TO the Annomumous poster,
 
I too have the same problem you are having.  Don't know if I will offer
any useful help, but I'll try.
 
One of my new boys that is 4 has a rep for being a bully.  The first
couple days things were fine, but then one day he decided to grab our
smallest girl and shake her about.  She pooped and screamed and I knew
we had a problem.  By accident they encountered each other again.  The
same result.  Then when Merlin crossed our Youngest male Fizban he tried
to dominate him and that did not work.  Fizban was our first and he is
young and fit so he said" I DON'T think so!".
 
Thinking back to all the recommendations on ferret forums and magazines I
looked at how they might interact.  So 1st.  I put the new guys in a cage
in the same room where the house ferrets live.  They got separate play
times where they can encounter one anothers cages and sniff noses through
the bars.  They have no choice really but to know and smell the new guys.
Then when the new Boys get play time in the rest of the house I leave the
cage open for the others to explore.  They go in and sleep in the
hammies, thus exchanges scents.  I have done this for many weeks.
 
Now the big step.  In a controlled area where I am right there, I have
put Merlin with Fizban together, knowing if things get bad Fizban stands
a good chance of defending himself.  I let them sniff each other.  If
one begins to posture I hold them nicely like a harness might around the
shoulders and body.  I back them off so they can still sniff but not
jump.  I praise them for being good when it's just sniffing and nice
things.  I use the praise by name.  When they posture I tell them no
and scruff if necessary.  I started with only a couple minutes and I am
working up to more time.
 
Last night Merlin did not Posture!  Lily sniffed him with great interest,
not fear!  And today Lily touched noses and exchnged a peaceful sniff
with Merlin through the cage.  I am praying these are the first signs
that they will work out those differences.
 
I wish you the best of luck.  Keep us posted!  Oh and really good
behavior also gets goodies when I'm working with them.  Now the next
step is try these controlled times between Lily and Merlin.
 
Dooks,
Kris ' Ladyhawk '
[Posted in FML issue 5024]