Ferret Introductions

Question
Hey Cynthia! (nice name by the way, lol.)

I was just wondering: I've had Janie, my 9 month old sable, for a while now and figured it'd be as good a time as any to get her a playmate. So, after searching for months on the internet, local petstores, and rescue facilities, I finally found a match I thought suitable for her (my 3 month old baby boy, Durden.)

I bought him less than a week ago and they seem to have hit it off just fine. Durden seems like the typical kit, always bouncing and rough-housing. He doesn't necessarily like to be held, but I guess that's to be expected. Janie continues to hiss every once and a while, but so far everything has been ok. I've watched them play for days now and I have yet to see one of them actually bite the other; I guess I'd rather see that than blood, lol.

But here's what I was wondering: is it too early to cage them together? What sort of things should I be looking for if Janie were to show signs of stress?

As I type this, they are asleep in the same cage. It's 4 tiered, and they are on different levels. I do have a seperate cage, though. I bought Janie from her previous owners through an online site. I don't think that they had ever owned ferrets before; I however had. When I bought Janie, she came with a cage which, quite honestly, looked more like a bird cage than anything. I kept her there for about a month before I purchased the 4 tiered cage we have now.

I say all this because I don't like Janie being stuck in cramped quarters. There's little-- LITTLE-- room to walk, so there's really nothing she can do in there besides sleep. Durden is entirely way too big to sleep comfortably in there, muchless roam around. I don't trust letting her sleep outside the cage simply because I can't keep an eye on her... and Durden... well, I don't trust HIM yet, lol.

So, what do you think? Should I leave them be in the cage, or seperate them for now? Thanks!

Answer
Hello Cindy (love the name!)

Ferrets are social animals and generally do well together.  As long as Janie is not showing extreme aggression, it should be fine for them to be caged together.  Stress in ferrets is displayed in many ways.  Vomiting, diarrhea, aggression, lethargy, loss of appetite, etc.  Watch her closely, and if any of these occur you should remove him.  If her condition continues, she should be evaluated by a veterinarian.  

If you notice aggression, the two should be separated.  If this happens, you should buy another large cage so the other ferret can live comfortably.  For now, see how Janie and Durden behave.  Remember, ferrets play rough and often play is mistaken for a fight!  If there is any vicious head-shaking or blood, they should be separated and only allowed to play during closely monitored sessions.

I hope this answers your questions!  Please let me know if you have any other concerns.

-Cindy P.