I'm curious.  I am somewhat impatient about indroducing my weasles to
newcomers, since newbies don't come around too often (I have four, adopted
throughout the past two years.) The most recent was a rather large 6 mos.
old who is roughly the size of my other three combined.  I've had him about
a month.  They all seem to get along great, all sleep cuddled together in a
giant ferret mass (Remember Trouble w/ Tribbles, that's kinda the picture
when they're all piled together.)
 
Anyway, the new big boy obviously is pretty spunky (what self respecting
kit wouldn't be?) He an the littlest girl (about a year old) like to chase
and wrestle.  She thinks she's his mommy and continually tries to troll the
bohemoth.  He of course doesn't go for this and they start fighting and
chasing.  Niether seem overly terrified so I let it take place.
 
The oldest girl (Tiffany) about three years old, on the the first day tried
to make him her baby, but he managed to back her in the corner and nip her
hard once.  She learned extremely quick not to mess with him.
 
Finally, my bestest buddy Watermark, whose now number two in size (he's
might be barely two pounds.) seems to like to pick fights with the big boy.
He's normally very easy going, and upon their first introduction totally
ignored the new guy, actually he ignores most new ferrets he's introduced
to.  It just seems when they start fighting he makes the most god awful
screams and chirps I've ever heard.  I only heard him make these noises
once before, and that was when he was in trouble, and had pinched himself
on an eye screw under a cabinent.
 
I am confused by this screaming, it happens once they've been out of the
cage for a while, after they've both explored their surroundings.  (we
barricade of of three rooms for the to play in).  It doesn't appear to be
territorial, thery just start play fighting.  The intensity of the fighting
really doesn't change a whole lot, just the intensity of Watermarks cries.
 
At first I seperated them immediately.  Then I noticed that often he was
not even screaming when he was being bit.  So I let them play it out a
little longer thinking that it may help establish a new order.  This didn't
help.  I started "saving" Watermark, but he squirmed until I let go then he
proceed to pounce on the new boy who was clobbering him.
 
I've since taken to letting them play through these frackuses, I'll
intervene if it looks too rough, but I've never seen blood or bruises (the
new boy does have extremely sharp teeth, I know first hand, see the next
story).  So anyway I was just curious how I should handle this.  BTW they
don't fight in the cage, and love snuggly in big pile as I mentioned
earlier, so I'm basically confused.
 
Next story,
My little girl Tiffany, and the new boy (BTW his name is Wolfy) seem to
both be very interested in people food, and will go out of their way to
find any scrap of edible material (I've found they stached a few sucker
sticks, peach pits, lettucescraps, carrots, etc.  Anything that can
remotely be consume they like to steal.  Wolfy doesn't generally eat the
stuff, but Tiffy will often try much to my horror.
 
Anyway these two will occasionally be crawling over either my wife or I and
start sniffing and poking at us very strangely, especailly out arms, butts,
and my love handles.  After a few seemingly innocent licks they will chomp
down kinda hard, like they are trying to drag us off to their hidey hole.
I used to think this behavior was kinda cute when it was little Tiffy doing
it, but as I mentioned before, Wolfy has extremely sharp teeth.
 
The poke is more startling than anything, and even though he's drawn blood,
it's not malicious biting per say.  I don't think they realize they are
chomping people, just another organic, very large, potentially tasty treat.
I'm not really sure what approach I should take to stop this behavior, I am
most concerned because I'm a big guy and occasionally fall asleelp on my
couch I don't want to be startled and jump up/roll over and squish one of
them.
 
Well hopefully if anything these stories will fall on sympathetic ears, and
maybe I'll get a few good suggestions out of it.  In any event please share
your thoughts with me via the FML so that we can all benifit from each
other's experiences.
 
Thanks,
Brandon Phillips
And the four little people.
[Posted in FML issue 2490]