Hi all!
 
I've noticed that others have posted their experiences in introducing
kits to an established "gaggle" and thought I'd throw in my $0.02 here :)
 
Dave and I have never been that careful about keeping everyone separated,
with the exception of caging arrangements for the first couple months.
 
I got Elektra and Ian (who's since passed on) within a month of each
other from Pam Grant's rescue, Pet Pals.  There was minimal arguing.
Elektra was about three, and Ian was about a year and a half.  However,
six months later I got Claudia as an 10-week old kit.  Here's how I
introduced everyone: I let them all out together.  Oh yes, there was much
dooking and dragging and squealing and biting.  But nothing serious.  And
if some of you will remember, Claudia is founder and president of Ferret
Wenches of America.  ;)
 
When we got Sidney, after Claudia was about a year, again we just let
everyone out and it was bedlam. Elektra at this point was just snobby
enough to ignore the baby (and everyone else for that matter), but Ian
though Sidney was a *wonderful* toy, and Claudia was beside herself with
excitement. Sidney, being the laid back ferret he is, pretty much
accepted being a pull toy for the older two for a while, and after about
2 months with us, he moved into the "big" cage.
 
Max we just got last July. Again, everyone was put together at once.
Elektra (who I just *know* was thinking "not another one!") immediately
went to the blanket in the closet and fell asleep. Ian turned away from
him (which upset me more than anything else) and Sidney looked confused.
Claudia was the only one who knew what to do -- drag him around by his
scruff. Within a matter of days, Ian dragged Max, Sidney dragged
Max...then in a few weeks Max dragged Claudia, Max dragged Sidney... ;)
 
Call us perverse, but we get more fun out of watching the antics with a
new baby in the house than getting the baby! Everybody ends up being
buddies in the end, though -- we've never had that much of a problem.
 
Amy & Dave (and their gaggle of giggling ferrets)
[Posted in FML issue 1178]