Dan,
 
What you say makes plenty of sense.  I haven't had the same experience with
my blazed silver mitt (Cronan) because after 8 months I still can't figure
out if he is deaf, partially deaf, or not deaf at all (whereas our little
black-eyed white, Attila, was clearly deaf and had fooled us for the first
couple of days only because of her accute sensitivity to visual cues to
the extremities of her peripheral vision).  Sometimes he seems to hear,
sometimes he doesn't seem to hear a thing, and sometimes he seems to hear
within certain ranges.  He sleeps very soundly, though, and sounds will not
wake him up.  Touch will, however, and within instants he will be fully
alert, excited and up to all manner of mischief.  However, as I say, he
hasn't pulled a "dead ferret" snooze on me yet, but he also seems to be
hyperactive and boundlessly energetic, so that might be a possible reason.
 
Myron, the albino (who hears exceedingly well), has pulled a couple of
dead, limp ferret stunts on me.  Curiously, though he was an overly
mischievous heckler of his fellow furries when young, now that he has
reached adulthood he has mellowed considerably.  He has become a very
thoughtful and curious ferret, and usually he is less interested in playing
with other ferrets than in exploring his universe.  Whereas Cronan is
clearly an endomorph, a natural fighter who takes great pride on his own
strength, Myron is more of an introvert.  I don't know whether ferret
temperament has anything to do with the stunt or not.
 
The first time Myron pulled the "dead ferret" stunt I freaked too.  Nothing
I did seemed to be getting him back (yet he was warm!).  Until I pulled
out the ferretone and brought it close to his nose.  Then he remained
catathonic for a wee while but his nose sniffed, and his tongue started
to --veeery slowly-- flicker, flicker some more, then drag itself
tentatively towards the tilted ferretone cap.  In fact, the tongue had been
doing its business normally and quite actively for quite a few instants
before Myron actually stirred and opened his eyes!  But he continued
licking the ferretone for as long as it was profered...
 
Cheers,
 
Jaime
[Posted in FML issue 3080]