I have two jills (sisters who were hand-reared) who are both about a year and a half old. Yesterday I got a castrated male from a rescue center. His age is approx. 2-3 years. He was fine with other ferrets at the rescue home, but my jills keep screaming at him and attacking him quite violently, and he doesn't fight back, just tries to run away. He also sometimes poos or pees when they attack him. I have split their cage in half to keep them separate, and exercise them apart. I know it will take time for the male to be accepted, but is there anything I can do to help?
Thank you so much for getting a rescue. Shelters are over flowing these days!
Sometimes it is a matter of time. Believe it or not, mix the new ferret's soiled litter with the two established ferrets litter. Move sleep sacks/blankets that have his odor into their half of the cage. Ferrets ID each other by sniffing backsides like dogs do. They need some time to see his odor as nothing new.
Are your established females jills or sprites (neutered females)?
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com The poop and pee is in fear. You cannot force the issue. It will just take time. As long as there is no pooping or peeing in fear or blood, leave them alone, but I would only introduce one at a time. How old is the new guy. Is he healthy enough to stand up to one of them?
Also be sure that you provide tunnels for him to run into. He can defend himself better this way. Boxes small enough for one ferret with a hole he can stick his head out of to defend himself are essential also. You need to stack the odds in his favor. You can also put some bitter apple on his neck-nowhere else. They usually go after each other's neck. The black plastic flexible drainage tunnels are great for play and for hiding. You can get a 12 ft section for about $ 5 . Get at least two and curt one into smaller sections. Locate them every few feet for him to hide in. If they can only get to his teeth they will be less likely to attack him and he will be able to defend himself.
Let me know how it goes
ferretsanctuary1@aol.com
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757-463-8942
My first 2 ferrets took turns dragging each other through the house. It was hard to watch but when I picked up the one who I thought was being beat up, he kept getting down and going back to the fray.
W/yours, just make sure he is able to take a break from them if he needs to:)
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get the females fixed too? buy a cage for just him. they may never like him. it will take time for sure. keep the girls away from him, so he doesn't get hurt.
try keeping them in separate cages, but put some of the used bedding/poop/pee from the male into the cage with the girls, so they get used to his smell.
just eat them
Good for you, rescuing one. Thanks for not supporting mills. Now, onto the subject at hand. Your girl ferrets are getting very territorial? Yes, it'll take them a while to warm up to him, and here's a few things you can do to help him out.
1. Clean the cages out VERY well, maybe with some odor remover. Maybe even wash bedding and try putting him in the cage.
2. If this does not work, let them sleep in their beds, then switch bedding, so that the girls' bedding goes in the boy's and vice versa. Even swap fecal matter. Leave this there, so they get used to each other's scent .
I really hope this works out. It would be horrible for them to never get along!
