How Can I Calm My Hyper Ferret?

Ferrets are a popular pet which provide a loving alternative to cats or dogs. A member of the the family of mammals commonly referred to as weasels, ferrets have been domesticated in various parts of the world for thousands of years. Originally used for hunting small game such as rabbits or moles, ferrets are now seen mainly as pets. However, due to their intelligence and natural curiosity, many ferrets can become hyper and unmanageable. This can lead to such undesired behavior as biting or clawing.

Things You'll Need

  • Animal training clicker
  • Bag of treats
Show More

Instructions

  1. Calming Your Ferret

    • 1

      Remove any children from the room. Since ferrets often nip people when they are excited, it is best to remove any children to avoid injury. Make sure there are no places for the ferret to hide in which you can not reach. Carefully and forcefully pick up the ferret by the scruff of the neck. This is known as scruffing, and mimics how mother ferrets carry their young. This will cause the ferret to go limp, and often causes the ferret to yawn.

    • 2

      Once the ferret is completely calm, set the animal down. Immediately use the clicker to signal through the noise that you are happy with the ferret's behavior. Feed the ferret a treat immediately after using the training clicker. This signals through positive reinforcement that both the click and the treat are responses for desired behavior.

    • 3
      With training, ferret's make excellent pets.

      Repeat this routine whenever your ferret is hyper. Constant reinforcement will teach your ferret that it is rewarded for calmness. You must be consistent in order for the ferret to learn its boundaries of acceptable behavior. Slowly phase out the use of treats, instead using petting or rubbing as positive reinforcement to the clicker. With time, you will be able to phase out the use of the clicker as well, as your ferret seeks to please you.