[Please be careful to line wrap your postings.  Otherwise, I have
to do it for you.]
 
   This is in response to Troy Lynns message in FML issue 844.  I'm
from Sweden, and as in Norway we are free of rabies. Ferrets are of
course legal here. But I suppose you have to go through quarantine if
bringing one in from abroad.  If you want more information about
Swedish legislation etc. feel free to ask and I'll look in to it.
 
   At the question of what to call a group of ferrets, I really liked
chaos best.  At least that's most appropriate concerning my three
ferrets (Shira,Thor & Bilbo).
 
   Finally I want your opininons about the behaviour of my
"female"-ferret Shira.  She's supposed to be castrated/neutered or
what the correct english term is, but some small parts must have been
missed because she still gets into "something like heat". Luckily one
of my males is still unneutured so he takes care of her condition. But
now she has a strange behaviour that I would like to know if anyoune
else has seen? She behaves very motherly and I suppose she has gone
through a false pregnancy. She's so cute caring for all her toys just
as if they were her children moving them from hideout to hideout. Thor
our castrate-male also gets some motherly attention (to much in his
opinion=). The thing that bothers me is her constant unrest, she's
making putting and  peeping noises almost constanly as if she's trying
to "speak" with her imaginary children, calling for them. She also
seems a little to uptight (like a typical "hen mother" =). My question
is has anyone else seen this "playing mother" behaviour, and do you
think it will be dangerous?
 
As additional information I can add that she's on her 3:rd year and
last year she was also castrated an showing similar behaviour. Her
operation was supposed to be complete. I mean not just a sterilization
but a complete removal of whatever the organs are called in english. So
it was the proper operation and the reason for her state must be some
small remainings, just enough to give her the wrong signals so to
speak.
 
[Posted in FML issue 0845]