QUESTION:

I have had ferrets for over five years. I add another ferret or two almost every year from a shelter. As I tend to adopt from the heart I get ferrets with health issues and/or from very sad situations. I have never had more than six ferrets total despite excellent veterinary care (some things we just can't fix... but I can offer a quality life). I currently have four ferrets in a house with a puppy, a gecko, a teenaged daughter and a husband.

My most recent addition was Tonto, a two year old male ferret, who came to join us December 2007. He was abandoned in an empty house. He was horribly malnourished when he arrived at the shelter. Although thin, he was already on the road to recovery when I entered his life. He was friendly, lively and thriving at the shelter. He has the standard ear tattoos so I believe him to be neutered. He continues to thrive at my home and is very affectionate with humans.

I carefully introduce new ferrets to my existing crew. This has been successful for me to date. Not so with my new guy. Following the standard meet-n-greet involving bottom sniffing he chuckles and goes for the jugular. He is quick to draw blood. I have tried bathing the ferrets, washing the bedding, switching the bedding, offering treats in conjunction with encounters, utilizing distractions and placing them side by side in separate cages for acclimation... all with no success. The same fellow who follows me around the house, loves a shower, chuckles at life and plays with humans cannot interact with his own kind. I jokingly say he's on the autism spectrum... but I am concerned.

A chihuahua puppy is the most recent addition to my household mix. My 'go for the jugular' ferret plays very nicely with her. They eat side by side, romp together and collapse in a heap together. If the puppy gets a little too pushy Tonto has nipped her ear - without drawing blood. I don't get it. Do you have any advice?

ANSWER:

After having ferrets for 27 years, I have had many who just will not get along with other ferrets, this is not unusual. Since you say he goes for the jugular my advice would be to keep him separated at ALL times from the other ferrets, there have been cases of ferrets killing other ferrets.

Ferrets in the wild are solitary animals and only come together for breeding. Also the socialization period for ferrets is between 7-9 weeks of age, so if he was removed from his siblings before that time (which is quite likely), then he has no idea what the other ferrets are.

Another thing you might want to check is his 'blood glucose', make sure he is not hypoglycemic as often this makes ferrets very 'grouchy'. Don't forget Chihuahuas are 'hunters' also and will go after the ferrets, so be careful as the puppy grows up, always be there to supervise.

QUESTION:
I have a solitary 6-year old ferret (Schmoo) who was just diagnosed with insulinoma. I've read FAQs about introducing new ferrets, but, I have a question that I don't think has been answered yet: Since ferrets are social creatures, will adding a new ferret, once proper intros are done, help or hinder Schmoo's health? Would having another furry friend (he lives with 2 cats, but they're a bit big for him to properly play with, although he wrestles with the younger cat a lot) help to extend his life?

ANSWER:

Thank you for asking! In my experience ferrets with Insulinoma get stresses very easily and introducing a new ferret would definitely cause Schmoo to take a turn for the worst! Ferrets in the wild are loners so it is not absolutely necessary for him to have a ferret pal. He probably is just fine with the cats and set in a routine that I would not personally change.

Make sure you feed him with his prednisone, preferably feed him Gerbers Chicken Baby food, so he will have food in his stomach, pred can cause ulcers if not given with food. Plus the baby food is high meat protein, a necessity for low blood sugar.

QUESTION:
I was reading your website on introducing new ferrets to older ones and need help. I bought two baby ferrets in 2003 which have grown up together as a pair their whole life. One male and one female that are both 4 years old. The female has adrenal disease (for 6 months now) and I have to give her a shot every month. I just bought two more baby ferrets and introduced them for about 30 minutes and found the older female is extremely violent to the point she is trying to draw blood from the kits. Now one of the kits is afraid of her. The older male is more curious and doesn't try to hurt the new ones. I am afraid that the older female will never get along with the new ones. What do I have to do to ensure they get along once the kits get a little older and bigger? How long should I segregate the kits from the older two...until they are full grown?

ANSWER:
Put their cages next to each other so they can get acquainted through the bars. Some ferrets never get along, so do not leave the female out with the kits she could hurt them. Perhaps as she gets used to them being around she may not be so aggressive, however make sure you are there with her when you do decide to introduce her again. If the male is calmer then you can put him out to play for short periods with the kits, but again make sure you supervise. As the kits grow they may be too rambunctious for the older ones and if things do not work out, it will mean separate playtimes.You have to remember that ferrets age quickly and sometimes 4 year olds don't want to be bothered with kits jumping all over them, but try them to see.

