.

One thing we will never should to forget is that Ferrets use their teeth as us we are using our hands... A great article on this : ferretfamily.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=medical&action=display&thread=12

I don't know witch one of corner litter your have. But if it is small, mine will not go in there. So I have the big triangular one, but they prefer those in square shape with the back very up, so no mess on the bars. Yesterdays news is so good to use
But if poop pads is working, it is so good too, especially on the floor in your home...

We are all here for you and Charcoal
Yukka

[huronna]

I can't add much more than yukkabelle already said. Patience and love usually works. Though I did have one ferret that I never could get to stop biting. But then when he was only 3 the aggressive juvinile lymphoma readed it's ugly head. Perhaps this was what was affecting his behavior for those previous years. (RIP)

[shadoe]

Lucy and Wilow never seemed to decide what corner of the cage they watned to poop in and since their cage has the 5 inch tall walls like a box at teh bottom, I put yesterdays news completely over the bottom of the cage. Then they have thier litter boxes in my room for when they are out. The others were easy. I jsut watched to see where they liked to go then put the litter boxes in that spot. They also use the cats box when in my room. They still make mistakes when they are out but thankfully they are easy to pick up.
Shadoe

[mysticalmanana]

Most hate those corner boxes and wont use them except to sleep in lol, a rectangular box is what mine like, big as you can fit into the space. He has a lot of adjusting to do and getting to know you and his new home is stressful, he will get better with lots of love and patience.
Congratulations! He sounds like a cutie.

[greta]

Oh, Rene Forgive me, but I am still chuckling at your description of some of Charcoal's behavior. He sounds so adorable. The chucking sounds Charcoal was making as he played in your bedroom is called 'dooking' and ferrets do this when they're extremely happy. They also often 'Happy Dance' or 'War Dance' when happy and this is a hoot to watch. The ferret will jump up, then come down crazily, bumping into whatever may be in the way. And your description of Charcoal trying to take your socks off your feet while you're still wearing them. hehehe This is also a 'ferret thing,' gf. My Nada loved socks and would steal my socks right off my feet, not to mention stealing them from my laundry baskes, be they clean or dirty. As for the biting, you're doing a great job of handling this. The gloves will protect your hands as will any plush or stuffed toy that you use with which to interact with your baby. Another thing many ferrets love is a kitty fishing pole with a lure on the end of an attched string. I use a wooden dowel as a pole, tie a string to it as a 'fishinig line' and my kiddies love the little stuffed mouse that's tied to the end of the string. Domestic ferrets are descended from European polecats and their hunting instincts are usually strong. Catching the mouse on the end of the fishing line will trigger these hunting instincts and prove to be a delightful game for both ferret and its human. I agree heartily with Yukka that shoes or boots should not be worn when your ferret is out free roamiing. Heavy socks are more desirable. You don't want to accidentally stop on Charcoal and hurt him. Ferrets have their favorite places to potty and once you determine where Charcoal's preferences are, you can just put the litter boxes in those places and he should use them. My Ozzie and Itty are trained to puppy training pads when they're out of their cage roaming and I rarely find a mess anywhere but on the puppy pads. I use these in their cage also, as neither of my little Munchkins likes to use a litter pan. As our members have stated above, lots of love and patience is all you need, gf. Before you know it, you and little Charcoal will have a bond between you that is as strong as that of a mother and child. Hugs, Greta

[rene]

I went today and bought some mens work socks. I figure I can wear two at a time with my regular socks over them to keep them from getting dirty so quick. That should protect my feet and his. Charcoal never bites my fingers and never my left hand, just the underneath and top of my right wrist. I have been afraid to try and play with him. When I was in the shower the other day he let me shampoo him with no problem and cuddled some as I dried him with a thick towel. I put him down outside of the tub while I finished my bath and I tried to play with him with another towel from the safety of the bathtub, but he wasn't interested. He did roll aound on the bathroom rug like the dogs do after a bath, trying to get dry. I have tried to interest him in a stuffed animal and he didn't like that either.

