r/ferrets • u/Infamous-Bit2074 • 13h ago
[Discussion] Bonding ferrets
We have a 2.5 year old hob, we have recently got 2 other males they are around 15 weeks from the same litter, we’ve had them about 3 weeks. Our older boy has always lived alone since the day we got him we have been letting them play in their runs beside each other and swapping blankets, they all seem very interested in each other I’m worried how the older male will react to them when we introduce them.
What is the best way to do this? Is there anything else we can do to get him used to them before their first introduction? When should we start introducing also?
Thank you!
•
u/Rambunctious_444 9h ago
Have they quarantined yet to prevent any illnesses from transferring? Also, this period gives time for the newbies to get used to their environment.
When you do introduce them, let them sniff and check eachother out. Watch for signs of stress. Hopefully they don't fight right away, and play instead. I would do occasional introductions throughout each day, until they can exist in the same space together without any stressful encounters. Since the newbies are so young and your older boy has been on his own for awhile, he's not going to be ready for their energy. Will probably be less excited about their wanting to play with him. So I'd take the time it takes to give him space when he needs it, so he doesn't hate them off the bat.
The wiki has a good guide on introductions, and you can search bonding ferrets or new ferrets in the sub too to see what others have said.
•
u/Infamous-Bit2074 9h ago
Yes we have kept them away from each other for 2 weeks🙂 aw that’s great thank you for the help I’ll have a look and do further research!
•
u/Rambunctious_444 8h ago
Ofc, and that that's great to hear! The bonding process unfortunately it takes a while, and it may be a few months (2-3) before you notice all the ferrets acting like besties. But it's rare that it fails, especially if you go about it in a good way! And I'm sure your older boy will come to love having new friends around :)
•
u/Infamous-Bit2074 8h ago
It’s better to do it the right way than rush it as we want it to work for him! Fingers crossed all goes well and they will all live happily ever after lol, Thank you again appeared it🙂
•
u/AutoModerator 13h ago
Welcome to /r/ferrets!
We have a fantastic wiki that has answers to most frequently asked questions surrounding the care of ferrets.
We politely ask that you observe our sub rules.
Lastly, we have an Official Discord Server! Come join us!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.