I am at the end of my rope... I'll take all suggestions to heart.  Please
help me !!!
 
I have a big problem that has been going on since last June.
 
My first ferret (Kris - 4 years old ) will NOT accept our third ferret
(Joon -3 years) Our second one (and the youngest, Riki 2 years old - gets
along with both of them)
 
Joon is living in the bathroom by herself.... I had hope for this to be
TEMPORARY.  Kris and Riki live in a 2 story cage with plenty of room for
Joon
 
When we got Riki, Kris drug her around and did the normal domination dance
and within a month or so they were best friends .  I think the problem with
Joon is that she came into our home as an adult (we adopted her) and they
were the same size (Kris couldn't drag her around like she could Riki when
she was a baby !)
 
So, at the beginning they would fight (and Joon SCREAMS - sometimes she
screams when she SEES Kris - weird) anyway, now Kris will usually only
engage Joon in a fight if Joon is sleeping or her back is turned !  (Kris is
quite the bully-wimp) I have tried to place them in the same room(even tried
putting both in the empty bathtub..didn't work) to see if they are
interested in checking each other out..  but both of them run and hide if
they see the other one !  I have to get everyone into the same cage because
if I ever hope to take a vacation again..  I need a babysitter and no one
will take 2 in a cage and one that will live in their bathroom !!
 
I don't know what to do... I feel bad because I feel like Joon is upset
because she can't run around for fear of running into Kris ( When Kris is
actually OUT of her cage - she's a chronic digger... tried everything.  The
only thing that works is if I sit in the hallway and physically stop her
from doing it.) and I feel like Kris thinks I brought this "thing" into her
life and she is miserable !
 
I bought Bitter Apple and put some onto each others neck, but they haven't
gotten close enough to get a taste of it..  My goal is for them to be
friends and sleep in the same cage... not simply to avoid one another
forever !
 
The last idea I have is placing Kris and Joon in the cage and seeing what
happens I hate to do so because I think I will stress them out and cause
them to mistrust me (is that possible- will they hate me !?)
 
Poor Riki..  she likes them both and can't understand why this is happening!
(I hear her sigh... "why can't they just get along ??"
 
I just don't know what to do... Is it possible that they will NEVER accept
one another ?  Should I be thinking about finding someone to adopt Joon ?
(I REALLY don't want that... but I'm losing it !!)
 
Thanks for your help,
Shelly
[Posted in FML issue 1856]