At home, things had changed. I used to have 3 groups. Group 1 was Baby, Dana, Fox and Reno. Group 2 was Rose, Jasmine, Hobo, Gremlin and Bobby. Group 3 was Bella, Willow, Tara, Riley and Wesley. Then we got Spike II. I tried to put him in with group 3 but Wesley *hated* him. So I had 4 groups (Spike II being group 4) and with my 4 rescues from the end of December 2003 that was 5 groups. So when Bella died, and I couldn't get Spike in Wesley's group, I tried to put group 1, 2 and 3 together. I'd found out by accident that Wesley didn't try to kill every ferret. Reno escaped from his cage one day and group 3 was out and Reno started to bully Wesley and Wesley just stood there and didn't even defend himself. So I thought maybe Wesley had calmed down and tried him with Spike again but no luck. So I thought I'd try and put group 1 and 3 together. That was on 15/03/04. There was some fighting but it went much better than I'd expected so I added group 2 as well. They were squabbling for quite a while but they soon got on better. But I had to take Baby and Dana out. They were scared of some of the other ferrets and because they were old, I didn't think it was fair keeping them in the big group. So I put them with Spike so Spike would have 2 companions. Baby and Dana didn't play with him but at least he had friends. But then Spike started to pick on Baby and because Baby wasn't well, I put Spike on his own again. And when I got Leo and Piper, I put them with Baby and Dana and all 4 got on really well and Dana had a new lease of life and played so much with Piper and especially Leo... :-) I hadn't seen Dana play like this in years!

After about 3 1/2 weeks I decided to try Spike with Leo and Piper. I was scared that Spike would bully the babies but he took to them immediately and played and played with them. So I put Spike back into the group with Baby, Dana, Leo and Piper and Spike didn't bother Baby or Dana anymore. Baby was put to sleep soon after though...

(BTW, the rest of the big group, formerly group 1, 2 and 3, are getting on really well now. Reno from group 1 bonded very much with Hobo from group 2, I wonder whether that is because they're both sandies? Wesley likes all the ferrets and will sleep with anybody. Tara seems to like group 2 as well and they all mix with each other. They still have minor squabbles but no fighting for dominance or anything. So, as I type this, I have this group of 11 ferrets and then Leo's and Piper's group of 4 ferrets.)

Leo and Piper are beautiful ferrets! They are extremely playful like any kits and wear Spike out! ;-) When they hear me, they come running and play with me. They are such happy little ferrets and it makes me smile when I watch them or think of them. They love their raw meat, especially chunks of chicken. :-)

Update October 2006

Leo and Piper have become very hyperactive.  They’re 2 streamline albinos, 2 years old, brother and sister.  When they’re out, all they do is run and jump.  They’re also very aggressive towards the other ferrets.  The ferrets’ cages are 1 big unit almost like a wardrobe or something, made of wood with wire mesh fronts and sides.  Leo and Piper will jump up the cage (it’s got legs so the cages are a foot off the floor) and then they’ll climb up the mesh front and try and get at any ferrets that are by the front.  If one is sleeping leaning against the mesh, they’ll try and bite it.  In February this year they got hold of Rose’s tongue (she must have either mouthed at them or yawned and stuck her tongue out) and they tore her tongue so it needed to be partly amputated.  Well, this month they got Bobby’s tongue... I wonder why Leo and Piper are like this...

Leo and Piper are also bad with urine marking.  Piper will pee along the edges of the toilet but is okay apart from that but Leo urine marks really badly.  He’ll stand up against the radiator and pee on the pipes that let water in and out of the radiator.  He piddles along every litter box, over the edges, he’ll pee on the vacuum cleaner if I leave it out. Sometimes he stands up against chair legs and pees on them.  He is really not normal.  Of course Leo and Piper are neutered (I photographed their neutering) and I can’t believe that they have adrenal disease.  They’re only 2 and how could they both have it?  Their coats are brilliant.  They act healthy in every way except for their aggressiveness and hyperactivity.

Update September 2007

Leo and Piper are on their own now. Dana died in April 2005 and then they were on their own with Spike. Then Spike developed insulinoma in 2006, had an operation late 2006 and was fine for a while but then his symptoms returned spring 2007. Leo had become very aggressive, I've had 5 groups of ferrets for a while now and there are some ferrets that Leo hates, mainly Jake and Kobi.And when the others were out, Leo would become very frustrated because he wanted out of the cage to "kill" (not literally...) the others. And because he couldn't, he would have a go at Piper or Spike. As Spike's insulinoma came back and worsened, I had to take him out of the group because Leo's attacks would cause very low blood sugars in him. This coincided with me taking in Honey so Spike and Honey were put together and later on Ruby joined them and they were a very happy group, Honey looked after Spike so very well...

So Leo and Piper are on their own now, very happy together. They are very hyper, too, when they're out, there's only one speed they go at... They just run and run and leap on and off furniture. :-) It's nice having some very active ferrets. :-)

Here's some recent pictures, well deserved rests after playing: