From:
"Tressie"
Date: 2009-02-06 21:38:57 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: new to the group
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi,
Welcome to the world of fuzzies. Much to learn and one never stops.
For starters acquire a good reference book that you can refer to
regularly. Ferrets for Dummies by Kim Schilling is a good resource.
A 4 1/2 year-old is already a senior. It is hard to know whether he
will get along with another ferret, young or old. Depends on how long
he's been on his own, whether he had a companion before, etc. If always
been alone he may be afraid of other ferrets. But you never know for
certain. I had a 3 1/2 year-old surrendered to our rescue society and
she had always been alone but got along well with any ferret I put her
with.
Sometimes it takes a while for ferrets to accept one another, the
longest I've experienced is 4 months. Other times they get along right
off the bat and still others never get do get along and unfortuntately
it means having separate play groups.
There are various strategies for introducing a new ferret to an
established one and perhaps others here will give you some suggestions.
You can also google for that sort of information and will find a wealth
of links.
My thought is that if he had a companion in the past he may enjoy having
a new friend. If on the other hand, he's always been alone odds arent't
great he'll accept another ferret. But as my own example shows, nothing
is 100% certain.
I guess the question you have to ask yourself is whether you are
prepared to have two separate play times if they don't get along. And
whether you have the patience to wait it out for up to several months to
see if they will. I believe the rule of thumb is if they don't get
along after 8 months of being exposed to one another - they aren't going
to.
I have three separate play groups because not all of them get along with
one another and I have one (an Ohio rescue ) who is downright vicious
with anyone outside of her playgroup. Although spayed and quite young
she has viciously attacked every other ferret who has been unfortunate
to cross her path. Obviously I don't allow her access to the others.
I have no doubt that if I hadn't intervened on the couple of occasions
she has managed to 'escape' her play area, she would have killed the
other ferret. But as a spayed female, she is an exception in her
aggressiveness. (And for others who may be thinking - adrenal, she has
been that way since I got her when she was only 7 mths. old and has no
clinical symptoms of adrenal disease). With humans she is an angel,
loving, sweet and adorable - same with her own playgroup.
You could see how your guy reacts to other ferrets first and then see
whether you want to get him a companion. Sometimes a ferret shelter
will allow you to bring your fuzzy for a visit - a play session with
several ferrets the shelter director thinks might be a good match for
you and him. As for sex, I think it has more to do with individual
personalities than whether you get a female or male as companion.
Good luck!
Tressie
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