Also you might want to have a blood glucose test done on the female she may be hypoglycemic, I have found ferrets with low blood sugar often to be much more aggressive. When you take her in for her shot have them do a blood glucose test, all they need is a drop of blood and to test on a glucometer. INSULINOMA often runs concurrently with adrenal disease.

QUESTION:
I have had my ferret (Beash-ing) for about five years and he was just a kit when I got him. When I got him he was living with at least 10 other ferrets but, then when I got him became an only ferret. He has been used to having a lot of attention since he has been my only ferret. I love ferrets and thought it would be fun to get a new baby ferret for me and for him. I thought about ferret interaction and acceptance. I thought that it would be easy to get them to interact with each other in a positive way because a week before I got my new kit (Bean) I read up on introducing a new ferret to an older one on the internet and in book and wrote down every tip I could find.

When I introduced Bean and Beash-ing everything started great and then Beash-ing started to get to rough and went for Beans neck. Then Bean let out a squeaking-grunt sound and I pulled them right away from each other. I held Bean for a while and checked for any marks or wounds. I didn't find anything on him so I checked Beash-ing for any blood on his teeth and didn’t find anything either. After I had checked them and put Beash-ing away and Bean took a nap I checked the internet for some fast answers on what the squeak-grunt sound meant and it said that it was a happy sound that they made when they were having fun.

I am wondering if I over reacted and they were just getting along. I have put them in separate cages until I can feel sure that when I introduce them again they will get along. If you can give me some fast answers on what to do that would be great!

ANSWER:
There are no fast answers! Each ferret is an individual with its own personality, some ferrets get along well and others never do. There is a big age difference with your ferrets, it is like putting a grandfather with a baby, so you may find that Beashing might pick on the baby and will grab him by the scruff of the neck to show his dominance.

Since Bean is young he will grow up to respect the 'old man' but he too may become quite rough as he matures and may be too much for Beashing. Put their cages next to each other so they can get used to each others smell and then let them play for a few minutes at a time, until you are comfortable that they will get along. When they get in a scuffle just part them with a roll of paper towel, it will save your fingers and be soft enough not to hurt them.

Distract them with toys, such as paper bags and tubes and keep them interested so they will play with you also. REMEMBER that Beashing has been your only ferret for a long time and will be jealous of Bean, so make sure you give him lots of attention on his own, preferably when Bean is sleeping. Ferrets suffer from stress very easily and bringing in a new ferret could create a problem for Beashing, make sure he is eating/drinking and his habits do not change. Often baby ferrets have certain illnesses/parasites that do not affect them, but can be transmitted to older ferrets, so make sure you keep an eye on Beashing.

QUESTION:
I have a 3 year old DEW male ferret (Bilzzard) and have recently decided to get another ferret that he can play with. She is a 3 and a 1/2 year old albino female ferret (Sable). When I first introduced them to each other the got along great but now that I have tried to put them in the cage together my male gets really aggressive and tries to attack her. They are still getting along great outside of the cage but I am having no luck inside the cage. Are there any tips or suggestions you could give me to get him to stop doing that?

ANSWER:
Have you tried washing all the bedding, or even adding new hammocks etc.. so Blizzard cannot claim them as his own. If you give them both a bath in a good ferret shampoo and clean their ears very well, it will be like starting afresh! Blizzard most likely is jealous and does not want to share his home, so making everything as new may help, don't forget to scrub cage with a little laundry detergent, to remove his odor.

QUESTION:
I have ten ferrets all ranging from a little over 3 years old down to just a year. Every time I bring home a new ferret they accept it right away however I recently bought number 11 from the same lady I always buy from but 3 of my others will not accept her. Two of the trouble makers are brother and sister and just a year old the other is 2. These three always stick together and in fact are all three the same color. But anyway the problem is when the baby gets near any of those three they attack her, they bite her neck, drag her around, shake her, and in most cases she is bleeding and they are a fluffed up when they are done. It has > now been about 4 months any I still can not put the baby near them. I don't know if it matters but the baby is a little girl and all she wants to do is run and play. Can you please help me fix this. I really feel bad when its bed time and she has to go into a cage alone.

