>I have seen posts regarding deep sleep.  What is the deal with that?  Is
>it normal or some sign of disease??  My Baxter sleeps very deeply at times.
>I have even poked him, & it is still a while before he comes around.  I've
>called & called before only to find him huddled up somewhere sound asleep,
>and he seems stunned when he sees me, blinks, shakes his head & staggers
>out of his cozy spot.  Normal or problem????
 
Sal, this is what many ferret folks refer to as "Dead Ferret Syndrome."
Some ferrets just seem to enjoy rattling their humans that way.  Two of
mine in particular do this on a semi-regular basis.  In fact, my first
ferret, Zorro, had me absolutely convinced he was dead the first time he
ever did it.  Even now, knowing about DFS, I still get panicky when one of
mine gets into this deep sleep mode.  Unless there are other signs of a
problem in your Baxter, it should be nothing to worry about.  More below.
 
>I have never gone through the dfs so I don't really know what your talking
>about.  What I would like to know is can't you see that your ferret is
>breathing?  I don't mean to be upsetting here but your saying they look
>dead, the first thing I would look for is their chest going up and down,
>can you not see that?  I know one day this will probably happen to me and
>I want to be prepared.
 
Lydia, I don't know about other people's ferrets who display DFS, but
mine don't even seem to be breathing.  I guess they're sleeping so heavily
their breathing patterns change...it's almost as if they're in suspended
animation.  The time I mentioned above, when Zorro had me certain that he
had died, the first thing I looked for when I found him lying so still in
his cage was breathing, and I couldn't see any motion at all.  That's why I
think DFS is something you never really get used to, even if you know that
some ferrets are prone to it...because it -is- so convincing.  As for being
prepared...it may be that you never even experience DFS.  Zorro and Fezzik
have fooled me on quite a few occasions, and Crysin has been known to go
into DFS mode once or twice, but neither Claudia, Loki, or Kyra Monchichi
have done it at all (knock wood).  So it may be something you won't
encounter.
 
>What do you think on this issue, as my local pet store put a ferret
>suggestion box in and want suggestions on ideas and all.  I would like you
>all to make a difference so if you want to give me ideas and I will put
>them in the box and maybe we can help.  Please email them to me as I will
>print them and cut off your name and email and put the idea/suggestion in
>their box.  Thank you so much.
 
Lynn, I definitely commend that pet store for its effort and openness to
suggestions.  However, while I don't want to discourage their policy of
selling ferrets only 12 weeks or older, I don't know how effective that
will be as far as preventing kids from getting kits that don't bite at all.
Yes, younger kits do tend to be a bit nippier, but several of mine also
went through another nippy stage somewhere between 4-6 months.  I think the
pet store needs to make all its customers aware that, like any animal,
ferrets must be trained, and most ferrets will need at least some no-bite
training.  How about suggesting that the store compile a list of training
tips and print them in little pamphlets to give out with each ferret they
sell?  You could also suggest they include the URLs to such helpful sites
as Ferret Central and also information on how to subscribe to the FML in
the pamphlet.
 
Dooks,
Lisa
Mom of Zorro, Claudia, Loki, Crysin, Fezzik, and Kyra Monchichi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"He screams and screams and pounds his head against the wall
until phantom fire trucks race across his vision.
 
All he wants is pain. Pain and hate.
 
Yes, hate. But never fear.
 
Fear is for the enemy. Fear and bullets."
                     --J. O'Barr
                       _The Crow_
[Posted in FML issue 3076]