Playing: May have slightly poofy tail if very excited, but may have no poof.
Fighting: Tails at maximum poof.
Playing: Both ferrets are engaged & taking turns. Even in rough play, the movements are (relatively) slow and gentle.
Fighting: One ferret may try to run away but be unable to. Movements are very fast & violent.
Playing: Nobody poops
Fighting: Somebody poops
00:00 - Jasper & Rusty Playing
01:01 - Jasper & Opal Playing
02:06 - Opal & Amber Fighting
02:28 - Onyx, Jasper, & Opal Snuggling
02:57 - Notes
We adopted Opal and Onyx in May 2017, and then rescued Jasper in March 2019. Opal was very violent towards Jasper at first, but they have become best friends. We adopted Amber & Rusty in October 2020. Onyx and Jasper accepted them pretty quickly, but Opal still has not. We've swapped them between cages, and let the newbies play in the same spaces as Opal (at different times), so they're definitely accustomed to each others' smell. But Opal is still very violent towards the newbies, even five months later. I have to wonder if it's because I never let her fight with them the way she did with Jasper (briefly, I always broke it up asap.) I have read that ferrets need to establish a pecking order, but I hate seeing them fight! And Opal is SO MEAN! We will only try this a couple more times at most, in the hopes that Opal gets over herself. But if not, we'll have to continue keeping them separated permanently. :(
