FERRET FACTS

Here are a few tips I got from :

www.petopia.com
Please check this site out.
It has lots of helpful hints and imformation on the care of ferrets and other animals.

How can I help my ferret get along with other pets?

How can I teach my ferret not to bite?

Is companionship important to my ferrets?

How Can I Teach My Ferret Not To Bite?

Try to understand that ferrets are natural biters. Ferrets will often bite each other on the back of the neck when they play and wrestle; the skin there is very thick, and bites neither hurt nor become infected. Ferrets also use their teeth a lot just to chew on things; sometimes it seems like everything in sight, including you! It's not that ferrets are either malicious or overly aggressive, it's just that without guidance, they will extend their normal for-fellow-ferrets biting behavior to people. This is why the earlier you train your ferret not to bite people, the better; train her while she's still a kit so that she never starts getting into the habit.

Here are the ways you can train or discourage your ferret from biting you:

Give kits plenty of chew toys such as hard rubber chew toys (like Nyla-Bone for big dogs) while they are teething. Chew toys will keep them occupied and they won't resort to gnawing on your hands.

Use Ferretone on your hands to encourage your ferrets to lick, rather than bite, you. Also, you can just give them the Ferretone as a reward for licking your hands.

Use Bitter Apple or Bitter Lime spray on your hands just before you play with your ferrets. If they try to nip or bite you, they will be met by an unpleasant bitter taste. It won't take long for them to make the connection that biting your hands tastes bad, and they will not want to do it again.

Scruffing your ferret (grabbing her by the skin at the back of the neck), looking her in the eye, and firmly saying "no" when she bites is a good way to teach her not to bite.

Time-out is one effective way to teach your ferret not to bite. When she bites, put her immediately in her cage for 10-15 minutes. She will learn to understand that she is being reprimanded for what she did.

When you're teaching your ferret not to bite you, never express your disapproval by hitting her. Hitting her lightly, when she bites, will make her think you're playing, and will only encourage the negative behavior. Hitting her hard will hurt and this will also encourage her to bite, believing that hands are dangerous and must be attacked.

Be consistent in your training so as not to confuse your ferret. Do the same reprimand each time your ferret bites, and the same reward each time she behaves properly. In no time, the two of you will have an amiable, good-natured, and "no-biting" relationship with one another.

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How Can I teach My Ferret to Get along with other animals.

Teaching your ferret to get along with other pets

Within reason, the key to a harmonious household is in the proper introduction. Your ferret can learn to get along well with dogs, cats, and other ferrets, but not with birds, reptiles, fish, rabbits and rodents, because these animals tend to be looked upon as prey. Patience is critical. There is no magic formula that works instantly for all combinations of pets in all situations; however, there are some guidelines that you can follow and may modify as necessary to achieve good results.

Guidelines:

Introducing a new pet to your ferret shouldn't even start until the new pet has been introduced, and gotten used to, you and your home. Depending on the pet, that may take several weeks.

Cats

For introducing a cat, you can probably start with holding both the cat and the ferret while they smell each other. You can do this several times a day, for a few minutes each time. Do this for a week. After that, start letting both the cat and the ferret interact with each other without restraint, but with supervision. Over several weeks, let them interact for longer periods, but still with supervision, and always be sure the ferret has an escape route, like some kind of barrier which he can get behind, but the cat cannot.

Dogs

For introducing a dog, you shouldn't even think of trying until the dog has been to obedience school; the dog must be certain to obey your commands. Also, you must have a crate or carrier for the dog, and it must be made so your ferret cannot get through it. Also, some breeds of dogs such as Terriers are unsuitable for getting along with ferrets. Such breeds instinctively want to chase and kill animals like ferrets.
First, introduce your dog to your ferret by letting the ferret loose in the same room in which the dog is crated. Interact with the ferret in front of the dog; that lets the dog see the ferret is part of the household.
Next, let the dog, while uncrated, sit or stand while your ferret smells and touches your dog. Firmly hold your dog while using one hand to keep his muzzle shut; you can use a cloth to muzzle the dog, but only for 5-10 minutes at a time (about the length of time for each session)
. You can next let your dog, while on a leash, interact with your ferrets more freely than before, and for longer periods of time. Of course, if your dog shows a tendency to chase or bite your ferret, the leash (and his obedience training) will keep him in check.
The last stage of introducing a dog to a ferret is letting the unleashed dog interact with the ferret, first while you are watching, and then when you are not, but only when there is a place for the ferret to retreat where the dog cannot go.
Reinforce the dog's good behavior by giving him treats, after giving treats to the ferret, so the dog sees his status in the household is lower than the ferret's.
After the introductions have been made, make sure that peace will be kept by ensuring your ferret cannot get to your dog's toys, and always feed the dog and ferret separately.

Ferrets

Introducing a new ferret to other ferrets is usually easier than introductions of either ferrets to cats, or ferrets to dogs. Often, a new ferret can be introduced in 1-2 weeks, but introductions can take months in difficult cases. Of course, you need to quarantine the new ferret, and be sure he is vaccinated, before he is introduced.
Some introductions, especially with a new kit, are best started by having the new ferret and the resident ferret in separate cages near each other, so they can hear and smell each other. Swapping their cage bedding will let them get used to each other's scent. With a kit, you may have to keep him from the other ferret until he grows up; an adult ferret may mistreat a kit because of their small size.
Introductions can start in a neutral area (a room in your home none of the ferrets use). Also bathe the ferrets so they have the same smell, and put Ferretone on them so they will more inclined to lick each other, rather than bite.
Let the ferrets interact, with supervision. They will likely start wrestling vigorously, to see who will get to be boss. As long as they are not fighting, which is often marked by screaming, and one ferret tearing at skin of another ferret, or shaking another ferret violently, there is no problem. If there is a fight, scruff the attacker, scold him, and put him in his cage for 10 minutes.
Once the ferrets get along, they can be allowed to interact without supervision.

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How much time should I spend daily with my ferret?

On the average, you need to spend at least an hour a day with your ferret. Ferrets require less time with their owners than dogs or cats do, but certainly more time than fish or turtles require. One reason your ferret does not demand as much companionship as other pets is she sleeps most of the day, about 16 hours out of the 24. However, when your ferret is awake, she will be happy to spend time with you, and will benefit even more by being around other family members.

The different activities you can engage in for quality time with your ferret include:
Playing - Ferrets love to play, and they like to play with other ferrets, other pets, and people. The games ferrets enjoy include wrestling (with other ferrets and cats), hide and seek, and running through tubes.
Grooming and Petting - Ferrets appreciate being groomed and stroked; these are bonding activities you must do regularly. Brushing and bathing are usually pleasant experiences for your ferret. She also likes to be petted, stroked, and held in your lap--activities you can do anytime.
Training - This can take some time, and that's good, because it strengthens the bond between you and your pet. Training can be as simple as teaching her to recognize and come to her own name, or as complex as using the litter box and doing tricks. Training can be a life-long endeavor for your ferret because she's always capable of learning new things.

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