Post by emotionaltimebomb on Aug 14, 2021 3:50:26 GMT -5
So early this year, Lilith, our now 7 year old girl said goodbye to her cage mate, Pixel, who was about 9-10 years old (she had been fighting stage 4 lymphoma for over 8 months at that point and couldn't hold on any longer). Lilith came with us to the vet when we said goodbye and seemed to take the death well. She was clearly more cuddly then she had been prior but didn't really get depressed.
About three months later, we rescued a 1-2 year old male ferret, now named Arno. He was quite sick and weak when he came to us (it was very touch and go, neither us or the vet were sure he was going to survive), so the first month we kept them separated while Arno recovered. Arno was a single ferret in his last home, though he had been with a ferret previously (our home was the third time he had been rehomed).
They got introduced later and... long story short, I'm not overly sure what happened. They fought, but there was no blood, pee or poop, and there never has been between the two. No poofing either, just a lot of shrieking and noise. I step in after I hear it three times because Lilith is getting older and I don't want to stress her out (yes, I know I shouldn't, but again, Lilith is older and I don't want to do that to her).
Lilith seems to want nothing to do with Arno (though that first month, she was very adamant on wanting to meet him, and when we started sharing their bedding, she became enamoured with anything that smelled like him), while Arno is OBSESSED with Lilith (Arno does not lack for attention and play time, but if we're playing with him and he suddenly sees or realises Lilith is nearby, he'll immediately ditch us to go after her). She is NOT stressed out by him, at least not that I or the vet can tell, she just seems very indifferent to him. She still eats well, and while she's too old for proper play time now, she still loves exploring and getting into things and stealing things.
Arno tends to go after her when she is asleep as well rather than when she is awake and active (which is also why I step in). If they're both active and awake, he will follow her, try to attack her but usually she will shriek at him and he'll either stop and speed bump or run off. Sometimes Arno tries to have a go at her like this and she just loses her patience, tackles and scruffs him and he runs away like a sad puppy (sometimes he poofs when this happens but no pee, poop or blood), and she just huffs and goes back to whatever she was doing or comes to us for a cuddle. Arno gets a bit sulky when Lilith beats him up or we seperate him, but otherwise is a very happy, healthy and rambunctious young boy.
Right now, they've been around each other for about two months, they won't sleep in the same location but do share bedding and have supervised free roam of the house and then at night when it's bedtime for the humans, they are separated (though in the same room) for about 7-8 hours, then back to free roam. On the rare occasion someone cannot be home to supervise them, they are separated (though in the same room). Arno still tries to attack Lilith but is usually stopped by us or by her and runs away.
They don't have to be best buds or joined at the hip, but I would like to get to a point where I can safely leave them both alone without needing to seperate them when they cannot be supervised. Is it at all possible?
About three months later, we rescued a 1-2 year old male ferret, now named Arno. He was quite sick and weak when he came to us (it was very touch and go, neither us or the vet were sure he was going to survive), so the first month we kept them separated while Arno recovered. Arno was a single ferret in his last home, though he had been with a ferret previously (our home was the third time he had been rehomed).
They got introduced later and... long story short, I'm not overly sure what happened. They fought, but there was no blood, pee or poop, and there never has been between the two. No poofing either, just a lot of shrieking and noise. I step in after I hear it three times because Lilith is getting older and I don't want to stress her out (yes, I know I shouldn't, but again, Lilith is older and I don't want to do that to her).
Lilith seems to want nothing to do with Arno (though that first month, she was very adamant on wanting to meet him, and when we started sharing their bedding, she became enamoured with anything that smelled like him), while Arno is OBSESSED with Lilith (Arno does not lack for attention and play time, but if we're playing with him and he suddenly sees or realises Lilith is nearby, he'll immediately ditch us to go after her). She is NOT stressed out by him, at least not that I or the vet can tell, she just seems very indifferent to him. She still eats well, and while she's too old for proper play time now, she still loves exploring and getting into things and stealing things.
Arno tends to go after her when she is asleep as well rather than when she is awake and active (which is also why I step in). If they're both active and awake, he will follow her, try to attack her but usually she will shriek at him and he'll either stop and speed bump or run off. Sometimes Arno tries to have a go at her like this and she just loses her patience, tackles and scruffs him and he runs away like a sad puppy (sometimes he poofs when this happens but no pee, poop or blood), and she just huffs and goes back to whatever she was doing or comes to us for a cuddle. Arno gets a bit sulky when Lilith beats him up or we seperate him, but otherwise is a very happy, healthy and rambunctious young boy.
Right now, they've been around each other for about two months, they won't sleep in the same location but do share bedding and have supervised free roam of the house and then at night when it's bedtime for the humans, they are separated (though in the same room) for about 7-8 hours, then back to free roam. On the rare occasion someone cannot be home to supervise them, they are separated (though in the same room). Arno still tries to attack Lilith but is usually stopped by us or by her and runs away.
They don't have to be best buds or joined at the hip, but I would like to get to a point where I can safely leave them both alone without needing to seperate them when they cannot be supervised. Is it at all possible?
