Ferret Behavior : Observed Rules, Dooks and Don'ts |
Ferrets Seem to have a Code of Behavior All Their Own. I don't claim to understand it, nor do I want to, but I sure watching them display their own unique brands of behavior! Be sure to read the Extreme Weezils' Ferret Code of (mis)Conduct for more Extreme Weezil Ways .... You MIGHT not want YOUR fuzzy to read it ...
[ Biting, Nipping, "Lick, Lick, CHOMP!" ] ... [ Ferrets are Collectors : or, "Stop, thief!" ] ... [ Dooking and other Ferrety Noises ]... [ Digging Tendencies ] ... [ War Dancing ]... [ Wrestling ] ... [ Itching and Scratching ] ...
Each day my six ferrets do something to make me smile, laugh, scream then laugh, yell then laugh, get angry then smile, and even watch helplessly as they destroy things, which makes ME feel awful because I know they didn't mean to, and didn't that make a cool noise? POPCORN! POPCORN! RABIES! RABIES! see the Ferret Glossary to find out what the heck that means.... |
All Ferrets Have Attention Deficit Disorder One thing to keep in mind at all times when your ferret does something silly, seriously stupid, or frustratingly destructive is that they all seem to have a major lack of attention spans, what was that noise? can I have some of that? what's down the hall? hey look, a tube! [example of thought patterns of a ferret, frighteningly similar to my own...] |
Almost all mammal babies bite and nip as a general learning tool and natural way of communicating. However, once ferrets learn that biting gets a response, even if it is a bad one, they will never forget it. The trick is to stop the positive association between biting and whatever response the ferret deems a reward. This has got to be the most frustrating and painful [both physical AND emotional .... many times I mistakenly had myself convinced that I was being bitten because my ferrets did not love me] behavior to change.
However, with a little patience, time, and determination, plus a lot of love, hope, and belief that your biter is a wonderful ferret despite the puncture wounds all over your arms and legs.... There are quite a few ways to tackle this challenge. Bitter apple applied to the skin that usually gets chomped on works as a bad-tasting deterrent for ferrets, but the ones that DO NOT bite end up associating you with an icky taste as well! We have several ferrets that lick us in a friendly way, and that would be a shame to lose! Another way is to put Ferretone or other treat on the target skin: you will be licked a lot but rarely chomped ... I like using Ferretone because it has all kinds of skin-softening oils in it and smells nice, making it a moisturizer, subtle perfume, and ferret friend-maker all at once! |
Endless Curiosity combined with Exceptional Memories Ferrets seem to have the best memories I have personally witnessed in any other animal, and some people I know! Door or cabinet shut? Gotta see what is behind there! Box on the floor? Gotta see what is in it! Bag of trash waiting to go out to the dumpster? Gotta dig into it just in case of hidden treasures .... The only saving grace here is that along with curiosity and never forgetting where the good stuff is hidden, ferrets seem plagued with attention deficit disorder, having the attention span of a two year old or a hard-core MTV viewer .... |
Extremely Short Attention Spans or BORED EASILY As stated above, ferrets seem to have virtually no attention span. This is both a positive and negative trait. The need for constant and ever-changing environments and games to play may present a challenge, but in the middle of getting into potentially harmful or even fatal trouble ferrets are known to get tired of what they are doing and seek other things to do. CAGE STRESS: Ferrets need to have a place to hide from the world inside their cage or sleeping/living quarters plus ample play time and attention or they will get destructive. If your ferret is tipping the litter box upside-down, digging food out of the bowl, biting or scratching at the cage bars or door, then he may be in dire need of something to do or someone to play with, preferably both. I am a firm advocate of having AT LEAST TWO FERRETS AT A TIME TO AVOID LONELINESS AND BOREDOM.
