Christopher:
Do not declaw a ferret.  The claws are part of the foot used for walking
unlike cats with retractable claws.  Clip the toenails and use an emery
board to remove sharpness.  Trim back almost to the quick.  That is leave a
little white beyond the pink.  The emery board removes the sharp edges left
by the clippers.  We use a squirt of linatone (ferretone) on the belly of
the ferret to distract him/her - this is a common trick.  We also use human
toenail or fingernail clippers as we personally like them better than dog or
cat trimmers.
 
Dina asked about Charlotte's mask:
The nose to neck mask is not formally named in the standards I've read.  I
believe it is expected in the NAFA standard for Sable but I can't guarantee
that.  Anecdotally I've heard it called a "baby bar" since pregnant jills
sometimes develop that shape mask.  I've also heard it called a 'T' or
'T-bar' mask because of the way it intersects the normal 'bar' mask that
runs across the face.  Sounds like Charlotte doesn't have much of the normal
mask by the question.
 
Dina also asked about shivering:
I've been told the shivering is part of the waking process.  I've heard (but
not measured with a thermometer) that the body temperature of a ferret drops
some while it sleeps and the shivering is to get the blood flowing and warm
the body up.  Whether that is fully accurate it is a normal part of a ferret
waking up and not usually an emotional thing like fear.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
[Posted in FML issue 1432]