Hello all,
 
I have more of a lurker then a poster for more then two years.  I have
learned so much from this list.  It's great.  So I know that ya'll will
have some advice or some suggestions I may not have thought of.  Here is
my dilemma.
 
I have had my sprite, Sprite, since she was only weeks old, from a breeder.
Spayed at 6 months, but is still a wee thing, barely one pound.  She is the
prettiest little shaded silver mitt, despite lack of size.  Sprite is now
1.5 years old.
 
Since I got her, I have always planed to get more ferrets, so she wouldn't
be an only ferret forever, but I guess I waited too long.  I got two
ferrets from a lady who was trying to "get rid of them".  They are
approximately 2-3 years old.  The female, Maggie is a nice sized albino,
very healthy, but the sable male, Mac, had to have adrenal surgery, and has
since healed nicely, and is in good health.
 
I have had Mac and Maggie for almost two months, and put Sprite's cage
right next to theirs.  It took some time for them to get used to each
other, but still they fight.  And it's not play fighting, this is out and
out screaming, bottle brushed tail, gonna kill fighting.  At times they
just ignore each other, and at times, they sniff and are curious, but they
have never played together, and it's really frustrating when that is the
whole reason I got the two fuzzies was to be a companion to Sprite.
 
Their play time together now always has to be monitored, because of fear of
blood shed.  I can't monitor them all the time though, so Mac and Maggie
usually have one large play room all to themselves and are quite contented
to play by themselves, pretty much ignoring me when I'm in there.  (I don't
think they had much people interaction, but Mac is getting better on coming
up to me when I call him, then goes on his merry way when he sees I have no
treats) Sprite gets the whole house to herself.  She loves playing with
humans, and even gets along with the cat and dogs, but just will not get
along with the ferrets.
 
I had wanted to add to my ferret family, but if the three ferrets I have
will not get along, I don't want to get more who will fight with them.  Any
suggestions on how to get them to get along?  I'm really sorry this is so
long, but I'm really at my wits end, I've tried everything, from slowly
integrate them, to letting them duke it out, nothing seems to work.  I am
afraid of putting ferretone or ferrevite on them, because of fear of them
just tearing the living crap out of each other.  Please help!
 
On a completely different note, for fleas, I use one drop of Advantage for
cats on each ferret, and no fleas at all, when I had been overrun by them
before.
 
 
Thanks to all in advance!
Stephanie, the frustrated human
Sprite, queen ferret (whatever those things are they  need to be
        bitten, lemme at em!)
Mac (dook dook, don't want to play?  Then I'll bite you!)
Maggie (get this little critter away from me, I don't like her!)
[Posted in FML issue 2433]