As many of you know, I have a rather large ferret family. ;-)  The only
fussing I see in our group (which are free roam) is pointed towards some of
the adrenal ferrets.  When we have no adrenal ferrets, we have a very quiet
household.  I'm guessing that the adrenal ferrets are excreting a different
odor and a very few of the others find this odor offensive.  Of course the
bullys pick up on the adrenal ferrets even before they are showing symptoms
so it is sometimes difficult to figure out why there is a problem.  Another
interesting observation is that the adrenal ferrets that exhibit the mating
behavior aren't picked on at all.  So could that be that those ferrets are
creating excess testosterone and the others are creating excess estrogen?
We've not run adrenal panels because of the cost, but it would be
interesting to learn if others have observed the same behavior.
 
Oh, I guess I should tell that we have one ferret, Desiree, that was an
only ferret for many years and she doesn't like other ferrets and thinks
that anyone within seeing distance needs to be screamed at.  She is the
exception in our home.  It really is quite amusing to watch her and the
reactions of the others.  Some veer off like they were going in the other
direction anyway and a couple accept the challenge and end up rolling her,
which she doesn't take very well.  All and all, no one gets hurt, well
other than their feelings maybe.
 
BTW, we've got 5 going in for adrenal surgery on Thursday.  Please think
good thoughts that they all do well (Frosty, Rascal, Dancer, Swiffer, and
Spook).  I'll be off-line from Wednesday at 4:30pm till Monday at 8am.
If anyone needs me, feel free to call me at home 785-456-8337.
 
Warm hugs to all.
Troy Lynn Eckart
Ferret Family Services
http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~sprite/ffs.html
http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Haven/5481/
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[Posted in FML issue 2982]