>From:    Shea LeAnn Anson
>Subject: New Addition
>We went and got a new fuzzy addition to the family.  Buddy is a baby
>cinnamon sable..........about 11 weeks old.... And then there is Trixie.
>Poor girl...............she's been a lone ferret for a year now.  She's
>always enjoyed playing with other ferrets.......... but this one she just
>doesn't understand.  He just won't go away........he won't quit following
>her....... She hisses at him a lot........Does anyone have any tips in
>getting these two to like each other?  She is very Alpha....... and he's
>a baby who hasn't "learned his place" yet.  When the two do play........
>she is gentle with him.........and she seems to start a lot of it.  They
>seemed to like each other at the pet store!!!  We don't know what to
>do...................any help???
 
Shea, congrats on your new addition to the family! :-)
 
Your Trixie is just adjusting to the new little bugger who is invading her
territory.  Don't worry...if she hasn't attacked him by now...chances are
they will become good friends.  I went throught the very same thing a year
ago.  My Spunky came to me as a rescue about two years ago, she was an only
ferret all her 3 1/2 years of life.  I tried to introduce her to my four
fuzzies that I already had...and she was horrified of them....screamed at
the top of her lungs and would urinate & poo right there on the spot.
Now I know that it is normal for ferrets to go through the "alpha pecking
order" when new ones are around...but she had already been subjected to
abuse by her previous owner, so I did not want to put her in anymore
stress.  Then it happened...last year right before Christmas, I got a call
from a woman who said she could no longer take care of her four year old
fuzzy, Leah and had to get rid of her asap (people know me here as the
ferret lady).  So I agreed to adopt Leah temporarily in hopes to find her a
new home.  Well, knowing that Leah had been a lone ferret all her life and
so was Spunky...I tried to integrate them together, hoping they could keep
each other company since they were both afraid of other dominating fuzzies.
Well, there was a little bit of hissing and some adjusting of each other...
Spunky could just not understand why this other fuzzy wasn't trying to
attack her but why she wouldn't go away either and was so sweet to her.  It
only took a month and a half and they were chasing each other, sleeping
with each other and playing with each other.  They are inseparable now and
totally enjoy each other's company.  I am so glad I kept Leah around...now
they are happy together.  I always felt so bad for Spunky...knowing she
might be alone for the rest of her life...but now she has Leah and Leah is
twice as happy as when she came to my house....she was never that playful
her owner said.  It's true ferret love.  :-)
 
So...with a little time, I bet that Trixie will warm up to Buddy and
actually like the company of him...she will just need to adjust a bit more.
Good luck and let me know what happens.  Feel free to e-mail me anytime
if you want...if you have any questions on how I got my two to finally
warm up to each other.  :-)
 
Warm Fuzzy Hugs!
Tracy J.
Tango, Chico, Roo, Pepe', Spunky & Leah
[Posted in FML issue 3244]