Your ferret will probably struggle and try to move around. Don’t be alarmed. You are not hurting the ferret.
Your ferret may go to sleep if you leave it in the cage for too long during time out. Your ferret needs to associate the cage with punishment, not with nap time.
Think of your ferret as a child that you love but are trying to discipline. You want to be seen as a loving, caring authority figure.
Never directly spray your ferret. You can also put some of the spray on a Q-tip and put it in the ferret’s mouth when it starts to bite. [9] X Research source Bitter Apple also comes in a paste. This is helpful if your ferret likes to bite cords or their cage bars. Apply the paste to the item to deter the ferret from biting.
Hold the ferret so it is unable to bite you. Keep holding it even if it squirms. Put the kit down once it stops squirming. Praise the kit and tell it how good it has been.
Adult ferrets bite much harder than kits, but still try to provide as much skin to fur contact as possible. Adult ferrets may be suspicious and nervous when being handled.
Feed your ferret out of your hands and reward calm behavior. Once your ferret is used to eating out of your hands, you can start picking the ferret up. Keep your training sessions short at first. Progressively lengthen the time of your sessions as the ferret becomes more comfortable with you.
Reward calm behavior with treats and kind words. [16] X Research source If the ferret begins to bite during play, stop playing.
If your ferret bites to get your attention, ignore the ferret. If your ferret bites you when it is ready to put it down, hold the ferret for a few seconds longer before you put it down. Putting down the ferret right after it bites you will reinforce the behavior. Some ferrets do not like being held for long periods of time, pay attention to how your ferret responds.
