Charcoal update

[rene]

I haven't posted about Charcoal in awhile. We have adapted to somewhat of a schedule now. I let him out every night when I come home from work at about 9 until I pick up my husband from work at 11:30. I still don't spend that much time with him. I mostly let him run around, while I am doing other things. Makes me a little bit sad that I don't interact with him, because I enjoy my pets, and feel like I am not doing justice to him.
I did test him and he can hear so that isn't the reason for the biting. I really hate that I have to put on gear to protect all of my exposed skin except for my face before I can safely let him out. It makes me feel like he is dangerous, when he isn't really. When he bites and holds on like a pit bull I feel differently though. When I hear folks telling me how much fun they have with their ferrets and how loving they are, I wonder what the heck the deal is with Charcoal. He is so cute and I want to bond with him instead of just existing with him,to let him roam around in a safe place and clean his cage.

I haven't found a good way to play with him. I think he is used to playing with other ferrets. The person I got him from and her brother had mulitiple ferrets and handled him with no problems, at least that I could see anyway. No bandages or open wounds. When I attempted to play with him with a towel , he liked that, jumping back and forth , fuzzing up. I noticed that he would come out though with his mouth open showing me his teeth. Didn't like that much, but it makes me think that he possibly wants another ferret to play with. What if he was mean to them, and they were biters also. Then I would have two of them that I was keeping because I couldn't give them to someone else without feeling badly. I want to really love him, but I am sort of stuck with just existing with him.

Rene

[huronna]

This is kind of odd, that He would be find with the other people but yet a biter towards you.

I'm wondering if this is perhaps your first ferret and you were apprehensive about him or maybe he even sensed that you were afraid. I had one ferret, Rocki, who was as gentle as a lamb with me, but when this one friend would come over he would go into the attack mode. Teeth bared and eveything. But she wasn't a ferret person, she had lots of cats and dogs and maybe it was her scent or of fear of Rocki that made him go on the offensive. We had a cat and dog at the time, but she had many of them. I never knew the reason, but anyone that was a ferret person could do just about anything with Rocki, but I was definitely on the alert with anyone who was the least bit afraid of ferrets, because Rocki would attack.

Is it possible to contact the people you got him from to maybe get some ideas from them?

I did have another ferret that was a real biter also. I blamed it on the fact that he was almost an adult in a pet store when my friend brought him to me. You often wonder how mush harassment they go through in some of the pet stores. I never could get him to stop biting. It was funny, he would kiss my face and never bite it, but I had to keep my legs away from him. I still have scars where he chomped. He died at the age of 3 from juvinile aggressive lymphoma and I often wonder if that wasn't the crux of the problem, but I will never know.

Hang in there and keep on trying

[Deleted]

May i please offer my advice? My dear little old lady Lacey that just passed was a horrific biter when we first got her. Seems she was abused by the boy that had her. I had her for 2 1/2 years, but it took me awhile to tune into her. I would play and rough house with the other ferrets however when i tried to play with her she would get vicious, so i soon learned that some ferrets just dont like to play. I think she mistook my playing as agression for some reason, so after the first few times, i decided that loving was the way to go. I would pick her up as many times a day as i could, and scruff hold if i had to, so she could not bite. I never ever disciplined her. I would just hold her for 10, 20 seconds, however long i could get away with. Then that turned to a minute and so on and so on. I also would put the vitamin paste treat in my palm so she would lick and get to know that sometimes, instead of biting you can lick and it is nice! This took a long time i will not lie, but after a few months i could hold her just for a little while and cradle her in my arms and she would let me "groom" her face with my hands and even start kissing her. She finally came around not too long ago, she actually looked up into my face and gave me the tiniest little lick on the corner of my mouth, then struggled to get down, i cried like a big crybaby, she did this once again a few days before she passed. I am just letting you know that with a LOT of patience and persreverance, your little one will come around, try the " loving method" it may work for you. Good Luck!!

laney

[huronna]

Good advice Laney...thanks

[yukkabelle]

That took almost 6 months for my Bear to stop to bite me. Patience and garden gloves was the secret. I never been afraid about him or stressed in anyway. Bear was gotten from a Pet Store, he had come to this store from another store, he was a severe bitter so was isolated away from the other ferrets and people. He is deaf. One of the girls that looked after him at the pet store, got bitten and required stitches on her face from his bite. I always thought that Bear was teased through the bars by people ... I will never know.
The first kiss I get from Bear was one of those magical moments I will never forget. When I say magical, it a less power of word than what I have felt.
He still bites technicians at the vet clinic. I always make sure they handle my Bear with love and in a soft way. I repeat at each time, I know he can bite you but PLEASE stay soft...

Please give you a chance and for him too. Perhaps Charcoal did bite the ex-owners, but they will never say the total true.

As for to have another friends. I can not say at 100% it will work, or not. See : Nahum and Bear have never been friends, and 4 years later I still try with no success.

I undertand you to want not to be in the need all the time to protect your skin. Well for my little Bear, I need still to protect my feet. I know with me he wants to play. It is almost the time when I am on the washrooms, or when I put make up ... If I stop what I am doing and play with him, he is really happy, and stop to bite. It is really for to get my attention.

I will love to help you more. I hope you will don't give up. You need to continue to interact with him. Even if it is for a few minutes in your day. But it is important to continue.

Yukka

[yukkabelle]

Allo dear Rene,
There is this site that perhaps can be helpfull for you and Charcoal. I don't have read all the content, but it seems good

www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/1083/probintro.html

[shadoe]

I hope the biting stops for you soon. I can't give much help here since our fuzzies really dont bite much except if we are playingg and rough houseing and then I figure if I play like a ferret I should expect to be treated like one. LOL!
There has been the odd occassion when Lucy ahas grabbed my ankles but its usually when she wants picked up and I didnt notice her.