x Hello FMLers! I am desperately seeking some help a.s.a.p. Some of you may remember me from a few months ago. I brought Mandy, a 5 yr. old female who had never been around others into my household of two cats and two ferrets (Mojo and Mischief). I was given all kinds of advice -from give her away to they will eventually get together, be patient, etc. Well, I tried for months and it kept getting worse. Mandy was so terrified when I first brought her home that she picked on my other two mercilessly. Mojo and Mischief did not really retaliate at all, but after a couple of months of this, I realized that I couldn't put up with it anymore. My original two were starting to fight back and blood was being drawn - this was still happening after two months!!! So, Mandy now has her own cage and is very happy just being a people ferret. However, it is kind of a pain for me because I have to let my ferrets out in shifts! Mischief now goes after Mandy like it is a seek and destroy mission. Now, down to the current problem. Yesterday I got Buddy, a 4-5 year old male. He is such a sweetie, but I HAVE to get him together with my original ferrets. I can't be letting ferrets out in three different shifts because no one will end up being out for very long. Plus, I now have four ferrets in a one bedroom apartment. Having two cages is pushing it but three is out of the question. So, the deal is - how do I get him in the same cage as Mojo and Mischief without freaking him out like I did Mandy? I am worried that I am going to have the same scenario on my hands. He is 4-5 yrs. old and is not used to being around any other animals from the looks of it. I don't want to FORCE them to be together if it is going to terrify him, but space requires me to put them together soon. I have let them out together and he is reacting the same way Mandy did when I first brought her home. He bops around just fine on his own and when any other ferret comes near him, he runs and hides. I tried putting them in a confined space today (the bathroom - I was there to supervise), and not much happened. He is okay until they get right in his face, then he starts barking/screaming until they move away. However, getting them in the same cage is my main goal (putting him in with Mandy is totally not doable!). I am worried that forcing Mandy to be with the others may have caused her reaction (and the result of total separation). I don't know about that and there is nothing I can do about it now, but I want it to be different with Buddy. ANY help would be greatly appreciated!!! I am quite behind on the FML so if you could please e-mail me directly, I could get any suggestions much faster. Gail ([log in to unmask]) Halifax, Nova Scotia Mischief - "Is this another Mandy to pick on? Hmmm." Mojo - "Ahh, another playmate! Where's the scruff of his neck? Dook."" Mandy - "Oh God, not another one! Mom, I am happy by myself!" Buddy - "WHAT have I gotten myself into? WHAT are all these animals?" and the cats - Buster and Molly - "Another one of those smelly things!" [Posted in FML issue 1374]