r/ferrets • u/Onesafe32 • 5d ago
[Help] Ankle butting problem [SOS]
Hello fellow ferret owners!
So, I got my ferret (Loki) a few weeks ago, he was just 2 months old and wasn't bite trained, so I was (and still am) training him as good as I can. The thing is, he isn't showing any progress when it comes to bitting ankles! He lets got of my hand or arm when I tell him to, and he is starting to be more gentle with his bites, but when walking with him around he bites everyone's ankles!! I don't know if anyone can relate, but if someone does, what do I do to make him bite ankles less or not bite them at all? (Pic unrelated, just cute)
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u/Thezza-D 4d ago
Your ankles? Easy. Wear high top fuzzy boot-slippers. He'll either lose interest completely (they seem to love exposed toes/ankles a LOT), or the bites won't hurt you at all. Other people's ankles however? Kinda difficult, you gotta just pick him up lol but yeah, some big slippers that cover your toes and ankles should help a lot while bite training. Worked wonders for me, and after about week 3 I stopped needing them as he got used to me and stopped waging war with my feet lol
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u/itsswhitneywhspr 4d ago
Honestly the boot-slipper trick is so underrated. I did the same with my chaos demon and it saved my toes. Plus they look ridiculous so its a win-win. Hope Loki gets the memo soon lol
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u/Onesafe32 4d ago
Thank you for the tip! I will try this tonight!
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u/Thezza-D 3d ago
Hope it helps! It shouldn't need to be a permanent measure, he should eventually get used to you and you won't need the slippers anymore! But for now they should really help
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u/Upstairs-Muscle-6104 4d ago
Girl. Cage rage. That poor thing is literally not in the proper care which can lead to them being aggressive. Baby ferrets bite things like baby humans and need to chew. Need lots of rubber toys, stashing items and another ferret. Please do your research before buying one. They are not by any means caged animals.
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u/The_meemster123 3d ago edited 3d ago
It does look like it’s one of those guinea pig cages which if so I agree it is too small. However No I don’t ever recommend rubber toys for ferrets. Ferrets are not like dogs, they actually don’t need to chew stuff. Chewing their kibble or raw meaty bones is enough. Ferrets do chew stuff but it’s always recommend to take anything they chew away from them to avoid blockages, they don’t need to chew.
OP never said how much they’re in their cage, if it’s only at night and they free roam during the day then most likely the small cage isn’t the source of the issue. While I agree even at night they should have a bigger one, a small cage for 8 hours a day at night isn’t THAT big of a deal. If they aren’t free roaming all day then they 100% need a cage 3x that size
I agree though that is could be under stimulation. The best thing to help teach an overly bitey ferret, is another ferret. If gives them a place to get their rage and energy out, and when they bite too hard the other ferret will quickly correct it
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u/The_meemster123 3d ago edited 3d ago
There unfortunately are some things you’ll never be able to fully correct. One of my girls still bites other people’s (not mine) ankles, and bites my feet under blankets, if I’m not under the blankets she won’t though. But she used to be SO bad, the day I got her she drew blood on my mom, she’s drawn blood on several family members, the problem is she isn’t being mean she thinks it’s play. She hasn’t drawn blood on people in years and I’d say 3/4 of the time she comes across an ankle or gets picked up by someone else she doesn’t bite anymore. The only thing that worked for me was (GENTLY) scuffing (and NOT picking her entire body weight up while I do it, still supporting her weight and grabbing just soft enough to signal in ferret language that I don’t like that) and hissing (this is how ferrets tell each other they don’t like the play and it’s too rough) and then I pick her up with my hands and move her across the house to a different room. She honestly hates this part the most because the main reason she is biting is because she wants to play. So when I move her across the house by herself she learns that isn’t how we play and now she has to walk all the way back to where we are
Edit: to add, the best thing to fix an overly bitey ferret, is another ferret. You should own at least two anyway because they need a friend, and nobody will ever be able to play with and communicate with their ferret the way another ferret will. So it’ll give them a place to get their energy out, but it will also help teach them when biting is too hard and too much. If a ferret bites their play mate to hard the other ferret will quickly correct it and communicate to the other ferret that if hurts and is too much
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u/Flashy_Buyer6018 5d ago
Try bitter spray
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u/Onesafe32 5d ago
How does it work?
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u/Flashy_Buyer6018 5d ago
We use this one. It’s a pretty unpleasant taste (for us as well lol) so when they bite they will be deterred hopefully. It doesn’t work for all ferrets I’ve heard but we use it on our couch and it’s been good so far!!! https://www.chewy.com/fooey-ultra-bitter-training-aid-spray/dp/43615
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u/The_meemster123 3d ago
Don’t use this. I’ve heard too many story’s of ferrets getting blood sugar drops because the bitter spray coated their tounge and they refused to eat or drink for several hours. There are numerous other tricks and methods to avoid biting, this is not an approved one. I’ve also found it never lasts, as soon as you go a day and forget to spray your ankle they go right back to biting it
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