My ferrets are at each other’s throats

I have just purchased a new hob, but when I housed him with my older one they fought like cat and dog. Will they get used to each other over time?

Though I have little information to go by, I will imagine that the hob ferret that you have just purchased is at least a year old. If that were the case, then he would be in season and in full-on ‘alpha’ ferret mode. There is a chance that he may have been castrated but without seeing him I cannot surmise if he is or not. I imagine, going by the tone of your enquiry, that he is not and is, in fact, an entire hob.

Hobs come into season usually from the first January/february after birth. The hob will stay in season until the summer is over, usually around late September. When they come into season, we (as ferret keepers) generally separate the entire hobs from each other, otherwise they generally fight like cat and dog.

That said, I have, and do, keep entire hobs together successfully, but they have been born and raised together. Sometimes they have a little skirmish or become a bit amorous, but if I think they have stepped over the mark I separate them. This reaction will continue until they come out of season and are far more sociable with each other.

I doubt very much that they will start to become more sociable while in season, so it may be advantageous to separate them until then, or you could get one or both of them castrated. This would take the trouble of fighting away and you could house as many neutered ferrets as you want together. SW