ANSWER:
Do be careful with the baby, the others can kill her! Before you try them together to 'play' again, try washing them all in the same shampoo, making sure you clean their ears thoroughly, often times this works. Usually young ferrets accept babies very well, so I really am not sure why they are doing this, other than trying to show dominance. It might be better if you separate the three into another cage and leave the baby with the rest of your ferrets if that is an option.

Bathe the ferrets one at a time and try each with the baby separately, maybe you will be able to determine who is the instigator amongst them. If the baby has an odor different to theirs it will diminish with the shampooing and hopefully they will think she is one of them.

QUESTION:
My son has been given 2 baby ferrets, they are about 7 weeks old, both of them can not walk properly. At 7 weeks should they be walking about ? They both move almost seal like, we have never kept ferrets before and I have spent hours reading about them on the Internet. I have read about Osteodystrophy and I'm really worried now. They seem to have strength in their legs if I put my finger behind their foot they will push off it. They are on newspaper at the moment, should I be using something different as news paper is very smooth? I'm wondering if this could be the cause, also what is the best to feed them, how much should they be eating and how often? I'm sorry to bombard you with these questions, I can not seem to find answers to these on any of the web sites I have been on, if you could help me I would be very grateful.

ANSWER:
Are you sure they are 7 weeks old? They should be flying around by now, have you tried them on the floor to see if they will feel more stable. They should have food available all the time, if they are hungry their blood sugar will drop and they will not be able to walk.

They should be on a high meat protein ferret food or kitten food, check my site for types of food. If you are giving kibble please moisten with a little water as they do not cut teeth until 8-9 weeks of age. Also place a bowl of hard kibble so they have a choice. You might want to get them some meat baby food to supplement their diet, give them 2-3 teaspoonfuls, 2-3 times a day. Are they skinny or are they plump? if skinny feed them the baby food asap.

Where did your son get these ferret from, surely the person who had them previously would have told him how to care for them?

QUESTION:
I now have two ferrets. One is just under a year (Tavi) and the other I just got yesterday is only 2 months old (treelo). I have been very watching them very closely the past 24 hours and have noticed that Treelo seems to attack Tavi every chance she gets. This baby is used to being around other ferrets (she was in with 2 others) and was very playful not mean, with them. I'm confused as to why she would be lashing out at. Any ideas?

ANSWER:
Treelo is just being a 2 month old ferret, she is practicing to be a 'carnivore' which is natural at her age. It would be best to keep the ferrets separate and just let them play together supervised for a few days. Tavi has been used to you and not sharing you, so make sure you spend time with her until she gets used to her new companion. You do not want her to start biting because of the baby. When Treelo gets really excited take Tavi away and distract Treelo with a toy and you play with her, do not allow her to keep biting. If all she wants to do is bite, then put her back in her cage until she calms down.

QUESTION:
I currently have two ferrets who are very good friends. One is a 2 year old female, and the other is a 10 year old male. The male is finally showing his age and he probably doesn't have much longer left. There was another 10 year old ferret with them until he died this spring and the older ferret moped for a while. I don't want the female to be alone though and have been looking into a replacement. The male is very sweet and calm, and the female is a wild ball of energy. Should I introduce a young ferret after the male dies, or bring in the newbie to socialize before he passes on?

ANSWER:
In my personal opinion I would definitely wait! The old fellow will not want another youngster jumping all over him especially if he does not feel well and if you separate him, he may feel you are speeding up his demise! When the time comes to separate him for more intensive care then you might want to consider a companion for the female, but until that time arrives best to keep them both together. He could live sometime yet, have you taken him to the vet for a checkup? There are medications that work well for illnesses in ferrets, even they may not cure what ails him, it will make his last days far more easier and pain free.

QUESTION:
I have a male ferret about a year old and I bought a baby ferret yesterday he's a male. I'm caging them separately but I am a little concerned that my older one is playing too rough with the young one. He moans when they play or wrestle and the young one also moans when he is in the cage and out of it sometimes and I have no clue what he is complaining about. My older ferret won't pay any attention to me since yesterday. I try to play with him and he will go play with the other ferret or wrestle him.

