I called our local Humane Society here in Ann Arbor.  There seems to be no
unusual restrictions on stray ferrets here, and the person I talked to had a
very good attitude toward ferrets.  In fact, the last ferret they had in the
shelter went home with an employee.  :)
 
Just a note on milk-drinking.  I have given my ferts sips of milk with no
problem in the past, so I thought nothing of offering Sebastian a little
butter cookie and milk last night.  I was tempted to let him drink as much
milk as he wanted, since I hadn't given him any treats in a while.  I'm glad
I didn't.  About five minutes after his little sip, he began projectile
vomitting.  Ugh.  My guess is that he has become lactose intolerant in the
months since his last treat of milk.  After he got all the white frothy yuck
up, he was fine.  I could swear he was looking at me funny, though.
 
Just a note on lactose intolerance: all mammalian milk has lactose.  If you
or your ferret can drink another kind of milk without getting sick, you
probably have an allergy to something in cow's milk.  (BTW, human milk has
more lactose than cow's milk, so it's not alright to breastfeed a lactose
intolerant ferret...uh, I hope we're all laughing here.) Also, cheese is
very depleted in lactose (it generally ends up in the whey), while ice cream
is loaded with it.  So if someone tells you they can't eat cheese because
they are lactose intolerant (and some people are so sensitive that is indeed
the case), but they hog down an ice cream cone with a smile, there's
something not adding up.  After about the age of 5, around 3/4 of the
world's population cannot digest lactose, the exceptions being primarily
people of european ancestry and certain african groups.  You can maintain or
regain lactose tolerance by drinking milk daily (starting with very small
doses if necessary), but I wouldn't put myself or my ferret through that.
Anyway, I hope all this was informative, and that LI was indeed Sebastian's
problem last night.  The only other option I can think of is spirit
possession.
 
-Catherine
[Posted in FML issue 1783]