Looking for advice

[FightTheBan 1,147]

I took on a very small polecat jill (no biger than 5 inches long), a few weeks ago and am having a great deal of bother at the minute.

 

The problem being my dominant jill (a 6 year old albino) is constantly giving it stick and ragdolling it about the hutch. I experience this with every new ferret i introduce, but after a day or so it usually stops once she has shown her dominance. This has gone on for two weeks, and i need to do something or she will kill it.

 

I have split it for today, as she is looking poorly, but i am not a fan of doing this as i will never be able to box and work them together, making it useless.

 

Looking for any suggestions as to helping the situation before i advertise it as free to good working home.

 

I think my jill has realised she is so small she is easilly bullied, shesa lovely ferret and a great wee worker so i dont want to get rid unless i have to.

 

Many thanks for any helpfull advice.

[Brimmer 220]

One simple answer is to house them seperate. But i know its a lot of fuss getting another cage. Also a carry box with seperate compartments would have to be used. I know usually over time they get used to each other, but some takes ages to settle down.

[The one 8,483]

Is she seeing it as a threat or just seeing it as a kitt and dragging it about mate ??

[FightTheBan 1,147]

''Is she seeing it as a threat or just seeing it as a kitt and dragging it about mate ?? ''

 

I dont think she is seeing it as a threat, because the wee jill does not fight back at all, and she doesnt drag it like a kit. It is full on, shaking it about trying to hurt it. The wee polecats neck is a mess, i think the best idea is to give it to someone with only one or two ferrets. As i keep 10 together, its like a pack and any 'new incomers' are always given a bit of stick, but nothing like this.

[jacrabbit 0]

have you tried putting some ferretone on her. i used it to help my two to bond. also you could try kepping her with a few layed back ferrets for a bit , so she gets the chance to make a friend or two before putting her back in the group.

[stealthy1 3,964]

Introduce your new jill slowly so your dominant jill has time to ajust to your new member, try to give them space when they are together, so that if one kicks off the loser has the space to retreat, I think they will get on in time

[FightTheBan 1,147]

Ta stealthy, i put a second nest box in tonite, which she is using as her own space. Hopefully this helps the situation.

[stealthy1 3,964]

Ta stealthy, i put a second nest box in tonite, which she is using as her own space. Hopefully this helps the situation.

 

 

[heritage 202]

this is a common problem for those that keep a buisness, there is always a little rough play when introducing a new ferret but sometimes its obvious that is more of a determination to kill, i think this is what you have. if you look carefully youll find there is a main culprit (a ringleader) then there will be others that arent really bothered. the best thing to do is remove all the ferrets from the court and replace all the woodshavings/bedding, if possible re-organise the internal layout. put in the new jill with the most docile jill from the group and they will bond, after a few days they will have bonded properly. the next step is to introduce the next most docile jill into the group and leave the three of them until they have bonded. you have to keep repeating this step,introducing a ferret,bond time, until your left with the main agressor (a couple of weeks may have passed by this stage)then introduce the last one, what your doing in breaking up and dis-orientating the pack, then slowly re-building it. over time the main agressor becomes the outsider and has to play the submissive roll. ive had to do this twice and it always works, the only problem may be finding ample space to store the seperated ferrets until there re-introduction into the pack, hope you find a soloution to your problem,atb HERITAGE.

Edited December 22, 2009 by heritage

[johnmac666 2]

this is a common problem for those that keep a buisness, there is always a little rough play when introducing a new ferret but sometimes its obvious that is more of a determination to kill, i think this is what you have. if you look carefully youll find there is a main culprit (a ringleader) then there will be others that arent really bothered. the best thing to do is remove all the ferrets from the court and replace all the woodshavings/bedding, if possible re-organise the internal layout. put in the new jill with the most docile jill from the group and they will bond, after a few days they will have bonded properly. the next step is to introduce the next most docile jill into the group and leave the three of them until they have bonded. you have to keep repeating this step,introducing a ferret,bond time, until your left with the main agressor (a couple of weeks may have passed by this stage)then introduce the last one, what your doing in breaking up and dis-orientating the pack, then slowly re-building it. over time the main agressor becomes the outsider and has to play the submissive roll. ive had to do this twice and it always works, the only problem may be finding ample space to store the seperated ferrets until there re-introduction into the pack, hope you find a soloution to your problem,atb HERITAGE.

 

sensible advice

 

im not being sarcastic

Edited December 23, 2009 by johnmac666

[chrisnick 1]

this is a common problem for those that keep a buisness, there is always a little rough play when introducing a new ferret but sometimes its obvious that is more of a determination to kill, i think this is what you have. if you look carefully youll find there is a main culprit (a ringleader) then there will be others that arent really bothered. the best thing to do is remove all the ferrets from the court and replace all the woodshavings/bedding, if possible re-organise the internal layout. put in the new jill with the most docile jill from the group and they will bond, after a few days they will have bonded properly. the next step is to introduce the next most docile jill into the group and leave the three of them until they have bonded. you have to keep repeating this step,introducing a ferret,bond time, until your left with the main agressor (a couple of weeks may have passed by this stage)then introduce the last one, what your doing in breaking up and dis-orientating the pack, then slowly re-building it. over time the main agressor becomes the outsider and has to play the submissive roll. ive had to do this twice and it always works, the only problem may be finding ample space to store the seperated ferrets until there re-introduction into the pack, hope you find a soloution to your problem,atb HERITAGE.

This makes sense good bit of advise

[Quixote 9]

It is very good advice, but as in this case the main aggressor already seems to have been identified, I'd be more inclined to remove her, & give the rest of them the chance to let the newcomer find her place without the constant & sustained agression from the main culprit. This is likely to have a similar effect in breaking up the established hierarchy, but without the constant need for readjustment. It'll also help to sort out the aggression from the bully, as it sounds like she's taken the dominant role without actually having the necessary skills to maintain it without resorting to aggression.

 

Is she usually quite assertive with the other 9? (I'm assuming they're all jills?)

[FightTheBan 1,147]

''Is she usually quite assertive with the other 9? (I'm assuming they're all jills?) ''

 

I think she has tried it previous, but my other jills can handle them,selves, so i think she has resorted to picking on the wee one. All of them are jills, and 1 hob.