Home arrow Articles arrow Care and Maintenance arrow What to expect when you are expecting a kit
What to expect when you are expecting a kit


Nip training 101

One of the calls I field most frequently after a kit goes home is about nipping.  Most people understand that they will go through a nipping phase and know some of the techniques to dealing with it. There is not a breeder or book that does not discuss it at length. Yet when that kit gets a good bite in, all of that tends to go out the window. All kits will go through a nipping stage starting at about 8-9 weeks old that can last for several months. It is important to teach your ferret not to bite during this time.  It can be a difficult stage to deal with and frustrating as well.  But, just like a puppy, they will out grow it with time and proper training.

Body language

I feel that learning your new ferret's body language can help you read your ferrets mood. From this we learn when they may be  more likely to bite, when they are feeling playful, or when a good snuggle is in order.

A kit that is walking around with a big, bushy tail like a bottle brush is probably feeling excited or surprised, even a little scared, they may hiss.  This may not be the best time to look for a cuddling; session, you may get bitten. Approach a  ferret like this slowly and give it a little time to gather  it's self first.

A kit that is arching its back, hopping up and down while dooking, with or without its mouth open, is doing a war dance.  This is usually an excited display looking to engage someone in playing.  For a kit that is not trained, playing will involve improper biting, just as it would bite it's siblings.  This can be a great time to play with it's with a toy, dangling a sock to bite and steal,etc. Just do not use your hand.  They are not looking for cuddles at this time either.

A good rule of thumb is to give the kits a good hour or two of outside of the cage play time before trying to love on them.  Remember that they are not like cats and will never just want to sit quietly on your lap. As they start to tire out this is a great time to get some cuddles in and work on your nip training.  They will be less likely to nip and happy to just sit in your arms, for a few seconds anyway.

Training Tips

Kits are testing and exploring their environment, and it is our job to let them know that biting us the way they would bite a sibling is not acceptable. If you get nipped remember to remain calm; just like with kids you do not want to react out of anger.

Scruff your ferret by the neck and say a sharp ,“no”!

 If they continue you a can use the scruff and drag method in which you scruff them by the neck and drag them across the floor.

 I find timeouts in the cage to allow them to calm down can help; this works well if they are very excited or a little scared.

I myself have never sprayed a ferret with water, but some people have used it with success.  My ferrets love to play in water and would not be turned off by it, but would instead get excited.

 Spraying bitter apple on your hands or a mild hot sauce can work.

 I have even heard of biting them back, but I would get the full information on this technique before using it as you do not want to hurt your ferret.

Lets not forget the old nose flick. This one is not really used anymore as you could hurt them.

I am sure there are many more that I am just now forgetting. There are many different ways to nip train and not all of them work for every one.  Always get the full information on a technique before trying it, if your are unsure ask your breeder or veterinarian. The important thing is not to give up and remember that it is only a phase they will out grow of and move on to bigger and more destructive behaviors.