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Odd Habit


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Hi guys question my new kit keeps on chewing his feet and does it for ages sometimes. Is this normal behaviour?? I am worried he might hurt himself later on. Cos I have never had any litters, I don't know if this is normal so has anyone observed this in kits? He has just turned 8weeks.

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How long is ages?! Do you see the kit do it constantly or by co-incidence? Is there any damage to the paws it chews? Does it eat, drink, toilet, socialise normally? Is there any mouth/teething issues? Perhaps it's just being a typical baby and doing daft things?! Atb.

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How long is ages?! Do you see the kit do it constantly or by co-incidence? Is there any damage to the paws it chews? Does it eat, drink, toilet, socialise normally? Is there any mouth/teething issues? Perhaps it's just being a typical baby and doing daft things?! Atb.

Since I got him and he does it between being played with and he'll do it for up to an hour unless I stop him. He has a plenty of toys and plays with them lot and yes he appetite is great, drinking normally etc. He is teething at the moment cos I can see his milk teeth and adult ones beginning to emerge so maybe the foot biting is due to this? I have inspected the toes and there's no damage that I can see. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal but a friend's puppy did something similar and the vet said he had a behavioural issue :huh: Worried he'll have the habit when he gets bigger :icon_eek:

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How long is ages?! Do you see the kit do it constantly or by co-incidence? Is there any damage to the paws it chews? Does it eat, drink, toilet, socialise normally? Is there any mouth/teething issues? Perhaps it's just being a typical baby and doing daft things?! Atb.

Since I got him and he does it between being played with and he'll do it for up to an hour unless I stop him. He has a plenty of toys and plays with them lot and yes he appetite is great, drinking normally etc. He is teething at the moment cos I can see his milk teeth and adult ones beginning to emerge so maybe the foot biting is due to this? I have inspected the toes and there's no damage that I can see. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal but a friend's puppy did something similar and the vet said he had a behavioural issue :huh: Worried he'll have the habit when he gets bigger :icon_eek:

 

Is he an only ferret? How old when you got him? It does appear to be a behavioural issue. What diet does he get? Atb.

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I have another ferret but he is housed separately cos I had a great spare hutch going I thought it would be better to put him in there to avoid stress when he came home. Was 7 weeks when I got him now turned 8. I've basically continued the same diet from the breeder which is mixture rabbit and dry (james wellbeloved). He has plenty of toys to stimulate him too. Still chewing the feet and has been doing it all night usually inbetween playing, he'll stop and then start chewing again :huh: don't know why but then maybe am making a fuss over nothing?? never seen it in my other ferrets when they were kits.

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It's not normal, but could possibly be a phase. Could you not try to introduce him to your other fert for company and to mimic normal behaviour? Is your other hob neutered? Does the kit run around normally, play etc? Is his vision/hearing ok? Is he wobbly at times/usually playing laying on his side or back/awkward or gangly looking when moving about? The kit is still eating/drinking/toileting ok? Atb.

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It's not normal, but could possibly be a phase. Could you not try to introduce him to your other fert for company and to mimic normal behaviour? Is your other hob neutered? Does the kit run around normally, play etc? Is his vision/hearing ok? Is he wobbly at times/usually playing laying on his side or back/awkward or gangly looking when moving about? The kit is still eating/drinking/toileting ok? Atb.

He plays normally, is excitable, eats a lot, sociable and displays all the signs of a healthy kit its just that when he has enough of playing he will chew his feet. he'll do it when he's relaxing too. as his living quarters are outside in a hutch, I don't see him all hours of the day so he may be doing it a lot more than when he's given time out of his hutch. they are not hard bites cos if they were, he surely wouldn't do it :huh: he does it the way a puppy would chew a toy. my other hob isn't neutered and I'm not planning on doing it cos its not necessary. they have been introduced but he's in season so began to drag him around :icon_eek: so will wait till September probably to put them together. I've done this before with kits and full hobs and they become inseparable after the breeding season.

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Maybe he'll grow out of it, maybe not. If he's happy and healthy and not damaging himself can't see much to worry about. Idea might be when you catch him doing it, distract him with a noise (jingly/squeaky noise), when he stops chewing his foot immediately give him a treat. Hopefully then you can stop him from doing it when you see it, he'll soon learn that when he hears that noise means he gets a treat and is a positive thing for him. If you're going to try it always use the same noise to distract him otherwise he'll get confused. Atb.

Edited by ferret100
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I have already tried holding his feet everytime I catch him and he seems to get distressed then just gets back to doing it once I let go. I also tried saying 'no' to no avail and using his toys but nothing will take him away from the chewing :hmm:Think I will just wait and see if he grows out of it. By the way he is now over 8 weeks with a full set of teeth so I think its just harmless chewing.

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Whats on the floor of its hutch,could be irritating its feet,also how clean was the premises you bought the kit from,fungal/bacterial infections can be picked up when kept in dirty conditions,no offense intended just trying to help :thumbs:

I've had a very close look and can't see anything indicative of an infection/parasites etc. I clean out the poop corner every 2 days and the entire thing gets cleaned every week. can't say how clean the breeders hutches were though...

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