ANSWER:
You need to keep the baby separate from the older male, he can hurt him. The baby needs to get used to his new home, it is a big change for him. Plus imagine yourself being put in a strange place with someone dragging you around! You would be moaning, I am sure?

Having their cages next to one another, they will get used to each other that way. After a couple of weeks then try the baby with the older one, but be there to separate them if he is still being too rough. Do not reprimand him as he is doing what ferrets do, but just separate with a roll of paper towel and distract them with toys.

Your older ferret is very jealous that you have turned your attention to another ferret and rightly so, as he has been your pal and now he has to share you with someone else. Lavish him with attention and soon he will get over it, as long as you don't show a lot of attention to the baby in front of him!

QUESTION:
I just bought a 3 month old male ferret this past Monday from a pet shop. He is really good most of the time, but unfortunately, when there is food or a favorite toy that he has or likes, he bites. He makes these aggressive hisses and what sounds like soft barking. I have picked him up by the scruff of the neck and said no in a loud and firm voice, but this is not working. I am a first time ferret owner and just unsure of what I am to do. Does this mean that he will be an aggressive ferret? He loves to snuggle with me and the entire family. It is just when he has his food and or toy. Please HELP. He is so cute and I have already fallen in love with him (Yukon).

ANSWER:
Do you have food available for him at all times? Ferrets eat every 3-4 hours so food should be there for when he is hungry, day or night. If he was at the pet shop with other ferrets then he might have been fighting for food and just hasn't realized that he doesn't have to fight anymore. He will calm down once hr knows there will always be food. Make sure you feed him a food with MEAT PROTEIN in it and not any with bits of fruit and vegetables. If you want to give him a healthy snack, please buy him some GERBERS CHICKEN BABY FOOD (blue label) and give about 1-2 teaspoonfuls, warm a little. He will love it and if ever he gets sick, this is a food that he will need to eat.

The noises he is making are normal for a baby ferret, he will stop as he ages. The hissing is a warning sign, so leave him alone. Do not wake him from sleep, but try to get into a routine so he will know when to expect to play with you.

QUESTION:
my name is lauren and i got my 1st ferret today. He's is 3months old and named appropriately "spaz". Being a new owner on a tight budget I'm looking for the best care products for the price, can you give any helpful tips?? Is it normal for him so be excited or a "spaz" ?????

ANSWER:
Yes it is perfectly normal for him to get excited and even play bite at his age. You will need to give him lots of attention, but try to do so at the same times each day, so he will get into a routine, YOUR routine, he will quickly learn what is expected of him. You can give him paper bags and hard baby toys to play with, but NEVER ANYTHING RUBBER! Ferrets love the taste of rubber and will bite pieces off and then end up with bits in their stomachs and surgery to remove the rubber is very expensive. Please go to the list of DANGERS in THE FERRET SCHOOL, also read ALL ABOUT FERRETS.

QUESTION:
I have a female ferret who is probably a little over a year old and about a week ago I got a baby female ferret who was i think like 6 or 7 weeks old. I have them in separate cages btu when I let them out to play together they like tackle each other and chase each other and the baby ferret makes noises. Is that normal?

ANSWER:
Yes, it is normal for babies to make a noise, it will stop as she gets older. As long as the ferrets are not hurting each other, just let them continue to play until you find them curled up together, then they should be fine caged together.

QUESTION:
I just recently added another ferret to my home. His name is Dameon and he is a three month old kit. I currently just had one Ferret, Casey (she is a sprite), but I decided to get another one because I heard that Ferrets always did better in pairs. Anyway, Dameon is a normal kit: hopping around, pooping on the floor, attacking my feet, etc., etc. He is kind of starting to get the concept of house breaking and we are working on the nipping issue. But I have some questions that I didn't see covered on your web site:

1. I do believe that Casey and him are getting along, but Casey hasn't been around another Ferret for a year (I got her when she was around four months old) so she really doesn't know how to play with him, and she seems to be licking him obsessively when they are both in the cage and he is sleeping. Why does she do this?

