Dear Barbara, this is Susie Lee-Hurley at the Pensacola Ferret Rescue,
the half with all the elderly, ill, diabetic, and hospice-care-ferrets
of this two-families Rescue.  (the other family looks after the
under-4-year-olds bunch :)
 
We've had several cases of incoming elderly or middle-aged-ill (with
advanced insulinoma, as with Indigo Iridescent) who came to us singly
to fit right in among other elderly, gentle, "beta"-type personalities
(i.e., happy to allow anyone else to boss them around, beta-types are
submissive to the Alpha-type personalities) which haven't had a bit of
problem.  Also several other elderly intakes, such as Farley The Mouser,
who is an "alpha"-type and Will be "boss" because he's nearly seven
pounds without even going into his winter-coat-and-weight-phase, more
than a third larger than the next largest fellows, Duff MacDuff and
Harley Davidson, and is so big, anyway, he could easily accidentally
kill another, smaller ferret just in play.Or over-agressive female
"alpha"-type personalities like Cleopatra Pearl, who was a fierce biter
when she was first admitted, but has since learned how much nicer it is
to lick than bite, unless she spots another female of any sort and then
she goes into fighter-mode, even though she's spayed.  Another fierce
alpha-type personality is Walnut WeLoveYa, a spayed female,who has her
personal "beta-type" in Peanut Petootie, a neutered male, and Walnut
WeLoveYa will do her best to chew the stuffin's out of or at least chase
away ANY and all other ferrets who aren't Peanut Petootie.
 
You see we have to take into account each ferrets' personalities,
preferences and habits, which are each completely individual.  This is
why I exercise a good deal of care in allowing which ferret to be out or
together at the same time as whom, for I won't have any of them hurting
one another because of MY neglect in taking their habits into account.
It's like letting Bullies into a schoolyard full of underaged kids
without supervision nor correction.  You Do NOT want to see the kids
getting UNneccesarily hurt!  ((well, *I* don't!  )) )
 
So, if you would like, call us at our elderlies-Rescues number at
(850) 475-0780 and we'll see what we might all arrange that may work out
for the best for your concerns.
 
The site for The Pensacola Ferret Rescue,
with nearly all of the ferrets' names stunted-down from their real,
whole names, is
http://www.weloveferrets.com
 
Susie Lee-Hurley, cheif cook and bottle-washer for Shadow Superguy,
Caira The Winsome, Farley The Mouser, Daisy Darling, DuffMacDuff, Molly
BlueAngel, Zipper-Goes-Faster, CocoLeCreme, Katie O'Cato, Falcor
LuckDragon, Cleopatra Pearl, Jazzmine MissBoss, ZeusMellowfellow,
Zinc-A-Dinc-A-Zoo!, Gusselwaite The Good, Appalonia Kissyface, Maggie
Mae Moxie, Peanut Patootie, WalnutWeLoveYa, Cecelia Cinnamon, Lady
CokeLeSweet, Evander Brown, Poindexter White, Onyx Olinda, Emmaline The
Dear, Diamond Tiara, Spanky LeBeau, Sandy LeQuick, Harley Davidson, Baby
Doll Babushka, Simone So-Lovely, Felicia Ferrette, LittleOne Wandra,
Smokey Joe Oldster, Xandor The Gentle, Casper The Great, and Tinkerbell
Who Flies.
...and that's just the ferrets!
[Posted in FML issue 3945]