Is it normal for ferrets to be aggressive towards eachother

Question

i have a female ferret, jasmine. ive had her for about 7 months. we just bought a male ferret, maxwell. we think he is about 1-2 years old. the pet store lady told us that they might bite and pull eachother around for 2 days, to try to establish territory. its day 5 and the male (larger one) is biting at jasmine around her neck and throat. is this how they play, or should i really be concerned?

Answer 1

Congrats on your new addition.

Here's my rule of thumb: no blood no foul.

As long as neither of the two is kept from    sleeping, eating or drinking all is well.

Also keep an eye on their "fights". If one of them gets so frightened that they lose control of their bodily functions, i.e. gets the "c**p" scared out of themselves, it's time to intervene. I've only seen that happen once, to my oldest female by a visiting ferret.

Ferrets play hard and especially in the beginning they have to establish who'll be the boss. The more you interfere the longer the fights will last. You'll find them curled up together before too long, just watch.

I have yet to find two ferrets who couldn't at least tolerate each other, but it does happen that one or both of them would rather be singletons. You'd have to separate them if that were to happen.

So for the time being supervise their playtime and leave them to sort things out. You can distract them with a noisy toy if you think things are getting too intense.

Good luck with your two and enjoy.

Answer 2

i have a feeling that they are just playing around but you should check them regularly for scratches or blood then it would probably be best to ask professional people about what they are really doing.

But ferrets are really playful and if you keep them away from each other then it could be fatal to their health if living alone just like my pet rats.

good luck ;)

Answer 3

The two ferrets are playing. Their skin is much tougher and rougher than a human's skin, and it is just playtime to the ferrets. What seems to us as a hard bite on the skin is just an annoying pinch to a ferret. However, if they draw blood or seriously attempt (literally) to kill each other, separate them immediately. But your situation now seems fine.

Answer 4

No, they are just displaying dominance. They might squeal or make weird noises, but as long as there is no blood or p**p, they are fine, trust me. Mine two ferrets did that for about a week, now they love each other and do everything together.

They are just getting used to each other!

Edit: You should also know that, that is how ferrets play. They tackle each other and chase each other around. They bite too, and it may look like they are hurting each other, but they aren't. A ferret's skin is very thick and tough.

Answer 5

Ferrets sometimes play to rough. If they are new to each other, then they have to learn how far they can push before they get put down. What Maxwell might be doing, is seeing just how far he can go. You'd be surprised how much Ferrets act like children.

Answer 6

Hi, Candace.  I've owned ferrets for 15 years.  Yes, this is normal behavior, even after 5 days.  One may "drag" the other by the nape of the neck, wrestle, etc.  This will subside in time.  It could take another week or so.  If you don't keep them together in the same cage yet, you may want to exchange their bedding with each other so they can get used to each other's smells.  Before you know it, territory will be established and they'll be napping with each other in a pile.  If in the meantime you think one is just beign too rough, you can separate them for a few minutes to give the "victim" a little break.  Enjoy your little fuzzies!  You can find more info and also some products at www.drsfostersmith.com.