 

2. Casey has seemed to stop eating ever since we got Dameon. I know that some Ferrets guard food bowels (and since Dameon is a chubby little booger I wouldn't put it past him) so I've added another food dish into the cage on a different level so perhaps Casey can get a chance to eat. If she still doesn't continue to eat though (I'm going to be watching her litter box for poops) what can I do? And how can I tell if Casey is too skinny? She has always been a slim trim girl, but I want to make sure she isn't too skinny. She seems slimmer to me now, and I don't know if that is because she isn't eating, because she is blowing her coat, or if that is because I'm just used to Dameon now, and he is a chunky fert!

 

3. This is the more serious question that I really want answered. Even though Dameon is a sweet ferret most of the time acting like a normal kit, he BIT me the other day! And this wasn't a nip, it was a latch-on-for-dear-life-and-don't-let-go kind of bite. I was offering him a treat, which he took without a fuss. When he had bit into it, some of it fell, so I picked it up and offered it to him. As soon as he saw me holding that fraction of the treat, he let out a short hiss and then jumped and latched onto my finger! My finger is still sore from it and it was literally gushing blood once I got him off of me by putting some Bitter Apple spray in his mouth. I had noticed this behavior earlier when I was holding a toy and he grabbed a hold of it has hard as he could and started hissing. I didn't let him have the toy and I was eventually able to wrench it out of his grasp.

Why is he doing this? I'm worried that he will turn into a possessive/aggressive Ferret, and I don't want one of those around Casey and my younger siblings in the house! He is perfectly fine around Casey; doesn't act aggressive at all, unless you count tackling her and pouncing on her when he is playing. I have noticed though that he doesn't back off when Casey hisses at him, but I figured that that was just the Kit in him. And he acts normally most of the time, like I mentioned at the beginning. Is there anyway I can stop him from becoming an evil monster and clip this in the bud before it blooms? Or is it already too late? Because if it is too late to cure it, I don't know if I'll want him anymore, which really hurts me because I've already grown attached to the little booger, even though I've only had him for about four days.

ANSWER:
Sounds as if Dameon is a normal 3 month old male kit! He is growing so will consume a lot more food, if you are concerned about Casey, it would be much better to cage them separately and just have 'playtimes' together, until they get used to each other. There is quite a difference in age, per ferret years, so let Dameon mature a little until Casey is more comfortable having him around.

The excessive licking could be just grooming him since he is a baby, but it could be indicative of ADRENAL DISEASE, although she is quite young yet for that. Watch her though to make sure she does not start losing hair or developing a stronger odor.

Do you have food available all the time? When you gave him the treat he could have mistaken your finger for the food, or he might have thought it would be taken away if he didn't get it quick enough. If he had to fight over food at the pet shop, this is probably the problem, once he realizes that food is always available then he will calm down. Another reason that they should be kept separate, is he is probably preventing Casey from eating, since she hasn't had to fight for her food and knows it will always be there, she is letting him eat, he on the other hand is not so generous.

Ferrets are not like dogs so grabbing the toy is not a bad thing, you should have let him have it, his attention span is so short, he would most likely have just dropped it. Pouncing and jumping on Casey or the toys is natural, you need to remember that he is at the age now 'of practicing to become a carnivore', plus growing his second teeth, so biting is natural for him, as he is programmed to 'kill' his prey. You will need to be firm, but at the same time, give him things to chew (CHEAWEASELS) also you might want to give him BABYFOOD/CHICKEN as a supplement, twice a day(about 2 teaspoonfuls), to help his protein level and to make him feel fuller faster.

Casey will need extra attention so she does not feel left out, but dameon will need your love and kindness to grow out of this awkward stage.

QUESTION:
I just recently purchased my second ferret, Chip. He is my first male ferret though. My other ferret, Tator is a female that I purchased at another pet store just down the street she was perfect but with my job and school I felt a bigger cage and I new friend would be appropriate. So me and my fiancee bought Chip a 2 month baby boy. He is MEAN. At first it was all cute and he’d nibble but now he is biting and drawing blood. He hisses and flares up. We have never had this problem with Tator and are confused how to handle this. We do want to correct this and keep him but if the biting continues it may become a problem. How can I train him not to bite? And why does he bite? He is also very aggressive towards my other ferret. I had to separate them because he was biting her ears VERY hard. Almost ripping one off. What can i do? Should I sell him?

