Just got a new ferret , Put in with the one i have

Question
I just went and got a New ferret 4 days ago . After having my other ferret for about 4 years now , I started working a lot more hours and didn't have the time i once had , So i didn't want my 4 y/o ferret lonely , But this new Ferret Keeps going after my 4 y/o in means of Biting on her ears and neck , and when she does that my 4 wines well thats how it sounds to me , I'm wondering will she stop that and will my 4 y/o ever get alone with her , B/c i see a lot of times Ferrets will sleep together but not the ones i have , My 4 y/o will go to the top of the cage and the new one stays in the other bed on the 2 nd floor of the cage , And they are also both Females , which does that have anything to do with there behavior towards eachother . Or should I take the new Female back and get a Male ? And also when the new one is eating thats when she is at her nasty points . It seems they are ok when they are out of the Cage ? Pls Help I would hate to see something happen to my 4 y/o she is my lil girl

Answer
It's sounds like you are off to a fairly good start, in the fact that there is no bloodshed.I cannot say whether they will or will not fight, just like cats, you never know... But I will say, the younger you get them together, the better. Generally, ferrets bond well as babies, just like kittens do. But if you wait until an adult ferret is established, there could be some problems with her seeing the newcomer as an intrusion, or as in your case, the newcomer tries to take over the situation.Males ARE more laid back than females, so this could be a little bit the cause of the problem, but only about 25%.

very often you will have a new ferret come into an already establish area (the cage) and try to "take over"... This can be the cause of the behavior you are seeing. First, wash the cage down thoroughly, to remove any scent of any of the ferrets. Wash ALL the bedding, food bowls, everything. Next, all the ferrets get a bath. This way it is clean cage, clean ferrets. Everyone starts on neutral ground.

In the beginning, you may see a lot of really rough, almost violent "fighting." This is play for ferrets and perfectly normal. They may bite each other, drag one another around by the scruff of the neck, hiss, mounting and pretty much sound like they are killing one another. They are establishing a pecking order and deciding who is boss. If they both want to be boss, the fighting can go on for weeks or even months. If one is allowing the other to drag them around, this is a sign of submission--they're pretty much saying "I give up." Or both of them may not care either way who is boss and may get along right away with no displays of dominance whatsoever. If there is any blood drawn, separate them immediately. Separate them and try again another day. Most of the time, ferrets get along fine, and it is not unusual for the older male to "scruff" the younger male, and hold him down and groom him. My male ferrets always did this with the "newbies".In the beginning, you may see a lot of really rough, almost violent "fighting". This is play for ferrets and perfectly normal. They may bite each other, drag one another around by the scruff of the neck, hiss, mounting and pretty much sound like they are killing one another. They are establishing a pecking order and deciding who is boss. If they both want to be boss, the fighting can go on for weeks or even months. If one is allowing the other to drag them around, this is a sign of submission--they're pretty much saying "I give up." Or both of them may not care either way who is boss and may get along right away with no displays of dominance whatsoever. If there is any blood drawn, separate them immediately. Separate them and try again another day. Most of the time, ferrets get along fine, and it is not unusual for the older male to "scruff" the younger male, and hold him down and groom him. My male ferrets always did this with the "newbies".
 I would provide lots of one on one attention to each ferret over the first several days during separate playtimes, and then open a door so that the newbie can come out of his cage while the other female ferret is out. As long as she feels like he can get away if needed, it won't take long for her to get brave and investigate the new female ferret. And let the older female see, smell and gently interact with the new baby. And give your older female lots of attention during these interactions, to prevent jealous rivalry.

Here is a VERY good web page that will also provide great help.

http://www.everythingferret.com/ferret_introductions.htm

good luck, and congrats on your new baby.
amy