ROB ADLER:
SEE A VET - GET A HEART CHECKUP IN PARTICULAR! (Sorry for shouting)
 
DAVID PASQUINO'S QUESTION ABOUT FERRET BALLS:
These ferret balls with one sibgle hole are BALLS OF DEATH.  The AFA has
stopped selling these after a customer lost ferrets in it.  The ball wound
up with the hole flat against the floor and the ferrets over heated and
suffocated (it was summer as I remember).  However the same concept with
more than a single hole is a great toy.  We have one with I believe six
holes in it.
 
PAMELA BARBER'S QUESTION ABOUT SMELLY BOYS:
Interpret the topic of the previous response differently.  If your ferret
has them meaning he is un-neutered he will stink.  Obviously I'm just
guessing at a possible cause.  It is that time of the year for hobs.  If its
not that problem I don't know another seasonal smell difference.
 
LYNN MACINTOSH'S QUESTION ABOUT WHITE HEADS:
All ferrets with white heads are not pandas.  The Panda pattern is
associated with the same genes that cause blazes and other white spotting.
They have white feet (most of the time), white 'knee caps' on the rear legs
(virtually 100% though size varies) and often white blotches on the belly.
Other markings can include a white tipped tail (required by NAFA color
standard but not the other standards).  I've seema lot of ferrets that can't
decide whether they want to be a Panda or a Blaze and have a few blotchy
marks around their ears (The NAFA standard as I interpret it is that these
are 'Patches' pattern.  The other standards don't name this pattern.)
 
Another possible pattern is Siamese (Point or Fine Point).  Many of our hobs
are Siamese pattern where the legs and tail (points) are dark while the body
is much lighter.  The preferred mask is a V shape where it definitely goes
from eye to nose to eye.  This can be a big blob at each eye or a very fine
line.  It is also possible that the mask could be completely not present.
Ours typically have fine line masks in winter garb but broader masks in
summer garb.  This is not the same as the Marshall Farms described Siamese
which everyone else refers to as Chocolate.  To muddy the waters, this
pattern can be in addition to other patterns.  We for example have a jill
who is a mitt but also a siamese.  We could describe her as a Black Fine
Point Mitt in AFA like terms, or a Heavy Siamese Silver Mitt in independant
standard lingo.
 
Most ferrets have darker coats in the summer than winter with more
pronounced masks and less contrast between their torsos and points.
Altered ferrets do not seem to show as pronounced a seasonal change as
whole ferrets.
 
Does this answer your questions?  Email privately or I can discus more
here as seems appropriate.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
[Posted in FML issue 1386]