ANSWER:
Sounds like Chip is being a 2 month old ferret!! Unfortunately at that age some ferrets can bite really hard as he is cutting teeth and also learning to be a predator! You didn't mention how old your other is? It would be best to keep them separate until he calms down! When you let him out to play, make sure you have lots of toys, paper bags, tubes to let him expend his energy. Try to distract him with a toy each time he wants to bite, you might want to get him some CHEWEASELS and present him with one to bite on.

Once he has played a while and seems calmer try your other ferret with him, but part them with a roll of paper towel when he gets too rough. If he continues to be rough with her, then you will have to wait until he is a little older before putting them together. Handle him as much as you can, preferably when he wakes and after he is exhausted from play, he will not be so apt to bite then. If he does then tell him "NO" in a loud voice, so he realizes it is not acceptable behavior. It could be that he did not get the attention he needed at the pet shop and hence his excitement, he WILL calm down, just give him extra love.

QUESTION:
Hi I have 2 ferrets both 3 months old one of them grabs my finger and when I try to stop him he hisses I'm getting a little scared of him.why is he doing this and what can I do to stop him?

ANSWER:
It is quite normal for ferrets to play with their teeth, they are predators and learn to 'kill their prey' by practicing the art with siblings. Instead of allowing him your finger find a suitable toy for him to grab hold of. Whenever he gets a little rambunctious distract him with a paper bag full of toys or balls.

He is still cutting teeth so you might want to buy him some CHEWEASELS (sold on my site) these are excellent chewing toys and will help him through this difficult period. There is no need to be afraid of him, when he is calm give him lots of love and attention, when he is wild distract him, or put him back in his cage. He will sense any fear that you have and in turn he will become fearful, that is why he is hissing at you.

He is just a baby and like any baby animal he must learn what is acceptable. If he should get your finger again open his mouth and give him a toy to replace it, do not get excited, or hit him, just say a LOUD "NO", while removing your finger. The best method is to have lots of toys he can hide and play with, making sure they are ferret safe, such as good baby toys, or some of those on my site.

QUESTION:
Your site has been so helpful and informative, and we already have our 8 week old kit (Ashley) semi litter trained after the first week (she will go in one spot, which makes cage maintenance much easier!). I do have a few more questions then what is on your site though. I purchased a tube of ferretone and our kit, Ashley, honestly could care less about the stuff. I tried putting some on the tip of my finger and she will have nothing to do with it. I tried putting some on a piece of her ferret food and hand feeding it, to no avail. I even tried putting some on her mouth so that she would get a taste of it when she cleaned herself. She still would rather not have anything to do with the stuff. Oh well.

I went out and bought her a small bag of raisins (you'd be surprised how hard it is to find just raisins, ended up going to a health food store) and she could care less about those as well. Any ideas as what to use as a treat and training aid?

Also, she is very rambunctious and seems to only want to explore rather then be handled. She is very nippy and squirms to be put down on a near constant basis. She is not very sociable and the only play she engages in is that she allows to be chased in circles around our feet. If you go to pick her up she runs from your hands under the bed or a like piece of cover.

Is this normal behavior for a 8-9 week old female ferret? She has tons of energy, just, unfortunately she is not interested in spending any of it with us (me and my girlfriend). We have been very sweet to her and are trying to remain patient with the nipping but none the less we are a bit disappointed with her personality. We are hoping she is still young enough and malleable enough to change.

ANSWER:
Ashley's behavior is normal! All she wants to do is play, ferrets are born to play! Sit on the floor and play with her, cover your legs with a blanket, as she gets used to you, she will climb on your lap and will want you to hold her, but it takes time, be patient.

Play with soft toys with her, or a cat toy, paper bag, something that will keep you at a distance so you will not get nipped. If she nips say NO or OUCH loudly and if need be pick her up by the scuff(as her mother would do) and gently put her back in the cage.

You must allow her time to play and then as she tires it will be much easier to hold her. Also do not disturb her when she is asleep but try to develop a routine, that way she will know when to expect playtime and time for attention.

Ferrets do not need treats and it is not easy to train them. Routine is the best training. Do not give raisins or anything sweet, as ferrets are prone to hypoglycemia(low blood sugar) and giving sweets aggravates the condition.

