Advice on getting a new fuzzbutt

[Deleted]

I'm sorrry, I wasn't sure which board my question would really fit into so I just chose this one.
So we put my baby dagget to rest on Friday. It was absolutely devastating but there wasn't much else of a choice. He was suffering so much. He couldn't stand, wouldn't eat or drink on his own, locked his jaw when we tried to give him his meds. All he could do all day is blankly stare and breath very rapid and shallow breaths. My poor baby.
Our girl eleven is probably taking it the hardest. They were brother and sister and had never been separated. He was her best friend and she's gotten very lonely. We play with her and cuddle her as much as she'll allow, but she's not big on people.
So I've been in search of a friend for her, no one will be able to replace dagget in anyone's heart, but she needs another ferret to play with and keep her company.
I found a girl, rehoming a boy who is about a year old according to her. I'm going to hopefully meet her at our vet today to get him a wellness exam and vaccines (they don't have any record for him)
I've got a friend who will be loaning us a cage for him until we can get the two used to one another. They've already met once and got along great, I'm just worried about overnight and the 6 or so hours that my boyfriend and I are both at work.
She's going to be staying in the ferret nation 182 cage I already have. And they'll be free roam whenever either of us are home, as eleven and dagget already were.
My question is how long should I wait, without a fight breaking out, before I can feel safe leaving them in the same cage overnight or while we're not home? Also, how long should I give him to adjust before I begin switching him to raw? And lastly, what should I expect with introducing a new fuzzy into the house? Thank you and sorry for the novel lol.

[Sherry]

When you find them sleeping together out of cage is when I do this.

[LindaM]

Typically, when you make any new addition to your current ferrets, it's best practice to keep the newcomer and your current ones separated for 2 weeks quarantine time, preferably in separate cages, in separate rooms. This is to prevent the possibility of something like ECE popping up.

Whenever I added a new addition to my business, I'd wait to cage them together until I have found them sleeping together (either on top of each other/curled up next to each other/or even just sleeping very close to each other in the same drawer for example), just as Sherry mentioned. I tend to aim for it after finding them sleeping like that at least twice, since sometimes the first time can be a fluke. I also like to keep an eye on play and scuffles so that I can see if they can all withstand each other or if one will just end up bullying and one end up the victim. And I personally like to keep an ear out for the first two nights in a cage together. Integration could happen really quickly or it could take a while, so be prepared for that. Athena took about 2-3 weeks to integrate with Loki, and my newest boys amazingly integrated fully with them within a week.

As for the raw switch, kinda depends on the age of the ferret, since you said he may be around a year, he could switch easy.. or he could take some convincing. When I got Apollo and Ares they were 7 months old and I switched them to raw the day they got into my home, as everyone else was already raw-fed and my home is entirely kibble-free. Sometimes you will need to have some of the kibble available just in case the one you have is one of those that would just starve themselves if they don't have a food they are used to at the start.

As for what to expect.. well it kinda varies from ferret to ferret, personalities and all that, but typically they will have some scuffles for dominance to try and figure out the hierarchy. Do not interfere in this unless there is pee, poop, or blood during it, because it will only hamper any progress they are trying to make. You may also see them pooping wherever they feel like all of a sudden, potty-training notwithstanding, at least for a while.

Are you doing anything else to help out your girlie right now? You guys keeping a close eye on her to make sure she's still eating and drinking normally and not spiraling in depression? Maybe giving her some Rescue Remedy?

[Deleted]

LindaM thank you so much for the advice. Yes we are paying very close attention to her. She's eating and drinking just as normal right now. But I believe she's kind of angry at the situation, as she keeps going potty around the house which she hasn't done since we pottytrained, I see this as a sign of acting out. Also she's sleeping more. When her and dagget would play, they'd go at it for over an hour before passing out. Now we play and chase her around for about a half hour before she hops into her drawer to sleep. She would sleep all day if we let her, and she just stays up most of the night now, rearranging her blankets and water bowl which is unlike her. She's also only been sleeping in the bottom story of her cage, which I'm thinking may be because her and dagget would cuddle and sleep on the top floor? I'm not really sure. I expected her behavior to be kind of off for a while so I haven't been too alarmed by any of the changes. If she stops eating or drinking or something of that nature I will for sure bring her into the vet.
What is rescue remedy?

[Deleted]

LindaM also, I shouldn't let them have any contact with each other for 2 weeks?

[LindaM]

Bach's Rescue Remedy (certainly a must-have for your ferret medical box): www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/

And yes, preferably no contact with each other, this includes being kept in the same room even, for 2 weeks. Going about using extra hygiene will also be helpful, such as washing your hands before and after handling either of them.

I'm gonna link to the thread I had before I got my newest two boys (it outlines some more of the dangers and why to quarantine):
holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/22772/best-quarantine

You can also have a look at these threads:
holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/20463/consider-new-ferrets-quarantine
holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/5139/quarantine-procedures

[unclejoe]

It's a great start that your new one will be examined by a vet while you are there, and that your ferret has already met him. I would let them play together for a bit and then put them in the cage a few hours before I went to bed just to see how they get on. A quick vet exam can't find everything, but since they have already met and been exposed to each other, and you fully intend to take him in, the only issue is living together. I really hope they become buds.

[Sherry]

As they have already met, quarantine isn't as much an issue for diseases, but he should still have a space of his own for a bit so he can decompress and become used to the noises in your place, as well as you.

[unclejoe]

May 4, 2017 9:47:46 GMT -5 Sherry said:

As they have already met, quarantine isn't as much an issue for diseases, but he should still have a space of his own for a bit so he can decompress and become used to the noises in your place, as well as you.

Yes, if that is necessary. I have to say that I have brought a lot of ferrets together without issues, and they had never met.  I knew nothing then, except that every ferret deserved a good home.  It's best to be prepared .