Ferret Behavior

7 Tips On How To Understand Your Ferret

What does it take to be a responsible ferret owner? Know your pets’ behavior well enough so that you don’t go crazy over something normal. This can also help you in paying attention to troubling signs. Here are some common ferret behavior patterns that are worth knowing.

 Dooking

Don’t be alarmed. They’re not here to scare you. Dooking is a chortling, clucking sound they produce when they are having a good time. ¹ Whenever they get excited or whenever they’re doing fun activities, they dook! ²

 Sounds other than Dooking

Hissing, barking, screeching and whining are other sounds that you’ll hear from your ferret. These may indicate that it is annoyed or mad. It can also mean that they are in pain, are frightened or are plainly asking for attention. ³ If they make any of these noises, “make sure you know why and assist them if they are in danger.” ⁴

Toe Nipping

When young, ferrets have a tendency to nip your toes, thinking that it’s just another ferret in disguise. Because this hurts, discourage this behavior by saying a firm NO. Wearing socks are a nice option, too. ⁵

Dance of Joy and War Dancing

Both involve jumping and bouncing off furniture. These are done with the ferret having “stiff legs, arched back, open mouth and swinging head.”⁶ They may look the same but they have different intentions.  Dance of Joy, well, is a dance of happiness and excitement while War dancing is done with hissing instead of dooking. The latter means stay back first until the ferret becomes comfortable again. ⁷

Wrestling

When introduced to a new ferret, they tend to play it rough. “It looks a lot like fighting but it’s just the usual wrestling ferrets do.” ⁸ This involves “squeaking, hissing and intense wrestling holds plus neck biting” but note that they are just playing. How will you know if it’s the real thing? As long as there is no blood, poops or screams, then they are just fine. ⁹

Itching and Scratching

Scratching is considered as a normal behavior. However, if they’re doing too much of scratching, then something might be wrong. Check for fleas, shampoo irritation, allergies, and other skin irritations. Poor diet can also be a factor. Consulting a veterinarian for medications would be the best option. ¹⁰

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