Are ferrets affectionate?
Do you know how ferrets show affection and love?
One of the things you can hear and read about ferrets is that they are highly energetic balls of fur. So, the question is, can they show affection toward humans, or are they too busy running around, playing, and exploring? Well, if you are one of those persons who crave affection then you would be glad to hear that ferrets do show affection in more than one way.
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How Can Ferret Show Affection?
Ferrets are actually very affectionate animals, but they don’t show it in the standard way. Most ferrets aren’t that cuddly so when you try to cuddle with them, they will try to wiggle out of your grip after a minute or two. But, that doesn’t mean your ferret doesn’t love you. It simply means it is not their favorite way to show affection. Here is the list of ways a ferret can show affection besides cuddling from time to time.
Playing With You
One of the most famous ways for a ferret to show affection towards you is when he plays with you. We all know that ferrets play rough, so if your ferret is playing with you (your hands) and he is gentle, then he is very careful how he acts around you. He doesn’t want to hurt you so that “vicious biting” he shares with other ferrets is much mellower when it comes to you. If a ferret nips you instead of a full hard bite during playtime, that is a very good sign of affection.
Wanting Your Attention
Another sign of a ferret’s affection is their need for your attention. If a ferret doesn’t care about you, a ferret would probably ignore you completely. A ferret in need of your attention is a ferret that is used to you and wants to be around you. Most ferrets that demand attention from their owners do that in the cutest way possible – touch our feet. That can be a gentle tap or lick on the foot, a more demanding nip or scratch on the foot, or even an attack on the foot in a form of a jump but without the biting part. If you are sitting, then the location of the nip/lick/scratch, etc can be on other parts of your body, like hands, stomach, thigh, etc.
Looking For You
If you enter a room your ferret is in, your ferret will stop what he is doing and look for you. That is their small sign of affection. It means: “Oh look who is here, I have to greet my human before I continue with my mission.” This sign can even be accompanied by a short cuddle session that can even end with a kiss!
Following You Around
This sign is actually similar to the sign right above this paragraph – looking for you. If a ferret loves spending time with you, a ferret will follow you around. That means whenever you go, ferret follows. If you just entered the room, a ferret will run towards you. That is why most ferret owners love to play tag with their ferrets, they start running and ferrets follow them.
Requesting Cuddles
It is a rare occasion when a ferret request cuddles from you, but it can happen. If a ferret request cuddles from you, the only thing you can do is enjoy those couple of minutes because you never know when they will do it again! So, if a ferret jumps on your lap while you are reading a book, watching your favorite show, taking a nap, or working from home, take a break and cuddle!
Enduring Cuddles
Enduring a cuddle session is another great way of showing affection. My Frida was one of those ferrets that didn’t like cuddling. So, when I took her in for a cuddle session, she took a deep breath and relaxed. That was an ultimate sign of affection from her. She endured that because she knew I loved it!
Giving Kisses
Giving kisses is the ultimate sign of a ferret’s affection. If your ferret loves you, he will kiss you on the arm, face (especially nose and eyebrows), feet, and any other part of the body. But, kissing can also be a sign of a ferret inviting you to play which is a sign of affection itself so I don’t mind it and I am sure you wouldn’t either.
Every Ferret Is Different
There are many signs of affection ferrets can show to humans because every ferret is different. There are no two ferrets with identical personalities and identical living experiences. That means that an abused and scared ferret won’t show affection as much as a ferret that lived in a loving household. But that doesn’t mean you should give up on him. It only means that a scared ferret will need more time to start trusting humans again. Once he does that, he can be one of the most affectionate ferrets.
Conclusion
These are only the most common signs of affection one ferret can show towards his human. Every ferret has its own way of showing affection because every ferret has its own personality. What does your ferret do to show you affection? Share with us in the comments!
