Hi all!
 
I'm sorry to bring this subject up again, but I would appreciate your
answers anyway (or even referrals to past posts).  Ferret math hit my
husband and I just recently.  Actually, it hit me and I finally convinced
my hubby.  So, the introductions went okay.  I mean, they didn't try to
kill each other, although there were some minor spats.  Zinc and Pixie are
about 3.5 years old and we think they've grown up together.  Not much is
known about their past as they were rescues and adopted by us.  Zinc is
the alpha ferret.  The foster mom (shelter mom) thought Riki would be a
good addition because her energy level matches well with Zinc's.  Riki is
about 13-14 weeks old and is also a rescue.
 
All seemed fairly well at first (at the shelter).  We brought them home,
put them up in separate cages at first.  Play time went along okay.  There
were small squabbles.  Sort of like Zinc establishing her reign.  Riki
spent a lot of time hissing at them and at us, but I figured it was
something like what kittens do.  Additionally, they all began establishing
territory by peeing everywhere.  That, thankfully, has ceased.
 
They are all in a new cage with 4 stories (a full floor on top).  The
squabbles have ended, but they have been replaced by something possibly
more sinister... Pixie gets along fairly well with Riki.  They'll play
well together although I'm not positive that Riki understands how to play
with Pixie and Zinc.  Zinc will play with Pixie, but if Riki come over to
them, Zinc will just walk away in some sort of dejected manner.  She is
not behaving like her usual self.  She used to be the one that stayed
awake for a long time and getting into "no good." But now, she'll curl up
and sleep early (for her).  I've been trying to pay more attention to her,
letting her know she's loved and whatnot.  But honestly, I think she just
barely tolerates my kisses of affection.  She has also taken up with doing
her business wherever.  She seems to be regressing.  She and Pixie were
pretty loyal litter box users.  I'd say we'd have a 95% success rate with
them.  But Riki is just terrible about it.  She'll do her business in the
box, right beside the box, by her food.  There's no rhyme or reason to
whether she uses the box or not.  And Zinc is picking up this bad habit.
Riki seems mostly at ease, but I don't know her well enough to bank on
that.  I figure training her to use the litter box will take some time.
Unfortunately, when we catch her in the act she quickly finishes and
bolts.  I don't think she's comfortable with us yet.  But my concern here
is Zinc.  What's up with her?  I figure she's upset and acting out.  But I
don't know how to get her out of her funk.  They are all eating well.
We've been closely watching what goes in and out of them.  Perhaps the
stress of Riki and the new cage was too much?  I'm going to take the
advice of one of the people posting here and talk to an animal
communicator if things don't improve by next Monday.  Do you all have any
advice or comments?  Sorry it's so long.  I wanted to cover all possibly
pertinent information.
 
Suzanna
[Posted in FML issue 3116]