To address the post on older/only ferrets...we've had poor luck trying to
get our first little MF girl to accept anyone.  When whe was 2 we took in a
rescue (slightly younger male) and she screamed and attacked him til we felt
we couldn't leave them together.  She is loving and precious to us (her
little traits and habits of moving her treasures and showing us her love)
but not Willie.
 
We felt sorry for Willie, now alone, so we added a neighborhood rescue to
our family (Baby Girl) and thankfully they got along.  She was a spindly
little chocolate sable who had been abused through ignorance.  Now she is a
terror and a half and if the new little girl meets the old (and we've tried
a couple of times) boy does the fur (and blood) fly.
 
We since rescued a pair of boys (2 year old butterscotch and 4 year old
Blaize Wannabe) and have successfully integrated the three boys and the
little terror.  The little terror still is not 100% intgrated because she
still attacks the weaker and older of the boys but there's hope for the
future.
 
The fml gave me some pointers for integration attempts but none work for my
first older female.  I have loving accepting boys and little terror girls!
 
Right now we're forcing the 4 (not the older girl) to be in the same room
day and night.  We don't even put them back in their cages at night.
They're in our kitchen where there is food, water, and several choice places
to bunk for the night.  If we hear squeaking...one of us runs in to make
sure no one is done any damage.  It's usually Baby Girl rousting the poor
older one out of his sleep place just for the fun of it.  We'll give them
free reign again when we see all four sleeping together not just the three.
 
Re: Water bowls
We like the bowl idea but we've had to be inventive about the one in the
kitchen and the cages.  We have a swimmer and he sloshes and walks in the
water.  We've got one glued to a platform so he can't tip it over.  The one
in the cage also has a platform and it is secured to the corner of the cage
so it, too, can't be moved.  We had to put in a linoleum backboard area to
cut down on the splashing outside the cage.  My husband has been very
creative in providing for our ferret family.  I guess you know who comes
first around our household.
 
  Congrats to Mass. ferret owners and the best of health to all fuzzies.
                    Moe and the 4 plus 1
[Posted in FML issue 1501]