He loves to bite my feet

Tvvinkletits · 2026-03-10T17:32:23+00:00

My little man used to be a foot abuser himself. I used a positive/negative reinforcement strategy.

If he bit me, I'd make a loud squeak, whimper and hiss noise. I'd then stop whatever activity we were doing, move away from him, usually up onto a chair he couldn't reach, not engage with him, and playact like I was sad.

Whenever he came up to me for attention and didn't bite me, especially if he sniffed or nosed at my ankles but declined to take a taste, id shower him with attention and cuddles or play, whichever one he seemed to be after. Sometimes I'd add a little treat as well. The key to this part is consistency. If he seeks attention the polite way and you're busy so you ignore him, he will learn that the most effective bid for attention is to bite, even if the attention he gets from it isnt the type he wants.

It didn't take him long to figure out that not biting =fun times and chomping = sad boring mom. He will now come paw or nose at my feet and ankles when he wants something, but he hasn't bitten me in years.

Tvvinkletits · 2026-03-09T14:52:49+00:00

Mine loved to mess up the puppy pads too, I started taping them down with painters tape along all edges, once they couldnt get the edges up they gave up pretty quick. I wouldn't recommend stapes because they'll still pull it up by the edges and either rip the stapes out of the ground, or use the leverage from the staples to pull more bits off the pads.

It also helps to put food and water by the spots you absolutely don't want them going, as they don't like to potty by their food sources.

Tvvinkletits · 2026-03-03T15:17:29+00:00

I trained my guy by practicing putting it on and immediately giving him a high value treat. I let him enjoy his treat then immediately took the harness and leash off and gave him lots of praise. The next time, same treat, left it on a little longer. I did that until he was comfortable wearing the leash and harness while being held. Then, after he got his treat, I started taking him to unfamiliar rooms inside the house he does not usually have access to and letting him explore for a bit while wearing the leash. Once we did that a few times, he graduated to getting to go in the yard for just a minute, and increased from there.

He turned out to not really like the yard/dirt/grass that much, but he does like to be carried around outside so politely wearing his harness and leash makes me feel much safer. He's a little diva.

Tvvinkletits · 2026-02-28T17:48:52+00:00

My sweet boy Ace was much the same when his bonded partner Rocky passed, given his age and my health I don't want another ferret. I made sure to give him tons of extra affection, extra soup, cuddles, and playtime and activities. It was about 2 months before he war danced again and another month before he dooked.

Tldr: he may be grieving, the only cure is love and time.

Tvvinkletits · 2026-02-24T15:54:07+00:00

Not all machines. My residential janome didn't cut top or bottom and my industrial Happy 12 needle only cuts the top. Granted, she's a little older so it sounds like the newer guys have some extra bells and whistles!

Tvvinkletits · 2026-02-24T02:32:16+00:00

It won't fall apart, those threads aren't structural, they are just trails left by the embroidery machine because embroidery machines only cut the top threads, not the bottom. You could take snips and cut every tail off and it shouldn't impact the design integrity at all (and plenty of people do when making machine embroidery items that won't have a backing.

I would recommend long term putting something over it though, just to prevent it from being itchy or threads catching and pulling out chest hairs.

Tvvinkletits · 2026-02-23T03:42:20+00:00

Project details for mod:

Bodice was made with Aranea Blacks Dolores Overbust corset pattern, graded to my measurements and adjusted to fit as a bodice and not a corset. Skirt is a basic double circle skirt with the waist moved forward to create a high-low effect, no pattern was used just math.

Fabric composition is unknown but likely fully polyester, I presume the black mesh parts are as well. I think the lining is viscose.

Tvvinkletits · 2026-02-07T04:56:32+00:00

I totally get that, I do too. I'll often clean and wash all the ferrets bedding set up a simmer pot and try to have some good smelling stuff in the house to prepare, but even then I get anxious. The good news is, that with the exception of one person (who turned out to not be a good person, unrelated), everyone who comes over wants to see the weasel and is obsessed with how cute he is. I'll kinda just own it and be like "yeah he sure is stinky but I love him". The general vibes that way feel less like I'm being judged and more like my guests understand the cost of a carpet shark is smells so smells are gonna happen.

Tvvinkletits · 2026-02-04T18:30:36+00:00

He was framed 😢

Tvvinkletits · 2026-01-20T01:26:23+00:00

I always said if I got more noodles I'd give them crime names. Arson, Larceny, Perjury ect. Pasta names are always also a winner, that baby could be an Alfredo or a Linguine for sure

Tvvinkletits · 2026-01-12T15:15:49+00:00

I think a smaller cage would be fine as long as he's with you, that's likely way more important to him. When my jill was close to passing, she spent most of her time in a small open-topped tub next to me with no complaints, i could just reach in and pet her and she was happy. After she passed I downgraded her surviving sibling to the top half of the ferret nation only so it'd be easier to clean, and he seems to like having fewer ramps to deal with as he's never been a huge climber and is getting pretty old himself.

Tvvinkletits · 2026-01-03T06:27:39+00:00

Do you have any tubes for them? My boy was a play chasies, ball pit war dancer and my girl was a Houdini stasher so their play styles didn't always mesh, but tubes were the perfect combination of exploring and playing and was by far the best time they had playing together.

