We too discovered our precious little Blaze, Oscar, is deaf.  We've been
teaching him some ferret sign language.  Like, we take both hands & in big
gestures, do the "come here" motion saying "Come Here Oscar" as we do this.
He kinda sets there for a second, & then comes running over to us just as
fast as he can with what looks like a smile on his face.  With the help of
my E-mail friend in SC, we also learned to make sure he knows we are in the
room with him & to tap him on the back before picking him up so as not to
startle him.  When we pick him up, we hold him just a little tighter than
the others & hold his head up to our throats & say his name real slow &
low, O--S--C--A--R.  This seems to relax him.  He really acts like he's
listening to the vibration we are making cause after a couple of seconds of
this, he will turn up towards our cheek & give us a big ferret KISS!  We
leave food out all the time, but we have special meal times too.  Sometimes
we have to wake him to come & eat with Wichita & Shorty at these special
times.  He sleeps real sound.  We also wake him for special play time too
if he's asleep so he doesn't miss out on the fun.
 
I just have to share a couple of stories with you too.
 
The Boys, (as we call them), aren't supposed to go under the couch, but
sometimes they do anyway.  One day, Oscar got under the couch.  I got him
out & was trying to tell him No No.  I was holding him face to face &
pointing to the couch & saying & gestering with the No No finger motion.
(It's kinda hard to scruff him, I don't know about other ferrets, but when
we scruff ours their eyes close and since Oscar can't hear what we are
saying or see the No No gester after the scruff, it really doesn't work
well).  Well, Wichita, our oldest, was standing there taking this all in.
After I put Oscar down, Wichita looked up at me, walked over & grabbed
Oscar by the back of the neck, drug him a few inches, stood over him
looking down into his eyes for a moment, & then walked off.  Oscar, just
kinda laid there a minute & then went on about his business, but he didn't
go back under the couch.  I guess Wichita was scolding Oscar for me.  Funny
how Wichita & Shorty knew before we did that Oscar couldn't hear.  Before
they pounce from behind on him to initialize playtime, they run up & nudge
him in the butt first.  Oscar turns & faces them & the pouncing, dancing,
dooking, etc.  begins.  It's really neat to watch the others with him.
 
Is being deaf a problem?  Not in our family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Terri, Wichita, Oscar, Shorty, & in loving memory of Junior who plays
with Skeeter at the Rainbow Bridge, (WE LOVE SKEETER!  Don't worry
Skeeter, some people probably never read Huckleberry Finn either)
[Posted in FML issue 2631]