Hi all . . .
 
I figured out why my dog Harley plays more roughly with Pepper than she did
my other ferts.  It's because Pepper doesn't squeak.  He hisses, which the
dog considers a challenge, and he dooks, but he does not squeak.  Ever.
Smokey and Whiskey always squeaked when Harley got too rough, and the dog
would immediately let them go.  (She catches them between her paws and chews
lightly on them).  The reaction to a squeak is so ingrained in her psyche
that she cannot pick up a squeaky toy--it squeaks so she drops it.  I think
she learned this reaction because the ferret squeak was *always* followed by
a hard bite if Harley didn't let them go.
 
Pepper doesn't squeak so Harley gets more and more hyper and engages in
rougher play until Pepper runs under the couch for a break.
 
Stephanie--your kitty is used to the "old" ferrets, but the new babies are
still invading kitty's territory.  Give him time to get accustomed to the
new ones.  Also, the new ones are bigger than the established ones right?
Perhaps their size is more threatening to the cat.  Give them all time and
careful supervision--it might take a few weeks or more to get everyone used
to each other.
 
Terri--congratulations!  You got your new baby early, I bet that was a
suprise.  Introduce her carefully to the dog and cat and always supervise.
What kind of dog do you have?  A terrier breed may instinctively attack the
ferret, so be sure to keep the ferret in your arms at first.  It might be a
good idea to let the other animals check out the ferret while she's in her
cage--if the cat hisses or the dog growls you'll have an idea of their
reactions.  BE SURE to give the cat and dog lots of attention these first
few weeks with the hope that a jealousy problem won't arise.  Give praise
and treats to dog and cat as a reward for non-aggressive behavior.  And,
this can be hard, try to keep the ferret from biting the dog and cat until
they get to know each other better.  Harley (my dog) is very content, if a
bit nervous, to let Pepper (the ferret) cuddle up to her.  But then Pepper
catches sight of Harley's ear and just can't resist--nip!  And Harley gets
mad and pushes Pepper off the couch and suddenly nap time becomes play time.
 
Harley's part pit-bull, and probably could have been dangerous around
ferrets but we got her at 7 wks old and we had a ferret then, so she grew up
thinking ferrets are fun playmates.  The other part of her is lab, and lucky
for us she has a "soft mouth"--maybe the ferret Smokey taught her that.
 
Heidi--digging in corners--I rent, also.  My landlord loves dogs, but I have
no idea what he thinks of ferrets.  He lives 60 mi away from here, and we've
rented this place for over a year--what he doesn't know won't hurt him!
Pepper loves to dig in doorways.  I bought carpet samples--you know, those
square things--and slid them under the doors, so when he digs, he's not
ruining the landlord's carpet.  I also spray those areas with Bitter Apple
and that has partly helped--helps most when it's first sprayed.  It has a
strong alcohol smell and a terrible taste.  He gets really mad and attacks
my leg after I spray that stuff.  I also bought a kitty climber at a rummage
sale--it's got a hidey hole for him and his stuff, and it's carpted on the
inside and outside--I've been trying to encourage him to do his scratching
there--It hasn't worked so far, BTW <grin>.  Pepper also loves to "dig" in
the dog's fur--the dog loves it and wishes he'd never stop!
 
--Sherri
[Posted in FML issue 1745]