I have two very strange questions!
 
I was wondering if any other multi-ferret households noticed this behavior
too.  I spent a good bit of time just watching the ferrets today, and I
noticed that they eat in hierarchal (sp?) order.  Marshmallow (male albino)
eats first, then Maggie (female siamese), and last Poor Gatsby (female
sable).  If Maggie or Gatsby tries to move in on the food while Marshie is
eating, he chases them off.  By the time it's Maggie's turn, Gatsby doesn't
have a chance to move in on Maggie's "time" because Marshie is doing his
best to beat the bejeezus out of her.  Usually by the time Marshie loses
interest, Maggie is done and Gatsby has her turn.  Haven't noticed the same
behavior by the water bottle.......
 
Second strange question has to do with albinos.  When I clip Marshie's
nails, I notice that I have a lot less nail to clip than on the other two.
My theory on this is that because he's an albino, some of his body
processes (ie shedding dead skin for nails) go slower than the other two
colored ferrets.  I know that albinos sometimes don't have the greatest
vision, even for ferrets--Marshie is uncomfortable in low light situations
(the shadows frighten him).  Does my nail theory make any sense, or is it
just the product of someone who slept half the time in Biology and caught
just enough of the lecture to make her dangerous?  <G> Any thoughts on it
would be welcomed......
 
Thanks a Lot!!
 
Laura, Maggie, Gatsby and Marshmallow
[Posted in FML issue 1349]