Posted: April 1, 2012, 9 a.m. EDT
Q: I'm worried about my female ferret. For a couple of months now my male ferret has been having sex with my female ferret. I thought they wouldn't be at it for long, so I brushed it off. Now my female ferret is squeaking louder every day. She has serious marks on the back of her neck where it looks like she's been bleeding, and her skin is very red. I'm also worried that the situation is too much for her considering that all the male ferret does is try to have sex with her. I'm about to have a baby, and I don't want my daughter to hear. Is there a way to prevent my male ferret from grabbing the female’s neck and trying to have sex with her?
A: If both ferrets are spayed/neutered then the male ferret probably has a medical issue. Make sure he gets to the veterinarian soon to be checked out. Meanwhile, keep the ferrets separated so the female ferret gets a chance to heal.
Normal ferret mating is quite "extreme" to us. When I have seen it, I felt bad for the female. If the male ferret is capable of siring a baby and the female is intact, you need to decide if breeding is for you (and it is not for everyone). If the ferrets are capable and you don't want them to breed, you need to get your ferrets spayed or neutered as soon as possible.
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