Here is a summary of our experiences with ferrets and cats.  We have two
female cats, Teca is 9 years, and Tiffany is 10 years old.  Our ferrets are
four years (Katy), and Sasha (one year old).  Baxter the dog is four years
old.  The above group get along beautifully except that Sasha will tackle
one of the kitties periodically - I think he just likes to hear her growl.
He sneaks up on her while she is sleeping and will do his best to give her a
big old ferret hug; well, the cat doesn't take kindly to this whatsoever and
growls and hisses madly and attempts to get away as quickly as possible.
Nobody is ever hurt or even close.  Baxter the dog and Sasha play together
and Sasha loves to attack the dog from underneath the couch and bite his
legs or nip at the dogs face.  Baxter is a very kind and gentle border
collie/lab mix, and tolerates all that Sasha has to dish out.
 
The other half of the story is that our daughter's three male cats are
living with us right now and the cats and ferrets must be kept separated
because each of the three cats poses a serious threat to both Sasha and
little Katy.  We do a daily shuffle: the male cats go into the garage for a
period while Katy and Sasha have their freedom in the house; then we put the
ferrets into their ferret condo while the cats come in.  We are extremely
careful that these male cats and ferrets are never together.
 
The male cats came into the house as kittens but even as kittens were
aggresive with the ferrets.  The female cats were here long before Katy and
Sasha arrived, and when introduced to the ferrets, displayed only a mild
curiousity and preferred to be on a high perch away from the ferrets.
 
It's a tough call because from our experience we have two cats who get along
fine with the ferrets and three cats who don't even though they were
introduced as kittens to the ferrets.
 
Jean and her sweetheart ferret Katy, and
Sasha the Busy
 
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                         "Everything that lives
                            Lives not alone
                            Nor for itself"
                             William Blake
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[Posted in FML issue 1710]