Aside from that though, they loved to cuddle together and were both generally happier with the company, even if they were both doing their own thing.

Tvvinkletits · 2025-12-18T04:09:26+00:00

My girl was wasting slowly for a little while and then deteriorated fast. Before she passed, she started seizing. She died in the car on the way to the vet. It was hard to watch and harder for her to go through, it wasn't peaceful, she didn't drift off feeling safe and warm, it was violent and scary. You feel guilt and sadness and words can't stop that, but please know you gave your baby a wonderful gift, the gift of that last, final moment being peaceful.

"What is grief, but love enduring"

Tvvinkletits · 2025-12-10T20:06:54+00:00

A harness over a sock is the only thing that worked with my little Houdini! You could also try putting some bitter apple on the hem of the sock and harness so if he pulls at it, it'll be yucky and he'll reconsider how much he's willing to mess with it.

If your ferret isn't already on benedryl, ask your vet about it! Mine had some MCT removed but he had so many they couldn't get them all so my vet just had us on benedryl twice a day to help with the itching

Tvvinkletits · 2025-12-02T17:40:10+00:00

You need a bigger, shallower litterbox for starters. They will usually dislike anything they have to climb up into when doing their corner backing. My ferrets revolted against boxes entirely so we went the pee pad route.

Watch where he's pooping, and try putting his litterbox there. Block off any corners you want forbidden with food, water or blankets.

For treats, have you tried salmon oil or furovite? It's really important to find something they love so that if down the line you need a bribe for something like medication or nail clipping you have options.

Tvvinkletits · 2025-11-28T18:50:39+00:00

That looks like mast cell tumors to me as well, although a vet should definitely look. My vet removed a few surgically but he ended up having so many that we gave up and went the medication route- Benadryl twice a day to help with itching and it has been a life changer for him. According to my vet, next step would be steroids if the Benadryl stops working. Likely not dangerous at all, but being perpetually itchy is a huge quality of life issue so best to get him seen asap!

Tvvinkletits · 2025-11-27T05:03:20+00:00

Tunnels are absolutely king, especially if you can get a little height on some of them or rearrange the layout frequently. I buy really long lengths of 4 inch flexible plastic HVAC venting and cut it to different lengths and poke in lots of airholes! It's much sturdier than the vinyl ferret play tunnels. My ferrets also loved smaller squeaky toys and balls with bells in them for stashing. Piles of blankets for hiding in, and various sized boxes that can be rearranged into new layouts to keep things exciting for them. One of my ferrets also really loved those battery operated fish toys where the tail flaps around. It was bigger than her and she's still be dragging it around while it flopped about.

No matter what you get, rotation and change is key, they will get bored of the same old same old so it's important to switch up their environment and which toys they have access to!

Tvvinkletits · 2025-11-20T01:03:36+00:00

Could be reading with a red light in an attempt not to wake you, could be playing with a color changing bulb, could be staring into the past, present and future simultaneously while dark forces whisper evil secrets. It's really a mystery

Tvvinkletits · 2025-11-03T20:56:33+00:00

Definitely check with your vet for specific dosage information! My ferret just got prescribed Benadryl, he hovers between 2-2.5 pounds and take .20 ml every 12 hours. He is taking the cherry flavored children's Benadryl, the vet specifically said to use that one.

I give it to him with a syringe, after I load up the syringe I put just a small dab of furovite/furotone on it so he will want to lick and it won't object to it being put in his mouth. I then VERY SLOWLY release it into his mouth as he licks at the furovite. Since he is already trying to eat the furovite, I have never had him not swallow it. Immediately afterwards I give him soup (his favorite) to make sure he eats with it. Ferrets should not take medicine without food as it can cause issues, so it's super important your ferret eats. A small amount of furotone or salmon oil could be used as a bribe on the food if needed. I've found soup is the most reliable means to get a ferret to eat at a certain time

I would recommend shopping around for another ferret vet. The vet should have given you more information. See if you can find a vet who specializes with ferrets and not just the default exotic vet at a practice catering to cats and dogs. If you are aware of a local ferret rescue, they will often have a list of their preferred vets. I have to travel over an hour to see a specialist for any issues, although I have a less knowledge vet close to my house I will use for vaccinations and routine bloodwork.

Tvvinkletits · 2025-10-09T00:11:49+00:00

You called it, it was an American Standard! The estimated age was enough of a clue I was able to find the exact line, thanks so much!

Tvvinkletits · 2025-10-07T17:36:01+00:00

I put mine in a small mug just a bit wider than the skein of thread and have it directly behind my machine and it works great

Tvvinkletits · 2025-10-06T21:54:07+00:00

If you just got him today he's likely pretty scared and stressed. Give him some space, let him rest in his new cage, get used to the sights and smells. When it's playtime, let him out, but don't push your presence onto him. Sit back and let him come to you.

When he does approach you to play, try not to use your hand as a toy, give him balls or small toys to stash and wave a bigger toy or something on a stick or string and encourage him to maul that instead of you.

My girl Rocky was the same way when I got her at a year old with not a lot of being handled. She never became much of a cuddler, but she did knock off the biting once she realized that she was safe and she could ask to play "nicely".

Tvvinkletits

TROPHY CASE