Jennifer Lapierre asked:
>My ferret Buddy is losing his fur - he looks like a chemo patient.  The
>other ferret is not shedding at all.
 
Depends.  It's the right time of year for the seasonal shedding, maybe just
a tad late.  If the fur is coming out either in clumps or a little at a
time, mostly the fluffy white underfur but also some of hte longer guard
hairs, it's probably seasonal.  Wait a few days, then look at his skin under
the remaining fur; if it looks blue-black (for a dark ferret; I hear albinos
look orangeish), that's the summer coat coming in and he's just fine.  On
the other hand, if the baldness starts at his back end and moves evenly up
both sides, eventually leaving hair only on his head, feet, and maybe tail,
it's likely to be an adrenal problem -- a year is awfully young for that,
but not unheard-of.  Other possibilities include poor nutrition, mites, or
dry skin.
 
Rachel Babb asked, "Why are they banned?":
It varies depending on the place, but in short, ignorance, politics, power,
inertia, and money.  Not necessarily in that order.
 
Richard Beveridge wrote about renting a ferret to someone who wanted
to "rent" a ferret, hoping its excrement would get rid of rats or mice:
>Do I charge her for the amount of time the ferret is in her
>place.... or by the amount of "use" the ferret puts out?
 
It's even easier than that.  Sell her a big bag of dirty litter, and simply
charge by the pound.  :-)
 
Donna asked about the condensation on cold bottles in hot weather:
We don't worry about the condensation, and the ferrets often like to lick
it.  You do want to be sure they have a dry place to sleep too, though.
 
Randal D. Carter wrote:
>FAQ's are quick, easy, and informative.  But, IMHO, books are required for
>real, soul-satisfying reading.  Why can't we have both?
 
"Quick" and "easy" aren't exactly words I'd pick, but I guess I do have a
slightly different point of view than most folks.  FAQs also have the
advantage that they can be updated as new information becomes available.
But now that you mention it, turning the Ferret FAQ into a book is an idea
that has been kicking around in my head for some time now -- anybody have a
relative in the publishing business?  :)
 
- Pam Greene, maintainer of the Ferret FAQs
Ferret Central <http://www.optics.rochester.edu:8080/users/pgreene/>
            or send INDEX FERRET in email to <[log in to unmask]>
[Posted in FML issue 1607]