What can she do to make the new ferret playful?

Thank you for all your help! But do you yhink her timidness is just her way of getting used to her surroundings? Do you think she might be depressed because she misses her old owner?

She can still try to re-introduce her to him. She should do it often so the female becomes used to him and doesn’t get bitten. If she can do one ferret in the cage at a time and one out, that may be best; but that’s not always possible, I know. Craigs List often has used cages for really cheap as another option. Out of ideas beyond sending her back. :(

Hmmm, it’s an odd situation for sure… I would still be cautious- maybe she’s just afraid because its a male. My oldest had ZERO problem with other females, but would go stiff (or dead limp as the other extreme) and urinate out of fear when we introduced her to a male. Try a slow introduction. Keep them separated; supervise playtime. If one of you can hold the male, and the other hold the female, and let her sniff him and rub him, that may help. Give her something that he’s been sleeping in, maybe a hoodie (mine LOVED to sleep in hoodies, lol) so she can get his scent. Other than that, I couldn’t begin to think of what else to suggest. You could call their vet to see what he or she suggests.

You can’t really “MAKE” a ferret playful- it’s their nature that decides that. Just like some people never get into video games or reading, she may never get into playing. It’s a personality thing. She’ll eventually find something that she loves, possibly a strange squeaky toy and she’ll go ga-ga over that… She may not PLAY with it, but she’ll love it.

Well the lady we got her from says that when the ferret was little she was with 3 other ferrets and at the old owners house the female ferret played with the cat and the dog.

But when the male is trying to play with her, he is hurting her because she isn’t playing back!

Well my friend has had the ferret for about a week now so its way past the introduction thing. And she only has one cage.