Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have three questions. My ferret is one year and 1 month old. She is very attached to me and i am the only person she is active around ex. if i walk by her cage or call her she immediately jumps up and starts clawing at the bars. But when my mom does she doesn't do anything and shes been having a biting problem lately. When i got her at 6 weeks she had one but then i read in the books to shake them by the scruff when they do so, so i did and she didnt bite anymore but now she has a very bad biting problem and i tried to shake her by the scruff but it doesn't work what should i do. My second question is sometimes when im playing with her or our pug is playing with her she starts hissing she also sometimes does this when she's really hyper, and she is walking on my back when i'm laying down, Is this a sign of aggression. My third question is, my ferret lately has been clawing at the bars and biting them to try to get out usually when i'm around i read that these are symptoms of cage stress so i was wondering if i should get another ferret for her to play with. My cousin had a ferret and she seemed to like her so would it be better to get one for her?

First, how long do you leave her in her cage? Also, how big is it? The biting could be from stress of staying in the cage too much. Then again, it could be a sign she isn't feeling well. I've had a couple of mine that bit me when they weren't feeling well. Normally they never bit like that. Keep an eye on your furry for any pawing at the mouth, not eating much, runny poops etc. Hissing is normal. I've only had 2 that hissed when they got really excited in playing or they were ticked that you took something away from them or wouldn't let them do something they wanted to do....like dig. Once in a great while, they would kind of jump at you. We would just crack up.
Another ferret companion would be nice. If you have a ferret shelter near you, you could adopt one. With our ferret shelter, we take our ferrets there to see if they get along ok with any of them. Sometimes people even leave their ferrets there and the owner will introduce them and keep them a few days to see how they do. If you do have a ferret shelter near you, it would be a good idea to join it. They can give you a lot of helpful advice and it's nice to have people to talk 'ferret talk'. A lot of them will board ferrets for a small fee when you go on vacation.
I hope I've helped a little. Good luck!
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Kat
Ferret mom to Jasmine and Daffy
A Cheesehead from Wisconsin

I take her out for about three hours on a school day but some times when i have catacism i only take out for 1 or 2 and on the weekends or on holidays i take out for about 5 hrs. Her upstairs cage is a super pet one that is about 3 ft wide 2 ft deep and about 3 ft high, her downstairs one is one that me and my dad made of wood but the wodd is coverd by like plexiglass kind of stuff its 3' wide 2 feet deep and 6 feet high (the cage is only 4'5 because we have a drawer at the bottom) but that one she can't go in for a couple days cuz the calking glue started to come of and her pee is starting to go through.

Getting her out for only an hour is not really much time. I know you mentioned she usually gets out more, but on those days she stays in the cage for 23 hrs, it might be bothering her. She needs play time with you too. If she doesn't get enough people contact, they can start biting again because of loniness and anxioty or just forgetting how to play with humans. If your parents ok it, it would really be nice to get her a playmate. But they still need running around time outside of the cage. You mentioned you had plexiglass on one of the cages. You should really have something like chicken/rabbit wire. They need venilation. You also mentioned a glue coming out and her pee goes thru. Doesn't she have a litter box in that cage? They really need that.
A couple of things I forgot to mention before that can cause problems. Don't use a clumping litter. It can get stuck in their eyes, nose, rectum and other places that are moist. If they eat it, it can swell up inside and cause a bowel obstruction. Don't use any pine or cedar products for their bedding.
By the way, have you noticed a waxy substance and bumps on her tail? You mentioned she was losing hair and biting her tail. Just wondering.
Enjoy your furball!
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Kat
Ferret mom to Jasmine and Daffy
A Cheesehead from Wisconsin

yes its kinda waxy and has bumps, she has a litter box and i had her going in it for a while but then when i had to change the newspaper she stopped i use newspaper because anyother litter just gets throne eyerwhere or if im washing her hammock slept in. i dont use any wood chips.she also has been biting her legs and now she has a tiny tiny patch that just has the white under fur also on her belly she had a brown stripe but now shes losing that stripe and she has no hair along that stripe im supposed to be going to the vet with her next month because my mom says i have to pay for all her expenses (toys,food, treats and vet bills) and its kinda hard when you're 13 and trying to save up 60 bucks canadian.(is that usually how much it costs thats what my mom told me but i dont know she was just guessing because the last time we went she had to get x-rays (30 bucks a piece and they charged us for 1 that they screwed up on) she had to go last time because she had eaten some erasers that she stashed in her cage while i wasn't watching so she had to get a barrium. Do gastronomical ulcers cause ferrets to lose hair on their bellies cuz the vet said she had one but we got meds for that.

Ulcers do not cause fur loss. She is most likely just going through seasonal coat change. That will make her itchy and does sometimes cause blackheads on the tail. Since it's a seasonal change they may go away on their own. If not or if they're really bothering her or you, get some Phisoderm and wash her tail with it. It's over-the-counter and only costs few dollars. "Blowing coat" does make them itchy, the easiest thing to do is pluck all the loose fur and help her that way. Give lots of lax so that you don't end up with another obstruction. It'll all be over in a week or two.

If you are really concerned about ulcers the signs are: teeth grinding, pawing at the mouth, not eating, and weight loss. Right now, your ferret should be gaining weight to keep her warm for the winter months. She should also be getting a nice, new, thick fur coat. I live in the deep south and my ferrets are already getting nicely fat & furry.
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I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it.

I think that fur loss is from the coat change too. It's really important to keep things out of their reach. Anything they can carry, they will. Rubberbands are also really bad. Remember, don't add fabric softener or those detergants that say they have bleach that's safe for colors. Just use a regular laundry detergent.
I think just a regular check up would cost about $60 (Canadian). If you get meds or x-rays that's always more. If you wanted a ferret, I think your parents are doing a good thing in showing you that you have to take care of your pets. They're loving little fuzzies that need to be taken care of. Maybe the cost of getting another one might be too much, so try to give her as much time as you can. They usually love being with people.
As for using newspaper instead of litter, that's fine as long as you don't use the shiney colored ads. Leave a little of her poop on the new newspaper you use. That way she'll know she's gone in that area. This will make it easier for you to clean when she goes in a litter box.
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Kat
Ferret mom to Jasmine and Daffy
A Cheesehead from Wisconsin

Hissing just means she's excited, nothing to worry about. Your ferret is young and needs a lot of playtime. Another ferret might not be a bad idea.
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I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it.