While many people have a place in their hearts for ferrets, there are plenty of people who still think of them as rodents. People who keep ferrets as pets generally know that there is much more to caring for their furry friends than just providing food and water. Providing food, water, and shelter are the basics of caring for ferrets, but they have some other needs that are not so easy to meet. Almost all ferrets will display some behavioral problems and whether or not you decide to curb these behaviors is up to you. However, these issues are something you will eventually have to deal with.

One of the most common problems you will have to deal with is biting. While biting is little more than an annoyance in a young ferret, serious problems can occur as your ferret gets older. You may be wondering what you can do to ensure you have a well-behaved ferret. First of all, 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 whenever playtime is over.

Another method you can try is to punish your ferret like a mother ferret would. If your ferret bites, pick him up by the scruff of his neck and tell him “no.” This is just what a mother ferret would do. Since it is a natural behavior, the lesson will sink in over time.

Many people will treat a misbehaving ferret like a misbehaving cat. Quit playing completely and ignore it, but be sure to come back later. Eventually, your pet will learn that she is doing something wrong and will work to please you.

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 from time to time. The easiest solution is to use a smaller sized food bowl so they can’t dig into it. But beware, there are other mischief that can occur inside his cage.

You may find your ferret rearranging everything in his cage. Again, what you do about it is totally up to you. Using food and water bowls that are securely attached to the side of the cage will work, but will not completely fix the cause of the problem. Ferrets do this to show their owners that they are bored.

If you have a ferret that misbehaves out of boredom, you should buy him some fun cage toys. Things like tubes and balls are great fun for playful little ferrets. Not only will it keep them busy and happy, but you’ll have a blast watching their antics. Ferrets can be a lot of fun to care for, as long as you know how to manage their behavior.