Just wondering if anybody has any advice...

We lost another of our ferrets recently, but this time it was the
younger, leaving our remaining boy alone and mopey once more. As with
last time, we resolved to adopt more ferrets as soon as possible,
because Finley has never been alone for long, and was very upset after
both deaths. This time, we even got two, so when the worst inevitably
happened again, nobody would be left without company.

However, Finn seems to be having real problems getting along with the
two new boys. Astonishingly the two newcomers are both bigger than him
(and Finley is /not/ a small ferret!), and when they first met they
tried to play very enthusiastically, scaring the crap out of the little
guy. Now they're being exceedingly gentle and placid around him, but
he'll fang into them whenever they come too close.

We're currently in a manageable state - they're eating and sleeping
in separate rooms, have more than enough food and plenty of different
places to nap during the day, and avoid each other a lot of the time -
but I'd really like to see them getting on. The new boys really are
the sweetest, most gentle ferrets I've ever met, but I'm worried for
Finn because he's spending most of his time sulking (he's still eating
plenty, at least).

We're wondering if perhaps Finley is too old to accept a new family -
he's turning five this year, and has always been kind of territorial
toward humans who don't "belong" in our house. Does anybody have any
advice for getting our grumpy old man to accept his dorky teenage
brothers?

(Please no offers of psychic help. Thank you, but we just don't believe
in it.)

Thanks in advance!

- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Fox Lee: The Girl Your Mother Warned You About
http://hypercrescendo.net/foxlee/fls/
http://www.furbiddenrealms.com
http://blurty.com/users/leechimera/

"Sin lies only in hurting others unnecessarily. All other 'sins' are 
invented nonsense." - Robert A. Heinlein

[Posted in FML 6318]