Quoth Kelly White...
>Also.  I think my roommate's ferret, Cosette, is deaf.  How can you tell
>for sure?  Has anyone shoulder trained a deaf ferret?  If they can't hear
>the newspapers rustle, what's an alternative method for this?  (she isn't
>afraid of falling)
 
Welcome to the whacky world of deaf ferrets!  How do you find out for sure
if they're deaf?  Easy: Wait until Cosette is looking away, and then drop a
pan on the floor, and watch for lack of reaction.  I first suspected it in
Sidney when I noticed that I had startled him when I reached to pick him up,
even though I had been in the room talking to him for several seconds prior.
 
Though I would never purposely seek out this trait, a deaf ferret makes for
a fascinating study in adaptation and intelligence: Sidney is *far* more
visually alert than either Daisy or Zeke; and I swear that I've seen Zeke
poke Sid with his nose to wake him up, seeming to know that the noise in the
room wasn't going to do it.
 
Though I haven't done a lot in this area, I've read that several people have
taught their deaf ferrets some basic hand signals.  And Sid seemed to
perfectly understand the meaning of being scruffed after a bite or nip; he
doesn't bite at all now, and has even become a good "kisser."
 
It also seems to be true that deaf ferrets are generally more vocal than
hearing ones: Sid squeaks and grunts more than either of the other two.
 
Otherwise, they're just the same as any other ferret--goofy, dorky, fun, and
loveable.
 
Paul Sadek
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Visit The Sadek Pet Gallery at http://ww2.sd.cybernex.net/~psadek/pets.html
[Posted in FML issue 1755]