I also have an entertaining (I hope) ferret story.
 
We are currently living with 4 ferrets and 3 felines. Maudi has been the
matriarch since Sept 89. Maudi was low person on the totem pole when the
pervious matriarch died that September, leaving us with Ben and Maudi.
Maudi was perfectly content to remain submisive to Ben, our albino gib (sp?).
Maudi immediately took over custody of all the rubber ferret toys. She would
keep very close track of each and every one of the dumbbells and bones.
She even went so far as to start putting them into an old easter basket on
the floor in our closet. The baskets location would change from week to week
but at least 3 of the 6 or 7 toys would be in the basket. The toys and the
basket became sort of a ritual with Maudi. She would check her toys before
coming into the living room looking for treats.
 
About 2 weeks after Phoebe died we introduced 3 new ferrets to the household
at the same time. You should have seen the scramble to establish the pecking
order.
 
We had quite a time making sure nobody was getting into it to seriously. The
strangest thing happened with our little resident established female. Maudi
came out into the living room and started checking out the new kids. When
she found out that one of the 3 new ferrets was also a female she immediately
ran to our bedroom and climbed into the bottom drawer of one of our chest of
drawers. She has been the only ferret to discover this nifty hiding place.
We decided to let her spend the nite curled up amongst the long underware
in the bottom drawer while things calmed down.
 
The next morning we let the other ferrets loose and watched as the
pecking order was being worked out.  Ben seemed to have convinced the 3
new ferrets that he was an established force to be reckoned with.  I
went to our room and gathered up some of the rubber toys and took them
into the living room for the ferrets to play with.  Maudi woke up and
came out of the drawer and immediately came into the living room.  She
was acting completely different than normal.  The first ferret she found
got an immediate and sound thrashing!  We were totally amazed!  Meek
mild mannered Maudi steps into the telephone drawer and comes out the
next morning with a big red S on her chest!!  She was definately on a
search and destroy mission.  She was tracking down each ferret
(including Ben) and each missing rubber toy.  Ben was taken totally off
guard when Maudi pounced on him and let him know, in terms he definately
understood, who the new boss lady was.
 
Well, all this took place in the fall of '89 and Maudi has been #1 in command
followed by Bryn as her second in command. None of the other ferrets has ever
been able to get near the rubber toys. If the get within 2 feet of her while
she is moving the toys around she used a very loud 'yammering' noise, which
sounds to us like she is ready to rip their face off if they get any closer.
 
Last week my wife noticed Maudi and Bryn together in the bedroom. Maudi was
moving some of 'her' toys from the basket to the back corner of our closet.
The strange part was that Bryn was right along side of her both ways.
Then I noticed Bryn moving a dumbbell from the bedroom to a 'safe' place
under the side board in the dining room. This time Maudi was following Bryn.
There have been several other similar situations between Bryn and Maudi.
 
My wife and I believe that Maudi knows she's getting pretty old and it's
time to turn over the #1 position to Bryn. Maudi is pushing 7 years old
and weighs about a pound and a quarter. She is getting really grey on her sides.
She is still very active and loving but she is definately showing her age.
 
Maybe the rubber toys are like the crown jewels to these ferrets.
Bryn is definately taking over as our new martiarch and Maudi is helping
her do it.
 
'nuf ramblin'
Jerry
 
[Posted in FML issue 0499]