Help needed introducing a new ferret
 
Hello.  I don't post often, but I'm a regular lurker.  I have two 3yo
neutered boys.  They are my babies and they know it.  One of my boys,
Rusty has a weak chest.  He's been having problems with allergies and
asthma for which he needs daily medication.  He can't play for as long
as he used to and my other boy, George has been getting a bit board and
restless, and as a result acting up to get extra attention from my
partner and me.
 
I decided to get another ferret to give him another playmate.  I decided
to get a girl as Rusty is a puny little thing and I thought another boy
might be too rough with him.  So last week a brought home a beautiful
little 8 week old silver girl I got from a breeder.  To give a little
background on her, her mother died when the litter was 3 weeks old and
had to be hand reared.  I was expecting a little resistance to the new
addition to our fuzzy family, but not the over the top reaction I
received.  Rusty, whom I thought would be the most welcoming because he's
so gentle and not very cuddly with his mommy (and hence I thought less
likely to be jealous) keeps throwing sulking fits.  He lies flat on the
floor looking miserable, like we've broken his little heart.  When I try
little supervised introductions he darts in like an adder and attacks her
so badly that it takes two of us to pull him off.  He will no longer play
in his tunnels, because she's been in them.  He won't accept any treats,
not even his favourites and he has lost weight.  He has never been a
cuddler, but when I pick him up from his sulk on the floor, he just sighs
and lies limp on my lap, he used to squirm like crazy when I picked him
up.  I get no licks or kisses anymore.  George is reacting how I thought
he would.  He's mummy's little boy and I knew he'd be jealous of another
ferret getting any attention.  He just seems over excited and wriggles
his tail when he looks at her through the cage.  He does however bite her
through the bars and if I have them out together for an "introduction' he
will attack her.
 
What I've done
My new little girl, who I have named Arleigh, was given the spare cage
and the boys kept their own very large cage.  I put the cages next to
each other, so they could get used to each other's scent.  And I've
swapped bedding.  The boys are getting lots of cuddles and just as much
attention as they always have.  I now get up earlier each morning and
stay up later each night so I can still give them the attention they
are used to as well as playing with Arleigh.  I've tried short
'introductions' one at a time (the first time I tried introducing them
together it was a disaster) and as soon as they attack her, they get
scruffed, a smack on the nose, a hiss and get a time out I've tried
playing with them in the lounge with Arleigh present in her cage, to get
them used to her presence.  Things don't seem to be improving, if
anything Rusty is becoming more violent with her.  George has taken to
patrolling the lounge room at night to make sure I'm not cuddling her.
If he smells her on me he poofs on me.
 
Am I over reacting?  I know it's only been a week, but Rusty seems so
unhappy and seems to hate Arleigh so much.  Am I doing something wrong?
Any advice would be appreciated.
 
Erin
[Posted in FML issue 5092]