While I was at the store, getting more bandaids and socks, I started thinking about what else might work on my hands, that would protect the parts that he loves to latch onto, while giving me the use of the rest of my hands. I was in the health part of the store anyway and looking at the hand wraps and I thought about the hand wraps for carpal tunnel. I work on a computer alot during the day and go to school online and my right wrist, hand and lower arm have been hurting for a long time. I kept thinking I should buy one of those things, because I sure don't want to have that surgery. There is this one brand for women and I think they will be purfect. I tried them on in the store and the one on my right hand covers all the area where Charcoal latches on completly plus more, with thick metal and cushioning. I got one for each hand. Maybe this is will be a blessing after all. Forcing me to do something that I have been dragging my feet about. The wraps and the socks take very little room and are easy to put on and take off. The only glitch will be if Charcoal decides to alter has form of attack. Anyway that is what it feels like at the time. Like he is doing his closeup for "When ferrets attack". He got me again really good last night, after I thought we had come to an understanding and maybe I didn't need the gloves. The only understanding that we had come to was that I needed to wear protection on my hands or have blood dripping off my wrist and running down my arm. Good thing he was biting my dominate hand, cause I was not happy. It was all I could manage to calmly scruff him until he let go and stick him back in his cage quickly. Didn't even look cute to me. Maybe as a ferret pelt. I was over it today even with the red angry looking bites on my wrist. I haven't let him out today, but if he wakes up tonight, I will let him run in the living room. He likes playing with my Border Collie.I was thinking about something that his former owner said to me when I asked if he nipped. She said that he used to, but not much anymore. She said that when she had went to get him, the breeder had scruffed him with thick gloves and thrown him into the carrier. She thought that could have been the reason that he nipped so much when she first got him, because he had been handled so roughly. I wonder if the stress of being in a new house, in a cage , and with a crazy woman and all of her animals may have triggered that previous behavior. That's what I want to think anyway.

Right after I got him I got one of those small soft zippered carriers for him. He didn't like it, so I put it up. When I was talking to somebody at work about his little nails and how he had accidentally left criss cross scratches from the day that I bathed him, she said that he might need his nails trimmed. I'm really scared of doing that. I don't want to take the chance of hurting him. I really don't think that he is intending to hurt me, and I don't want to hurt his little nails. My friend said I could bring him over once he settles down a bit to see if he likes her ferrets and have a play date and she would trim his nails. She told me to put the carrier down open on both ends where he could run into it and explore while he is out. When he was out in the bedroom he was chewing on the corner of the door intently so I put the carrier down there. He went in it several times. It would be great if I could take him on play dates with other ferrets. With his current issues, I couldn't even imagine having more than one, myself.

[yukkabelle]

Allo Rene, it seems you are handle all that wonderfuly I think you little Charcoal just want to play with his great mommy.
Yes I understand you fair for the nail. I am always afraid to hurt my babies. One thing who works well is putting the ferretone on his belly. You have your baby on your legs on his back. While he is licking the oil ferretone, you have your 2 hands free for to cut the nails. Just a little cut, for not cut the veina. exoticpets.about.com/od/ferretcare/a/ferretgrooming_2.htm

[Dar24]

I think you are doing a fantastic job with Charcoal and all this extra work with him will pay off big dividends in the end..Because the bond you will build with him will be worth it..

I just wanted to add one thing,, in your description you said he was white with some black hair on his tail...

Deafness is very common in White or Blaze colored ferrets...And Deaf ferrets can be quite the biters... Read the article I am posting for you.. It gives you ways to test whether he may be deaf or not and if he turns out to be..There are some really great suggestions on how to communicate with a deaf fuzzie..

I have a deaf girl,, and she is really no different then my hearing babies.. Just have to use a couple different ways of training her and all was well..

Here is the link:

www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/deaf.html

[fuzzyslave]

Sounds like he is deaf.And you're doing the biting thing right.
It's mentioned that he is on Deli Cat food.PLease get him over to a good ferret food.Totally ferret,Zupreems or some of the better foods will help this baby.