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When we were finalizing the adoption of Sasha [along with Basil and Raven, see the Shelter page for more...] we were given the only information her original owners provided to the shelter operator : Sasha was a thief and therefore no longer wanted. I did not know whether to laugh or cry. ALL FERRETS have kleptomaniac tendencies, from ferret toys to video tapes, cat toys to potatoes, if they are interested and the object is portable, it will be whisked away by a happy ferret. We have several Hidey-Holes throughout the house: under the sectional couch, in and behind the drawers within the bed frame, and all around the ferret room. |
Dooking and other Ferrety Noises Cats meow, dogs bark, birds chirp, and ferrets DOOK! When we first saw this word we had no idea what to make of it. After hearing our ferrets make that wonderfully happy chortling, clucking sound we finally understood! Whenever the ferrets get near the cats, get excited, or just are having a wild time wrestling, war dancing, or other ferrety activities, they sometimes dook. Ferrets make another "happy noise" which I have seen called several different names, the most fitting being HeeHeeing. HeeHeeing is a sound like a ferret rapidly breathing in and out in an almost asthmatic, panting fashion. This is, along with dooking, mostly an expression of joy and a way of ferrets to say, "Hey, I'm having a lot of fun right now, WHOOO - HOOO!" |
Digging Tendencies Ferrets not only love to dig, they are biologically built for it! Their body shape and physiology creates a very efficient tunneling machine. Digging is not only ferrety fun, but is instinctual as well ... So much so that ferrets may have a tendency to dig at the carpet, the floor, their litter box, etc. What do you do to fullfill this desire to dig while saving your floors and your sanity? Although I have seen so many referrals to a rice box, I personally would not use it due to questions of my own that raise doubts about some safety issues. Basically the rice box is a container, large enough to fit a few ferrets, filled up to a quarter to a half with dry, uncooked rice [not instant!] Add a ferret or two, and stand back to watch the digging commence! The Extreme Weezils have their very own REAL dirt box. Instead of getting rid of an old cat litter box, we put it to good use - we filled it about a quarter way full with organic potting soil [why organic? you KNOW those guys are going to end up swallowing some or otherwise internally taking in SOME of the dirt they play in!] and a few rocks from outside. It is messy, but so worth it! There is nothing like seeing your fuzzy light up with joy! |
Weezil War Dancing This ferret dance of joy can be called many things: Ferret Fun Dance, Weezil Waltz, etc. This uniquely ferret activity is, unfortunately, sometimes interpreted as threatening or even a sign of outright menace. I have heard far too many anecdotes of people returning, abandoning, or fearing ferrets because of this jubilant expression of ferrety bliss. A typical Weezil War Dance looks like this: the ferret will seem to attempt to move in several different directions simultaneously; backward, forward, side to side; while throwing his head back, mouth open, and even moving his head side to side while making a variety of ferret noises. While each ferret has their own brand of war dancing, they all seem to do it at least occasionally.... |
Weezil Wrestling This behavior is exhibited only when two or more ferrets live together and have interaction with each other. Although as common as any other uniquely ferrety behavior, this can also be misunderstood and downright frightening to those humans who do not understand it .... Like so many siblings across all species of mammals, ferrets will play rough with each other in the form of Weezil Wrestling. Unlike other mammals, however, ferrets seem to be a bit rougher, at least as far as domestic or companion animals are concerned. I have seen one ferret dragging another ferret by the neck, the face, etc. across the floor while the ferret being dragged seems to squeal in protest. Like any concerned mom, I have broken up this type of activity, only to find most times that the drag-ee turns around and jumps on the drag-er for more ferrety fun. The only time breaking things up in Weezil Wrestling is absolutely necessary, in most cases, is when one ferret is making a blood curdling screetching noise that is quite different than any other noise ferrets make... |
Itching and Scratching This behavior is still a mystery, for the most part, to myself and my husband, but it should be mentioned.... All six of our ferrets go into these frantic scratching fits, sometimes making dooking noises or other chortling sounds. All the references I have seen so far offer little if any explanation of this behavior, or contradict each other somehow. As long as fleas or scabbing are not evident, itching and scratching can be almost expected .... |
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