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[ZaraRaEchidna]

172,156

Oh, no - they do play bite, which is usually nips! No, these bites I'm talking about can come out of poor behavioural training in their youths - which is common with rescues - they will clamp down, and not let go! I knew Saskia was a biter, because when I visited her for the first time at the rescue centre, she latched on and would not let go - bit down to the bone! And I knew that I wanted her, because I knew that other people wouldn't get how to handle her! -- The rest of the bites after that were all on my head, I don't blame her for a second 
She is one of the most loving ferrets! But she loves in a way that is completely different to others. The most energetic ferret in the world, she loves her playtime, and makes happy 'dook' noises as she springs around! My late Eddie used to drape himself around my shoulders like a fancy scarf, and go to sleep.. That alarmed visitors to the house for a while - "are you wearing fur? ERK! It's looking at me!" -- That's just Eddie!

Every ferret is different - but I think it's always important to remember that a ferret can, at any moment, bite down to the bone!  even just out of surprise or shock - sometimes it's purely an accident!

[PotatoFur]

172,157

It's really sweet that you adopted her anyway! I know that, at least where I live, people tend not to adopt any animal that isn't/doesn't behave "normal", so I always feel bad for rescues in my area. Also, Eddie draping himself around your shoulders sounds adorable!   

[ZaraRaEchidna]

172,158

Some people want animals just to fulfil a specific niche of companionship, I reckon... I like to imagine the autonomy of the animal itself; making them happy is what makes me happy  Saskia Kelly, I wouldn't have traded her for any ferret in the world - I'm only sad that I had to hand her over to my mother! (Who is even nuttier than I am about ferrets and their health & husbandry!)

Oh, Eddie was the sweetest little thing! He used to sleep on my lap, too, whilst I watched anime - usually Initial D, at that time. He was an old chappie - I'd never seen a greying ferret before that, bless his little cotton socks. His late brother Richie was just as sweet - but not as cuddly! He had his own unique quirks 

[PotatoFur]

172,159

Aw, what kind of quirks did Richie have? 

[ZaraRaEchidna]

172,160

Oh, he was such a sweetie, but SO MISCHEVIOUS! That boy had worked out how to open cupboards - we had to find all of the old child safety locks!  Oh, he was a clever cookie - you'd look away for five seconds, and he'd be climbing up onto the table! I've never had a ferret work out how to do that since. He also used to climb up my leg, so I'd put on sweatpants so he could get up there - he couldn't latch onto jeans and the likes, so if I wore sweatpants, he could hook his claws on and climb up to see me  and then, no doubt, disappear up inside of my jumper!  No, he was not a shoulder sitter at all, Richie!

This is actually a gif of Richie, having a dream 

[PotatoFur]

172,161

Aww, he looks adorable! I wonder what he's dreaming about...

Out of curiosity, did it hurt whenever he climbed up you? His claws don't look that sharp, but I've learnt the hard way that looks can be deceiving when it comes to pets...

[ZaraRaEchidna]

172,162

No doubt dreaming about nicking my wallet! He used to love chewing on silicone rubber, which is so very dangerous! And I had a wallet at that time which was silicone rubber.. so he'd steal it from me, if he found it in my bag! Cheeky little thing he was!

Humm - it didn't hurt! But ferret claws can give you a graze, if you're not careful - they're burrowing animals, so you have to imagine they have powerful paws for scooping out dirt! I've never been made to bleed by a ferret's claws, but it can leave you with raised grazes - like, you know when something scrapes you, but it doesn't cut you? Like that!

[PotatoFur]

172,163

I feel like all pets have a natural instinct to take things that they're not supposed to! I mean, dogs take shoes, cats dig through garbage (at least mine does anyway  ), and ferrets take... wallets I guess? 

[ZaraRaEchidna]

172,164

My mammy once had a Jack Russel Terrier who stole loo rolls when he was a puppy! Jasper, his name was. I'd love a little JRT myself 

Ferrets... Take EVERYTHING! Oh, Jakie & Gordon, my mammy's two most active ferrets (Gordon used to be my little boy! Jakie's all hers) -- They love these squeaky toy balls! Byron used to adore them, too - but oh, Gordon, Gordon goes CRAZY for them until he's stashed them behind the sofa! It's like every little thought in his little fuzzy brain gets immediatley reprogrammed with 'BALL!!!' -- it's incredible! You have to be careful, or else he'll jump off of things without looking first - and he WILL scale you to get to it! Never seen a ferret so determinedly crazed! 

Sometimes, my mammy will move the sofa forwards, and all kinds of stolen bits and bobs will come out.. Squeaky balls, socks, the cat's toys -- NOT wallets this time around, that was little Richie's speciality -- but just about everything else!

Meanwhile little Saskia Kelly could not care LESS about stashing! She likes chasing - the second it's been given the 'killing blow', she'll wander away!  That's COLD, Saskia!

[PotatoFur]

172,165

My dog does that as well! I guess it really is universal...   

With all the chaos the ferrets seem to causing, I gotta know: did/do you guys just let them run around your home as they please, or do you contain the beasts in specific room(s)? 

[ZaraRaEchidna]

172,166

Oh! They sleep in their outdoor hutches most of the day - ferrets sleep for 18-20 hours - and the other few precious hours, they'll do two hours of chaotic supervised play around (most of) the house, then sleepily wander about and nap confined to one room 
So yeah, lots of work - it's almost worse than watching toddlers! But so worth it.

[PotatoFur]

172,167

Whoa, I wish I could sleep that long lol.

I wonder what it's like when an already crazy ferret gets the zoomies! 

[ZaraRaEchidna]

172,168

That -is- their zoomies!  Though an even better answer would be their 'weasel war dance' - SO cute, they bounce around and make little 'dook' noises!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwZruHxWP60