While many people have a place in their hearts for ferrets, there are many people who still consider them rodents. Those people who keep ferrets as pets generally know that taking care of their furry friends is much more than just giving them food and water. Providing food, water, and shelter are the basic elements of ferret care, but they have some other needs that are not so easy to meet. Almost all ferrets will display some behavior problems and whether or not you choose to curb these behaviors is up to you. However, these issues are something that you will eventually have to deal with.

One of the most common problems that you will have to deal with is biting. While biting is little more than a nuisance in a young ferret, serious problems can occur as your ferret ages. You may be wondering what you can do to ensure that you have a well-behaved ferret. First, you can use positive reinforcement. When you play with your ferret and it doesn’t bite, give your pet a treat. This is a great way to reinforce positive behavior and will give them something to look forward to each time playtime is over.

Another method you can try is to punish your ferret like a mother ferret would. If your ferret bites, lift it by the neck and say “no.” This is exactly what a mother ferret would do. Since it is a natural behavior, the lesson will assimilate eventually.

Many people will treat a misbehaving ferret like a misbehaving cat. Stop playing the game completely and ignore it, but make sure you come back later. Over time, your pet will learn that he is doing something wrong and will work to please him.

Another problem that is common with ferrets and other small animals is digging in their food bowl. This is a natural behavior and many animals will do it on occasion. The easiest solution is to use a smaller food bowl so they can’t dig into it. But beware, there are other antics that can go inside his cage.

You can find your ferret by rearranging everything in its cage. Again, what you do about it is entirely up to you. Using food and water bowls that stick securely to the side of the cage will work, but it doesn’t fully address the cause of the problem. Ferrets do this to show their owners that they are bored.

If you have a ferret that is going crazy from boredom, you should get some fun cage toys. Things like tubes and balls are a lot of fun for playful little ferrets. Not only will it keep them busy and happy, but you’ll also have fun watching their antics. Caring for ferrets can be a lot of fun as long as you know how to manage their behavior.