Ferrets are obligate carnivores(meat eaters) so if you want to give her a healthy snack, buy some GERBER'S BABYFOOD(blue label)CHICKEN or TURKEY and give it to her, warmed a little about 2 teaspoonful. If you hold her to eat it either from your finger, or a little dish, she will look forward to each time you give it to her, try to feed her about the same time each day. It is good to start her on this food incase she should get sick, this is what she will eat.

If you are feeding her a really good high meat protein ferret food you will not need to give her anything else. Make sure her food and water is fresh each day and always available.

Remember baby ferrets learn how to 'kill their prey' when they play with each other, however since our skin is not as tough as a ferret, we feel those nips/bites! Do not allow her to bite you and if you are firm she will realize it is not acceptable.

QUESTION:
I'm writing in regards to my new, eight week old ferret. I have never had a ferret before so naturally I am very excited. I have done research on these animals, however, there are a few questions I would like to ask.

What are a few things I can do to make a good "first impression." Should I handle it differently the first couple weeks? He is already neutured and from what I've been told he has had all of his shots. Should I still bring him in to see the vet and if so how often? Can a ferret be trusted outisde?

My brother has a guinea pig and this seems to concern my parents. Should I keep them as far as possible, or should they be introduced-and if so, how?

ANSWER:
I will answer your last question first. Ferrets are CARNIVORES (meat eaters) make sure the guinea pig is locked up when the ferret is out to play, do NOT put them together or even near each other. The ferret will kill the guinea pig instinctively, just as it will any rodent, bird or rabbit, in the wild these would be his natural diet!

Please go to my site and read the article ALL ABOUT FERRETS (in the FERRET SCHOOL section) and also DANGERS TO FERRETS. There are many things in your home that can be harmful to ferrets. As far as outside the home, he can be walked on a harness and leash but SHOULD NOT RUN FREE, you most likely will never see him again. He will not return like a cat or dog.

When I ran the shelter in Miami, many ferrets came to me injured having been attacked by dogs, some died, many were killed in people's backyards. Many were killed by people who did not know what they were!

If he is only 8 weeks old he has NOT had all his shots. Where did you buy him from? Ferrets are immune to distemper from their mother's blood until 9 weeks of age, after that, you will need to get him 2 DISTEMPER shots, 2-3 weeks apart and at 4 months a RABIES shot. In some areas of the country, if he hasn't had a rabies shot and he bites someone, he will either be put in quaranteen for 2 weeks or be put to death!

As far as your treatment goes, he should be handled gently, no rough play if you do not want him to start nipping. Do NOT wake him from sleep, but try to establish a routine, so he will know when you are going to play with him. Ferrets sleep most of their lives, but do require about 2 hours of exercise and play a day, so try to always be there about the same time to take him out of his cage, he will expect it.

Make sure you always have available to him, bowl of fresh food (good high MEAT protein ferret food) and change water daily. Do NOT use food with bits of dried fruits and vegetables, although sold for ferrets they can be quite deadly and get stuck in their intestines, requiring surgery.

Keep his litter box clean and you should have no problems with him. Do NOT use 'dusty' cat litter, nor pine or cedar, as these cause respiratory ailments, but rather a recycled newspaper such as Yesterday's News. Scoop at least twice a day.

QUESTION:
I have a two year old male ferret, and my mother is thinking about getting me a baby one. I was wondering how my male would react to a young ferret?

ANSWER:
If your ferret has been alone for two years and has never been with another ferret you may have a problem! If you have had him since he was a few weeks old he may not recognize your new baby as a ferret. The reason is that the 'ferret's socialization period' is programmed to happen between 7-9 weeks of age and if he has been taken away from his siblings before then he has no idea what another ferret is! If you buy a female he may be more inclined to accept her, but there is no guarantee, don't forget he may be jealous that he is having to share YOU with someone else. Keep them in separate cages, but close together until you are certain beyond a doubt that they get along. Introduce them a little at a time, holding them both and then place them on the ground, he may drag the baby around (which is normal), but do separate them, you will need to monitor them both while they are together. As the baby grows it will be able to defend itself but while small it needs you. On the other hand they may just be the best of pals right from the beginning. If you have a ferret rescue/shelter close by, you could contact them to see if they will let you try your ferret with some of their ferrets to see how he reacts, maybe you will find a good companion for him, one who needs a home, there are so many abandoned ferrets!