From:
wheesht53@yahoo.com
Date: 2004-09-01 12:12:55 UTC
Subject: RE: New Baby
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <3905777.1094040775442.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
If the little girl goes back for more, then they're playing, if she's trying to get away from the other two, she's not having any fun! The only time I witnessed this with my guys, was a ferret I had with adrenal gland disease and he always beat up the other ferrets. Other than that, he never showed any aggression towards humans, I've read aggression toward other ferrets is very common in adrenal ferrets.
Author wrote:
> Hello,
> We recently brought a new baby (ferret) home and have begun the process of
> introduction. I have done this before with the same male and female and they
> took to the new ferret without any problems. Last time we introduced a fairly
> large (for his age) male, this time it is a VERY tiny petite little girl
> (about half the size of the male we had introduced to them before).
> So - we have a Marshall's Playpen and that is where we started the intro. Both
> times they have all been together they have both grabbed her by the throat.
> The last time this happened my male had her pinned against one wall of the
> playpen and was just holding her down by her throat. My female has grabbed
> her by the throat a few times and will drag her around the playpen by the
> back of her neck (which to some degree is normal behavior for them). I have
> witnessed her shaking the baby. Every time they get a bit to agressive for my
> taste I stop it. It hasn't been all like this. In fact as I type they are all
> curled up in the playpen sleeping together. They curled up with her as she
> was sleeping by herself.
> I guess I am just looking for advice. Is it normal to see agression like this
> in a new introduction? For now she is staying in the playpen when we aren't
> around to supervise and the other two stay in their cage. I have only let
> them interact while I can watch them. I am worried too because she is soooooo
> very, very tiny. Should I just continue on the way I have been? Letting them
> play and stopping and overly agressive behavior? Or, should I give her a few
> weeks to get bigger and let them interact again?
> Thanks a bunch for any advice!
> Cheryl S.