Hi all--
 
You need to do this slowly--as slowly as even having a separate cage for
babies.  Just had a discussion last night with my parent shelter mom, Cuji,
and she reminded me that exuberant kits can drive older, calmer ferrets
crazy with their energy and antics.  Be kind to your older ferrets and
don't force them to share cage space with a rambunctious kit.  Let the kit
have a few weeks to settle down before foisting him on older ferrets full
time.  Cuji gives her kit shelter group about 10 minutes to harrass mature
ferrets, and then separates them again.
yy
But--this doesn't mean love at first sight never happens between an older
ferret and a kit.  My 1.5 year old Pepper fell for my new kit Mort
immediately, and have been inseparable since the first minute they saw
each other (that was 2 years ago!)
 
Just take individual difference and tolerance levels into account when
introducing new ferrets.  Pepper accepted Mort right away, and three adult
ferrets 6 months later, but as of now, the group is settled, calm and
happy, and Pepper, who's the alpha ferret, absolutely will not accept any
more ferrets into his harem.  He can't even "play nice" with the shelter
ferrets (after quarentine).  Can't play nice for even 1 minute.  He goes on
a mean pounding beating-the-tar-out-of-them rampage.  I see no way around
it.  Four sibs is his limit.
 
And just to note--the other 4 LOVE to play with the shelter fuzzies.
Pepper is the only intolerant one.
 
I love the individual differences of ferrets.  5 was more than I ever
wanted in my home group, but I couldn't give up a single one of them.
 
Take care everybody.
 
--Sheri M.
 
PS--the shelter I speak of is "in the Company of Ferrets--North"--I'm in
Superior WI, very close to Duluth, MN.   The parent shelter is "in the
Company of Ferrets" located in Stillwater, MN near Minneapolis/St. Paul
area.
 
For more info, e-mail me or check out the club/shelter website at:
http://frolic.home.mindspring.com
[Posted in FML issue 2472]