From:
Robin Sinex
Date: 2002-06-17 14:38:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Adding another ferret
> together to play. Muddy is being so aggressive with her, to the point he is
> biting her on the neck and dragging her around on the floor until she is
> crying out.
I am FAR from being an expert on this subject, but this behavior reminds
me of something I read (but I don't know where I read it, so I can't
refer you to the book). It sounds to me like Muddy is picking the little
girl up by the scruff of her neck, to hide away like he would a
"treasure." This is dominance behavior -- he is telling her that he is
boss. Ok, so now that you know that (I think) this is a dominance thing,
what do you do about it? Is it dangerous? I don't honestly know. I'm
still trying to figure out when my boys are playing roughly, and when they
are starting to fight. (People keep telling me that I'll KNOW the
difference between a fight and play, but I keep on seeing play end in a
bottle brush tail or a "fight" disentangle for a chase, with the one
losing baiting the other one. Maybe I'm just being dense).
Robin Sinex
Brangwyn, Rhodry, & Nevyn.