Hello, all.  Does anyone have any hard data from trained and unbiased observers
about the timing of ferret dietary preferences or is it a case of an assumption
(perhaps a common one, or perhaps not) being accepted without study?  I ask
mainly because of two reasons:  1.  In the wild part of the diets of our guys'
several wild cousins is seasonal  and does not fall within the earliest months
of most of the individuals' lives, and 2.  Our ferrets have consistently
continued to learn new foods throughout their lives, and some of them were
especially picky in the early months and didn't broaden their tastes until they
were at least 5 months old or older.  Within humans this is common and is
thought to possibly be so due to a stronger ability to taste during the early
years.
 
Had some great snort contests here last night.  Many newcomers ask about
sneezing, snorting, and face washing.  Here's a tip:  put your nose behind the
ferret's ear and get it to snort or sneeze powerfully (You can do this by
repeatedly running your cupped hand down the ferret's head from ears to nose in
an imitation of adolescent and adult face washing among ferrets, and after a
while the critter will lick your hand and finally either sneeze or snort.)  Did
you get that whiff of musk?  Behind the ears are more scent glands which are
used in territorial marking, and the sneeze or snort causes more pressure on the
glands which results in a greater release.  (Don't confuse these with illness
sneezes and coughs -- a great reason to keep el cheapo stethoscopes which you
can get for around $10 a pop around ) hence a more effective marking.  Many of
us enjoy the smell, and ferrets certainly seem to.  We once had one who was
genetically scentless and her self-esteem had to be regularly reinforced with a
perfume which she adopted as her scent (and which would COMPLETELY end any
dominance challenges she met.  Last night's snorting contest began because I
changed my neck brace (recognized among our current 5 and their predecessors as
an object of great "value") so each one had to lay claim to it.
 
I've put together a list of about 50 reputable zoological parks which should
have small mammal curators who can provide information on diseases they have
regularly seen among their mustelids, including cancer rates.  Unfortunately,
I've been down with a respitory infection so getting the needed postal cards is
on hold for a week or 2 more until I'm no longer contagious.
 
Chris, we also have thought of sending a check, in fact, one was written and
waiting for correct postage when you said to not do so.  We voided it.  Now that
you know that there are net members willing to help out is it possible that a
collection at a given time could be entered as one item and those become a more
acceptable alternative?
 
[See above.]
 
Our vet who did a specialization in ferrets told us that it is now being
considered that some females who lose hair years after being spayed may have a
problem with their low rates of estrogen and that some in a preliminary trial
have been helped with supplemental hormones.  Of course, hair lose can be
anything from dry skin to adenocarcinoma of adrenal so it is something for which
it pays to be sure first that the symptoms and findings do not match anything
serious.
 
Our dear furrys have been very upset that they have been unable to kiss me
during my illness.  They are so very affectionate that not being able to lavish
their love upon me is being treated by them as a major deprivation.
 
Does anyone else out there have a bombardier  ?  'Chopper is our first who does
that.  It began when Meltdown was working so hard to let her know who was boss
and would over-do it.  'Choppy climbs up anything with items on top, waits for
the victim to pass below (There's intention here -- she never bombed Hjalmar.) ,
slides an item to the edge, as she gets the target in sight and then lets it
drop.  Bang!  You wouldn't believe how many things have to now be locked away.
Of 10 we have had 3 climbers, but only one who bombs.  At least she uses
different items than some primates I used to know.  (Can you say "Yech"?  One
good guess what happened to Steve when he first met Maynard, one of the chimps I
used to work with.)
 
You know those cartoons where a face keeps bouncing into sight above a high
barrier?  Meeteetse  does that so much that we sometimes wonder if she should
have been named "Jimminy".
 
Recently talked with a young woman who had ferrets years ago.  One she had
spayed as soon as she took  her into her family immediately after weaning and
the other was found young and spayed soon after.  The first lived to be 14.  The
second was 14 or a bit older at death.  Neither received any fancy treatment.
We have now heard of a number of ferrets who were spayed or altered very young,
either as convenience kits or by arrangement of owners who made it to 10 or
above.  This fits with what many vets have said -- that there seem to be
problems with inbreeding, and perhaps with exposure to predisposers such as
certain viruses.  (By the way, did anyone else notice  the recent "herpes in
Alaskan otters" controversy?)
 
Meltdown gets a professional toothcleaning in few days -- she's prone to plaque
beyond what we can get off and appears to have a decaying molar.  Will have her
CBC done then, too, since she's over 4  and 1/2.
 
BTW,  many ferrets will hold the deciduous canine for a while after the
permanent one has erupted to around an equal length, hence the appearance of
"double canines.  If the roots of the baby teeth become trapped between erupting
adult roots and get stuck a tiny bit of forceps work will easily remove the
offenders.  We all see human kids who do the same thing with incisors.
 
Many thanks to the person who noted that dyes in foods are sometimes the causes
of persistent rug stains and that a change of foods solved the problem for that
family.
 
  Our best to all, Sukie, Steve (in the other room), Meltdown, Ruffle, 'Chopper
the furry helicopter,  Spot who has none, and Meeteetse (in two big cages),
Tandy, Haleakala, Helix, Fritter, and Hjalmar (in our hearts and memories),
Harley (the waif for whom we recently found a home), and the other ferrets we
have known through the years
 
[Posted in FML issue 0457]