Pester is a thorn in the side of Peekaboo for sure, they really never showed signs of bonding as cage mates might or as I have seen ferts do in the past. Yet finally just yesterday I saw Peekaboo preening Pester ! That was an excellent sign! This morning I find them curled up together in the same hammy! Another good sign! It seems a truce of what ever ire they create/maintain has been exacted albeit is not a solid fact, close but no banana. Yet there is more than a glimmer of hope they will bond and be friends more than two ferrets that tolerate each other. Over the years having watched a dozen or so rescues and two store bought ferts I have had I have come to the conclusion the personalities of a ferret closely parallel those of humans more than as demonstrated by other animals. RePete just had it in for Pete and would attack him every chance he got so I had to be very careful of how they were accompanied around each other. That never changed. The instant RePete came here, Pete's personality changed. In an instant he knew he was not tolerated and was hated but by the new guy. He was safe with me but he retracted inside of a trapped personality. This made me very sorry that I took in RePete although I loved them each, the pairing was a mistake. Pete died one day and I think his crash was more from this strain than from anything else even though they were always separated and had solid partitions in the cage so each had their own area. Ferrets are very emotionally sensitive animals. Great care needs to be exacted for a successful happiness and calm demeanor. I have a small area on the side of my yard where all the ferts rest in peace. I almost come to tears knowing they are there as I respectfully pass by. It amazes me how a darn weasel can capture the heart and emotions of a human as they do, but they most certainly do. Just ferts being ferts is enough to do that, and more. I guess the most amazing act was my ability to communicate with Byte-me. The most significant display was where Byte-me would always start at the end of my bed and climb up to get under the bed spread and sleep. I loved to find that warm lump in bed with me but she began to choose the side of bed I slept in. So one day I slid my hand under the bed spread, found her and carefully lifted her to relocate her to the other side where I set her down but then put my hand on top of her, not petting or stroking but just gently resting my hand on her. I did pet her a bit but kept my hand on her and she stayed very still. I spoke to her so she could hear the tone of my voice which was a no anger tone. I got into bed on my side, Byte-me slept the rest of the night in that exact same spot. From then on she always without failure would go to that spot to sleep knowing that was her spot. The others would join her and use that same spot to ball up and snooze. The only time they would leave was to use the paper in the corner I put there for them to use. It used to crack me up to wake in the dead of night to have this tiny one pound ferret wake me getting out of bed, plopping to the floor, walking on that paper crinkling as she walked on it, and then a bit of quiet before . . . . . . Brrrrrrraaaaaaaaap! Some ferret gas. That would crack me up. Then the clawing of her getting back to her spot to finish the snooze. I deeply miss that. Gordon, Peekaboo and Pester Aarrow-Ranch Aviation Mechanicsville, Virginia 23111 [Posted in FML 6380]