Ferrets are friendly and playful animals, and they spend most of their life trying as much as possible to catch fun. If you have one male ferret, you may be wondering if he would like a buddy. Two are twice the fun, right?
But, can two male ferrets live together?
Yes, two male ferrets can be kept together in the same cage with no issue. Two male ferrets react better than two females kept together. But, it would be best to get them both castrated to avoid fighting during breeding seasons.
Read on to learn more about keeping more than one male ferret together.
One thing you also need to know is that ferrets playing may seem like fighting. You will hear all sorts of noises, and that gets you worried about their well-being.
But do not worry because even the smallest ferret can handle himself.
Real Facts About Ferrets Living Together
Ferrets are social and affectionate animals. They are made to live with a companion of their species. Ferrets need lots of playtime or they get easily bored.
If you adopt one, you either need to have enough time to play or keep them in groups. Ferrets can get along with dogs or cats but should not be left unattended.
Ideally, ferrets live happier when kept in mixed-sex groups. However, if you need to pair ferrets of the same sex in a cage, you would need to castrate them.
In as much as ferrets are sociable animals, they do not really get along when two males or two females are kept in the same cage. Hence the need to understand their social behavior is important.
This will go a long way in making your ferrets happy.
Well, let us start by understanding how two male ferrets react when kept in the same cage. Trust me; it is never easy.
How To Introduce Two Male Ferrets
A lot of work needs to be done to bond two male ferrets. But, this is not as difficult as bonding two females. Male ferrets bond easily, but you still need to know the best way to start introducing them.
The best way to start introducing your ferrets is to start on neutral ground−−a place where none of the ferrets has territory dominance.
There are lots of places you can choose but make sure the environment is clear from any furniture for better monitoring.
Once you have gotten a place, hold the two ferrets in separate hands. Separate them by a one or two-inch distance and let them sniff each other. Then, allow them to play.
Playing might be a little bit scary. It can be hard to tell if they are fighting or playing.
Observe them closely. If any of the ferrets are clamping on the other’s back for long and probably resulting in peeing or pooping, separate them or spray their necks with ferretone.
The ferretone will make the ferrets resolve their conflict and focus on licking each other’s necks.
Repeat this training regularly for about 15-20 minutes every day until they get used to each other.
Why do ferrets fight at first sight?
It is common among animals to fight at first sight. Animals hate trespassing, and territory protection is one way of surviving in the wild. Even in humans, we do not like it when others trespass.
As a ferret owner, one thing you need to get used to is fighting. It is unavoidable, but you must understand your pet’s attitude and behavior.
Dominance Fighting
Their behavior during the introduction can help you distinguish if they are having a serious fight or just playing.
Pay attention closely. Your ferrets could be fighting just for fun, and nothing serious could be happening.
If you notice this, do not disengage but do not allow them to play too long. Sometimes, play fighting could lead to dominance fighting, where one ferret feels he is superior.
The older ferret generally triggers the fight for an alpha between two male ferrets. This kind of fighting can be intense.
Defensive Fighting
Another form of fight you might experience between your two beautiful male buddies could be from being tired of playing. When one ferret is tired, this could lead to a more serious fight of one trying to defend himself.
You need to understand that any of the weaker ferrets could be scared when a fight commences. This is a serious problem. Fear can make them react to the other ferret unpleasantly because they see this as a life-or-death situation.
Retreat Fighting
If one of the ferrets is trying to run away from the fight but can’t, a big, nasty fight can arise. This is related to defensive fighting. The ferret sees no means of escape so he fights to get out of the situation.
Can two male ferrets fight to the death?
Ferrets can have a bloody fight, which can result in death when they are sexually aroused. And if they are exposed to a female in heat during their playtime, this could be even more disastrous and can lead to death.
The weaker one is at a higher risk. Fights like these can result in serious injuries. Therefore, you need to be watchful.
Even when you feel they are cool after introduction, still monitor them because you might not know what can go wrong. Another way to avoid this unforeseen fight is to castrate the two males.
This can help reduce the drive for both male ferrets to mate.
How to reduce the intensity of the fight?
Many ferret owners have learned several methods to reduce the intensity of the fight between their two male ferrets. Some people spray a bitter apple on the neck of both ferrets.
This helps to reduce the deep biting as the sprays taste awful in their mouth. The bitter apple can be painful when sprayed on a wounded part. So, you would want to avoid that.
Others use Ferretone or Linatone on their neck to make the harsh-biting turn to neck licking as those products taste nice. However, to some people, the best method might not be with the use of ferretone or bitter apple.
Personally, I am not too fond of those methods. I noticed I could end up forever not having any improvement in bonding my ferrets.
I prefer to let them fight till they get their issue resolved themselves. This might seem risky because ferrets might be having a serious fight.
Still, it serves as the best way to get your ferrets to bond. Moreover, the biting mostly happens at the back of the neck, which can easily be treated quickly.
In summary, you should let the ferrets resolve their differences. With time, you would see their fight evolve from a severe battle to a play fight.
Conclusion
Tell me, what best way have you had your ferrets bond? I know you would probably mention the above method.
Or you could say by mixing them with females. Trust me that is what 80% of ferret owners do. Mix them up and relieve yourself of the stress of trying to train them to bond.
It is relatively straightforward and easy to monitor as far as there is enough female to go around the males.
If you want your ferrets to reproduce, you would probably have to mix them up. I do not have ferrets for business.
I just love keeping them around and maintaining them. So, the option to learn how to keep two male ferrets became a must-to-learn skill for me.
I got used to their fight, and as much as I am around to monitor them, I know they are probably not going to kill themselves. Moreover, their skin is thick, and as much as others see the fight seriously with how they bite, I do not see it that way.