As with all living creatures, there are some ferrets that cannot adapt to a
social enviornment with their own kind.  I am an experienced ferret owner,
adopted from shelters and taken in some ferrets in needy situations to be
placed in permanent homes.  I have meet only one ferret that cannot be
around other ferrets.  Snowflake was adopted last Xmas for my daughter
from the PAFR.  Kym Barone was very open and honest regarding Snowflake's
(previously known as Snoopy) behavior.  For whatever reason, and this
little girl came into Kym's rescue in a very sad state, malnourished and
scared, she had spent the previous unknown number of months in someone's
basement and was pretty nasty with other fuzzies.  Snowflake attacked any
other ferret that was around.  She has been with us for almost a year and
this behavior remains.
 
I tried for months to acclimate her into my group.  Put her cage directly
next to my boys' cage, she would bite at them through the wire.  This went
on for almost 5 months.  Even if I am holding her and another ferret comes
near, she becomes very agitated.  I have come to accept that Snowflake
likes the solitude and prefers human company over any ferret.
 
Is Snowflake happy?  Well, she certainly seems to be, as mean as she is
with other ferrets, is as loving and affectionate as she is with people,
especially my daughter.  Snowflake is a wonderful example of how strong a
bond can be between a rescue fuzz and their loving human parent.  Snowflake
lives a 'single' life in my daughter's room, has the run of the place most
of the time, usually sleeps in Tor's bottom dresser drawer all bundled up
in Tor's nightshirts.  They will play ball for hours on end, yes the ferret
actually picks up the ball, brings it back and war dances back and forth.
She follows my daughter around like a puppy.  She is an exceptional little
girl (both fuzz and the human one!), very gentle and loving, very patient
with nail clippings, ear cleanings and bathes.  But put another ferret in
the general vicinity and she turns into a pitbull.
 
Oh by the way, when I say attack, I am not stretching the truth.  She has
viciously attacked (and literally scared the poop) out of all three of my
large boys (one outweighs her almost 3.5 times).  This is not a matter of
playing rough, Snowflake goes for the throat to kill making the most
ungodly noise I've ever heard.
 
So, there is my two cents about my loner ferret.  It would be nice if she
could play with the group, but both Snowflake and Tori seem very happy with
each other's love and company.  Match made in heavan the way I see it!
 
Hugs to all,
 
Jen and Gang
[Posted in FML issue 2866]