I received a call one day to come and get 2 ferrets that the owners could no longer keep. They were moving, they said, & the place didn't allow pets. I agreed to meet them & take the fuzzies so I could find them a new home.
The man & his wife seemed to be nice people. It was the man who cared so deeply about the ferrets, or, at least, one of them. His wife couldn't wait to get rid of them & leave. That really didn't surprise me , as some folks have a hard time with goodbyes, & want to get it over with as fast as possible. Later, I realized why she was in a hurry. They did say that Pharoh bit once in a while, but they thumped his nose til he sneezed & sprayed him with bitter apple & this would make him behave. There was nothing I could say, I just wanted to take the babies & run.
Naturally, I couldn't wait to see the fuzzies. They were each in his own pet taxi. The man took the 1st out & showed me Ceasar, a light beige with a lighter blaze on his head, then he showed me Pharoh (Jaws), a chocolate siamese. I took Jaws & held him, & it really didn't strike me at the time, but the man stayed a distance away. He had tears in his eyes as he left. His wife said nothing. It seemed as if Ceasar was the favorite since the guy held him, all the while telling me about the fuzzies. After they left, I threw the bitter apple away. I've never used, nor will I use that junk. (Especially after what Jaws had been thru.)
These 2 guys had no idea how ferrets really act. Ceasar thought he had to stay in your lap til you were ready to let him down, he didn't even know how to climb. Neither of them did the weasel dance, nor would they play chase, ect. The 1st time Jaws bit me, he'd been in my arms about 5 mins. After he bit, he cringed, squinched up his little face, tensed up & waited. When I told him, Oh!, Don't Bite so Hard!!! & did nothing else, he looked confused. I let him down a min later, after petting him a bit longer. After about 2 more episodes of this, he seemed to become enraged, biting & trying to rip the mouthful of flesh from me, I suppose because I wasn't reacting in a manner he was use to.
He began attacking & biting the cage everytime anyone came near. After being badly bitten several times, I resorted to welding gloves. I have NEVER seen ANY animal as enraged & afraid as he was. His name quickly became Jaws. After about 2 weeks, I removed Ceasar & placed him in a seperate cage, as Jaws seem to become more vicious toward him. Jaws was moved to a smaller cage & placed up at eye level. Each time I went near his cage, I would speak to him & give him Ferretvite or Nutrical.
As time passed, he became calmer. He quit attacking the cage bars & I could let him out for some play time by himself as long as I had on shoes, that is. For about 5months, I never touched him without the welding gloves. I started using only one glove & touching him with a bare hand, being very careful to keep from getting bit. He managed to grab the bare hand one day & as I yelled for help to make him let go, he let go. Hubby & I held him & fed him half a tube of Nutrical & petted him, telling him how good he was for letting go & not bringing too much blood. (Which was a GREAT improvement)
One day I discovered his love of raisins. I let him have all that he would eat, much to his surprise. This seemed to help a little, but when he caught me eating chocolate , that was the kicker. For once in his life he got ALL he wanted. The turning point had already come, but it got even better when his toenail got hung in some bedding. We were there to rescue him, it hurt him so much that he was whimpering as we got him lose. Slowly, I began to take him in & out of his cage barehanded. Wonder of Wonders!!!!!!!!!! He DIDN'T try to bite.
Yesterday, he actually gave his 1ST KISS to hubby. I'm wondering when I'll get one. He allows me to hold him now & love on him without biting. He is now allowed out with Ceasar, Kazi, & Tequila. He & Ceasar have learned the weasel war dance, how to climb, how to play chase & how to ask to go back to their cages when they've had enough playtime. I no longer give Jaws chocolate, but he gets raisins, ferretvite & nutrical when he asks. For raisins, he'll set up just like a squirrel, so naturally, I know what THAT means.
This is not the END, it is the BEGINNING of a new life for my darling Jaws. He no longer bites, now he is the most loving, sweet ferret anyone could hope to have. It is difficult to believe that this is the same enraged, abused animal that I first came into contact with. It has been worth every drop of my blood & all the scars to see the complete change in him. He no longer fears that he will be abused, & he has found that he is safe & loved & can give love in return.
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