Does anyone know how to deal with ferret disputes? A few months
ago we a female kit (Ruffle) to the crew. Meltdown - our year old
female from Hell - decided that she needed the position that
Ruffle would move into and has been hard at work to remove the
intruder.
 
We've never had any problems with violent ferret fights until now,
but Meltdown is very serious (she goes for the throat and draws
blood). Meltdown has no problems with our two older ferrets and
the older crew has no trouble with Ruffle.
 
Does anyone have any experience with a "ferret from Hell"? Any
suggestions would be appreciated.
 
[How old is Ruffle?  Is she full-grown?  We had a similar problem
when our male was introduced to Mocha.  Soon as Toby outmassed her by a
factor of three, the attacks stopped, or rather, after Toby threw
her across the room a couple of times.  (Toby was a big klutz, his
play tended to bowl everybody else over, he was never vicious).
Ferrets sometimes have to go thru dominance games.  If possible,
you should leave 'em together to finish off the "trial", but if
Meltdown is drawing blood, you'll have to wait until Ruffle can
handle herself.  Or, it may stop after you have Ruffle spayed.
Has Meltdown been spayed?]
 
On the message about the sick ferret -- we see a seasonal weight
change of 50% in all of our guys along with hair loss in the Summer.
We use activity as an indicator of health more than anything.
 
Steve, Sukie, Fritter, Hjalmar, Meltdown and Ruffle Crandall
ulysses!esc
                                                                          
[Posted in FML 0107]