Hi Folks,
 
I'm new (joined last week) to the FML but have been having a great time this
weekend reading back issues.  I have a 2 1/2 year old silver mitt "Alky". (No
jokes about her name - I'm an organic chemist and Alky is short for "alkyl" not
"alcoholic"-I didn't realize what Alky means to most people until the vet's
receptionist started laughing at her name!)
 
Anyway I read a note from Mark Oellette a few issues back in which he mentioned
that recorders/guitars drove his ferrets crazy.  I don't know if sensitivity to
high pitches is a general trait among ferrets, but Alky definitely reacts to
these ranges of sound. I teach flute/piccolo lessons, and the first thing I
have to do before the kids come is to make sure Alky's locked out of the room.
Otherwise she will climb up the leg of whoever is playing, sit on their
shoulder, and chatter away.  I'm not convinced she dislikes the sound because
she could certainly run out of earshot if it bothered her.  She just seems to
be intent on exploring the flute, trying to figure out where the sound comes
from.  (She has yet to accept the fact that the flute diameter isn't large
enough to enable her to climb inside.)  She is pitched in D major I think
because music in that key makes her chatter most.  When my husband plays guitar
with or without the amp she exhibits the same behavior.  But recorded music
won't get her attention at all.  Initially I thought she learned this from our
dog, who sings along to music (he actually keeps reasonable pitch), but maybe
this is something general to ferrets as well as dogs.  Anybody else have a
similar story?
 
Actually this trait can be very useful.  Whenever she disappears into some
hard-to-reach space and we want her back, we play a line or two on a flute or
recorder, and she pops right up.  Kind of like the Pied Piper.
 
Take care everybody - and thanks for all the great info in the FML!
 
Liesl Fisher
 
[Posted in FML issue 0738]