Honestly, I've only had one that would never get along with others.  He'd
been a single ferret for 5 years and was terrified of all other animals
when he came into the shelter and would immediately and visciously attack
anything fuzzy... even stuffed animals.
 
Most ferrets will integrate.  It takes TIME.  Lots of time.  Months.
Usually less than 4 before serious squabbles are completely reduced to
an occasional hiss in the worst cases.
 
It takes SPACE.  Lots of space.  Rooms.  At least two so that they can
ignore each other after they're tired of squabbling.
 
Don't set yourself up for frustration by hoping that they'll be sharing a
cage in a few days or weeks.
 
You can place their separate cages near each other so that the other's
smell will be near and become familiar (which doesn't mean it will be
appreciated).  Swap ferrets to the other's cage occasionally.
 
Supervise shared playtime in a LARGE area as frequently as possible.
 
Allow sniffing, hissing, screaming, and dragging by the scruff.
 
Don't break up a squabble until tails get bushy even if it looks vicious.
 
THEN grab a ferret TAIL and GENTLY pull one ferret out of the fray.
 
DON'T reach for a ferret body, scruff, or head when his tail's bushy...
you WILL get bit.  Tail grabbing is not a ferret combat technique and
less likely to be interpreted as a sneak attack.
 
Alpha ferrets will embark on search and destroy missions.  Each time they
find their victim you must be on hand to verbally scold FIRST, scruff, and
a GENTLE shake by the scruff accompanied by more scolding.  Your primary
goal is to stop attacks with a verbal warning.  So use the same intial
phrase each time.  "(Ferret's name), stop that!", loudly and angrily.  The
tone of your voice is as important as the words.
 
A VERY GENTLE swat to the rear flank, again accompanied by verbal scolding
is effective in serious cases.  DO NOT SPANK as you would a human child,
to cause a "stinging" feeling.  The purpose of the swat is the FAST,
SHARP, THREATENING motion ONLY.
 
Ferrets perceive ANY degree of pain as a threat to survival and will
respond in self-defense mode.  FERRETS DO NOT UNDERSTAND PAIN TO BE
DISCIPLINE!  This method of training is good for ONLY the two ferrets
involved.  Any other ferret is fresh meat in the pecking order
establishment.  You are teaching the aggressive ferret that he/she is
not allowed to attack that one particular victim because YOU are above
HIM/HER in the pecking order and YOU SAID SO.  This can take MONTHS to
estabish as a normal part of his "culture".
 
Be patient.
Be persistent.
Be consistent.
 
Debi Christy
Ferrets First Foster Home
 
Practical & easy training, care, & maintenance articles available at
http://www.geocities.com/ferretsfirst/
[Posted in FML issue 3718]