Keeping more than one ferret

Introduce Ferrets to each other under supervision.

If it's two adults, there will be a fight for dominance. If one is a juvenile, one an adult, again there will be a fight for dominance, but hopefully much shorter, with the youngster wailing and being submissive. Unneutered male ferrets can be very aggressive towards each other during the breeding season although they can live together well enough the rest of the year.

When we first introduced Polie, a young female, to Eric our resident neutered hob, Eric just tried to play fight but was far too boisterous for poor Polie who just kept hiding under the sofa.

Because we thought it important Polie had a respite and refuge from Erics attentions we put her in a cat carrier at night time. This continued for a few weeks. We have since found out that probably Polie had been getting in and out during the night through the wire door at the front. We discovered this when we had left the carrier in the kitchen. Eric and Polie were having a play fight and Polie had really wound Eric up. I went in the kitchen and Polie was sat in a locked carrier with Eric sat outside, glaring. For a couple of seconds I did actually think he had locked her in

Eric was really tolerant with Polie when she was small. He played very gently with her, mouthing her, and rolling around. Play now is a much rougher affair. There is still a lot of mouthing, but often they will grab hold of the fur on each others necks and hang on. Eric also uses his body to deflect Polie sometimes turning round and backing towards her, so all she can try to bite is a big fluffy bottom. Polie can give as good as she gets. Eric weighs 1.5 kg and Polie weighs .75 kg. Polie is perfectly capable of grabbing hold of Eric by the neck or top lip and dragging him round the sitting room.

Sometimes the playfighting can look very painful. If one thinks the other is playing too hard there will be an annoyed chatter. This isn't serious and a sharp “Oi” from me usually sorts it. The one that was protesting is usually the one to reinstigate fighting again so you may as well not bother. If it has been upset it may run and hide for a bit and then come back for more later. If you hear screaming this is serious and you must separate them. The only time I've heard a ferret scream was when we tried to introduce another female ferret to Eric and Polie. Everytime Eric went near her she went completely flat and screamed. Our ferrets were both so confused by her they went and sat on the sofa and refused to get down till she'd gone.

If one ferret is really annoyed with another or doesn't want to be bothered it will hiss. This will usually get rid of the other. When Polie was small she was always pestering Eric to play or trying to groom him when he wanted to sleep, eat or even use the litter tray. Poor Eric spent a lot of time hissing.