Old ferret meets new ferret

Question
I have a two year old ferret and we are thinking about getting a ferret thats is a month old. Our only concern was how the older ferret going to get along with the new ferret. Also, I'm are not sure how we would introduce the two of them. I wasn't sure if it would be okay to have the ferrets be in the same cage. Please answer back.

Answer
Hi Kaitlynn:

I bet your ferret will be happy to have a friend to play with!  However....we never really KNOW that for sure without asking them first, of course ;-)

The very best thing to do is to let the two ferrets meet BEFORE you actually bring the new ferret home. Hopefully the new ferret has a clean bill of health (otherwise don't expose your ferret unnecessarily to possible intestinal parasites, ear mites, fleas, or other contagious diseases; in other words, make SURE the new ferret has current vaccinations, is healthy (no diarrhea, vomiting or other symptoms) before letting the two of them be together.  Typically, as soon as the two ferrets meet, both ferrets will probably get a bit of diarrhea, it may even be greenish and last a couple of days...this will be just a little 'nervous tummy' IF they were both healthy before you started.  However, if either had any contagious parasite or illness before they meet, BOTH ferrets will have it after they meet, so it's really important that you do know the new ferret's status. Look in his litterbox - make sure the poops you see are HIS and they are firm and brown. Make sure he isn't scratching excessively. And if you have ANY doubts at all, get a vet's exam BEFORE introducing them; it will be cheaper than TWO vet bills AND medications later.

Assuming all systems are "go", the best way to introduce ferrets is actually for both of them to be freshly bathed in the same shampoo so they smell alike.  I like to let them run around and get all silly and get a lot of their extra energy out, then about the time they *think* they are ready to nap, that's a great time to take a dinner plate and dribble some Ferretone on it, then put both ferrets on the floor and let them lick the ferretone, walk around and sniff each other, play with toys, whatever they want to do.  I try to keep things as "normal" as possible during this time. I think they feel the tension if we are too apprehensive during introductions, and even though we all want to see what's going to happen, sometimes the best thing to do is *pretend* to not be paying attention; turn so you are watching them out the corner of your eye and carry on a conversation with another person if possible. Just keep the atmosphere relaxing and as normal as possible.

Know in advance that ferrets go through quite a process of getting to know each other. It IS normal for them to wrestle - HARD - to bite each other, to drag each other.  Ultimately, whether it's this first time they are introduced or later, they will have to determine who is the "Alpha" ferret - the boss of the two of them. That's how things work in the animal world and there is no way around it; they just MUST do it. It will involve biting, crying and sometimes it gets so rough you think they are killing each other! YOU CAN SEPARATE THE TWO FERRETS *IF* THE "UNDERDOG" POOPS while the other ferret is 'beating up on him'. You can then intervene and remove the ferret who pooped....count to 10....then put the ferret back down just a few feet away from the other ferret. WATCH CLOSELY....Does the "underdog" move TOWARDS the other ferret or AWAY from it? If he/she moves AWAY from the other ferret, that was truly a "fear poop" and it's okay for you to separate them for the day, PUT THEM INTO SEPARATE CAGES, and try letting them play together again another day, when you can repeat the whole process all over again.

Whenever the ferrets can play together without you feeling that either ferret is being unduly upset by the other ferret, you can start housing them together...just as long as they aren't fighting constantly. Sometimes that's the first time they meet!  In fact, if they get along fine the first time they meet, it's absolutely fine to house them together.  *Important Note: It's ALWAYS a good idea to have AT LEAST ONE BED PER FERRET in any cage set up for multiple ferrets. Every ferret should have the option of sleeping in his/her own little corner IF they want to. That way, even if they don't want to sleep together, they can still share the same cage and it won't stress them unduly.  If they fight to the point you have to separate them the first day, it's probably not a good idea to expect them to sleep in the same cage the first night.

Don't get discouraged easily though...sometimes ferrets who don't necessarily play well together the first few times will actually get more used to the idea of a playmate after they have spent a little time together and realize that it's fun to have somebody to play with and to snuggle with, so after some time will be just fine to house together.  It's just one of those things you have to watch the ferrets and play it by ear. I've always been lucky enough to integrate my kids into one cage the first day they were introduced. Sometimes I think people can bring on a lot of problems when they 'anticipate' problems and watch too closely for them. It's SO MUCH less work to have two ferrets in one cage.

A few additional cage considerations when you add more ferrets - you might want to have two sources of water in the cage, especially if you use a water bowl. With two ferrets, it doesn't take much to foul the water (food pieces dropping in the bowl), so although most ferrets will drink better from a bowl of water, it's a good idea to ALSO have a water bottle hanging for a back-up just in case the bowl gets gunky (or spilled) with two ferrets using it.  ALSO, some ferrets are extremely picky about using messy litterboxes too (especially if it's 'somebody else's poop' <cough cough>) - if you have room, you MAY need to either add a second box or clean the one they have a bit more often. (If either of them starts having litterbox 'accidents' after they are housed together, this is probably the culprit.)

Hopefully everything will go just fine and everyone will be happier, playful little fuzzies when it's all said and done. Sometimes 'only ferrets' just don't know what they are missing until they spend a little time with another ferret and realize they can wrestle and everything!  I hope everything works out - maybe a nice game of 'magic carpet ride' (pull a blanket behind you as you walk thru the house and watch them jump on!) will help them bond too. I think you'll find that if you enjoy yourself while watching them, they will have even more fun too!

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers