>From:    Renee <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: integration questions
>I don't know if she would "take to" another ferret.
>Is it a good idea to take her WITH me to help pick out her new friend?
 
The only way you're going to find out if Gracie is compatible w/another
ferret is to introduce them.  When I'm contacted by someone who's looking
for a companion for their ferret, they must bring their fuzzy & we try
different ferrets to see how they get along - however long it takes.  Try
doing that at a pet store.
 
>If I get an adult, I may get a biter that has other bad habits as well.
 
As far as bad habits goes, just because a ferret has been surrendered, or
turned in as found, doesn't mean they have any bad habits.  I've had
ferrets turned in because their owners were selling their house & thought
having them would negatively impact the sale.  I've even had them turned in
because the owners were going on vacation.  Just like one man's meat is
another man's poison, a problem for one person isn't necessarily a problem
for another.  Just out of curiosity, what was Gracie's bad habit?  After
all, had you not adopted her & she had gone into foster care, she'd be
lumped into the same category, right?
 
Any responsible shelter should be able to provide complete profiles of the
personality & on their fosters.  Also, I've found that compatibility isn't
based on age or gender.  It's a matter of letting the ferrets make the
choice.  Just recently I had a little 3 y/o jill who had never been
w/another ferret & hated every other foster I had.  Don't ask me what made
me decided to try to place her as a companion, but she found her perfect
buddy w/the very 1st 3 y/o jill I introduced her to.
 
>Should they be caged separately and if so, for how long?
 
I say to have separate housing in case it's necessary.  When a new addition
comes home for the 1st time, sometimes it can be a little traumatic.  And
sometimes the original ferret can be territorial about their cage & their
"stuff."  But most of the time, once the newbe has a chance to check out
the new environment, they end up curling up to sleep w/their new companion.
 
>Should a kit be caged separately until it is "big"?
 
If it's necessary.  If you buy a kit from a pet store w/out any prior
introductions to your original ferret, you take the chance of having to go
through a (sometimes long) period of introduction.  The kit has to be big
enough to be able to defend itself if the older ferret picks on it.
Something else to consider when acquiring a kit, just because you raise it
doesn't mean it isn't going to develop any "bad habits." Ferrets have very
individual personalities, & those personalities develop regardless of
whether or not you raise it from a kit.
 
Renee, I'm very happy that you'd rather adopt from a rescue instead of
buying from a pet store.  We have so many wonderful ferrets available who
need loving, permanent homes.  Please don't take my response as an attack,
because it isn't intended to be.  It's an attempt to clarify some common
misconceptions about previously owned ferrets - that are no different than
your special little Gracie.
 
Juliana  (770) 984-1417 <[log in to unmask]>
FERRET BUSINESS of GA
(fer'it`biz'nis) n.  1 Ferret foster care & adoption.
2 Info about ferret care & ownership.  3 What a ferret does.
4 A collection of ferrets.  5 A direct result of ferret math.
/That's BUSINESS as in a bunch of ferrets folks./
[Posted in FML issue 2641]