When we got our second ferret, Pandora, she & Sterling took to each other
within two days.  Never any fighting.  When we got Jasmin recently, they
were all getting along within 3 - 4 days.  He & Pandora screeched at each
other once, and he & Sterling had a couple of small scuffles, but that's
it.  Now I know Smokey has only been here for two days, but since they all
seemed so curious of each other, we decided to let them all see each other
briefly while we held her.  She immediately lunged at Sterling and bit his
nose so hard that when John pulled her back away real quickly, she still
had ahold of his nose while he dangled off the ground!  (He didn't seem
hurt at all, but it scared us a little.) Before she was all the way back in
her cage she also lunged after Jasmin, too.  OBVIOUSLY they aren't ready to
play together yet.  However, she has taken to all the humans in the house
just fine; she seemed a little nervous & skittish the first day, but now
she plays with us, give kisses, etc.
 
We know how to gradually introduce a new ferret to a business, and I've
heard it can take up to a few weeks, but this is a little unnerving, since
it has always gone so rapidly before.  Has anyone else brought home a
more aggressive ferret, and how long did it actually take before all were
getting along & able to be in the same cage?  Is this normal?  (Pandora &
Jasmin are both pretty laid back ferrets.  Sterling, our alpha male, is not
at all laid back, but not as hyper & high-strung in general as Smokey is.
Also, if it matters, she is about the same age as all the others, 2-3 years
old.  Oh - and I don't think she's ever been around other ferrets before,
just dogs.)
 
Shannon
 
[P.S.]
This is kind of a P.S.  to my previous message, but I'm really wondering
about this now...Smokey just came up to the other ferrets' closed cage
and grabbed the paw of the sleeping Sterling and tried to drag him through
the cage bars...
 
Please e-mail me directly if you have had experience with this kind of
thing.
 
Shannon
[Posted in FML issue 3530]