What is my jill doing?

I bred my first litter this year. The kits are now nine weeks old and I have put them all in with my other jill, but she is dragging the mother and kits back to the nest. Is this normal?

Although this may appear a little strange and concerning, especially for a newcomer to ferreting, this is perfectly normal behaviour for some jills when in a state of increased hormones, whether in or just out of season. Sometimes, especially when you add to this the probability of her having a pseudopregnancy, introducing more ferrets can persuade her to become an overprotective and overly attentive mother.

In human terms, she is just like an aunt or grandmother, wiping your face with a wet hanky, making sure you are fed and keeping you safe. These jills just want to mother the others. Sometimes this involves dragging the kits back into the nest and, in extreme circumstances, not letting them leave.

I wouldn’t worry too much about this behaviour. I have seen it many times over the years and it has never had any ill effects on my ferrets’ health or well-being. This mothering phase will pass in a few weeks and everything will return to normal. SW