We have 9 ferrets all together and all different ages.  The five that
are up here at school with us also vary in age.  To help answer the your
problem, adjusting a new ferret, is quite similar to mine.
 
We have two 4yr.  old girls and 2 year old males.  The boys are very
playful and get along well with the girls.  The girls were bought
together while the boys were a few months apart.  There were some
discouraging interactions between the boys but they got over it.  When
we bought our latest fuzzy we did somethings different then what "the
books" say.
 
We took Drambuie (new fuzzy-14wks old) at placed him in our bathroom to
get accustomed to the "hang out".  Once he started to know his way around
we placed him in all the other room.  One by one we brought out the rest
of the family.  The girls didn't care, but the boys were in a tizzle.  We
just left them to handle their differences.  Drambuie just talked back to
them and jumped around.  Bourbon, who is my baby, was not happy with this
new addition.  He sulked around and lost a few ounces.  It has been a few
weeks now and they love each other.  The old girls are very active now,
and the boys play rough as ever.  This won't hurt them.  They have very
tough skin.
 
There appetites hve increased, hair coats are even more georgeous, and
their fit as ever.  Just sold muscle.  We can hear them hissing and
screeching at each other all night.  When I check up on them, they look
at me like I'm crazy, and continue to play.
 
Also that same night we placed Drambuie in the same cage.  I don't keep
one in one cage and the others seperate.  I've done this with all of our
ferrets.  All 9 and no problems.  They were all bought at different times
and from different breeders.  This to me is just putting off what we
don't like to hear, the screeching and hissing.  It sounds worse then It
really is.  Within an hour their sleeping quitely together.  All the
noise making and dragging around the home, is just the alpha male letting
the new comer that he's boss.  Nothing wrong with this, this is natural
ferret behavior.
 
If you have any questions or comments feel free to let me know...
 
Andria Ludwig
Michigan State University
 
With time your fuzzies will be inseperable.
[Posted in FML issue 5093]