hello list
 
There have been questions of how to introduce new ferrets to an
established group.
 
As of Feb, 2006 ; our two new girls have finally been accepted by the
rest of the crew.
 
Chai (renamed cookie) and Angel (still named angel) arrived 4-21-05
shortly after our power house baby Wookie died of juvenile cancer.
 
Cookie is a sort of sable, Angel an albino.  A bonded pair of sisters
that did not play well with other ferrets and animals.
 
Our existing crew was Yeti, a big white deaf dark eye.  Sterling,
another deaf dark eyed white, and Camus a big laid back cinnamin as
gentle as the day is long.
 
The girls loved Camus, Yeti picked on both the girls, and both girls
picked on Sterling.
 
Both girl had intact scent glands and when all ferrets were out at the
same time, poop flying stinky poofing events usually happened.
 
Camus passed over the bridge the middle of May and that left the two
darkeyed whites and the sisters.
 
We kept two cages, swapped bedding , swapped who was in what cage, things
stayed pretty much the same through the summer to the fall.
 
WW3 when all four were out at the same time.
 
Around Thanksgiving, we did carpet cleaning of the whole house, all
ferrets had to share a cage on the patio.  Some squabbling but no more
poofing events.
 
By Christmas Yeti and the girls were play fighting and sleeping together.
Girls were still remembered for beating up Sterling.  he would cheap shot
them at the treat bowl and pick on either one until the second would join
in, then he would run.
 
Finally this week, after the guys and gals all ran for a couple of hours
and had all gone to ground, I searched for them.
 
The usual favorite spots were empty, I started to worry about a mass
escape, but then found all four in a big pile behind the couch in the
family room.
 
For the last week they would sometimes all be in the same hamock in the
cage in the morning , but this is the first time they all went to ground
in the same place while they were out.
 
So how long does it take to mix ferrets, for us from april of 2005 until
feb of 2006....
 
rob in phx
[Posted in FML issue 5165]