I'm just curious.... others have posted in about how hard it is dealing
with their deaf ferrets.  Is there anyone else out there who has a deaf
ferret that has been no problem?  Maybe it's just a fluke but we have one
deaf boy (Moon Boy, 2years old, blaze) and he is the sweetest one.
 
Amazingly he was the quickest to learn about the litter box and when they
are out to play he is the ONLY one of the 4 ferrets that will go back into
the cage to use the litter box instead of one of the other boxes outside
the cage.  He is extremely interactive, likes to wrestle with our hands,
never does more than mouth with his teeth.  He is very tuned to both me
and my husband.  He is always watching us, if he sees one of us on the
other side of the barrier he will run up to the barrier and look at us
expectantly.
 
He is also the only ferret we have been able to teach a trick, granted
it's not a very good trick, but he will leap off of the bed into either
our arms or a paper sack.  I mean he will FLY about 3-4 feet into the
air!  I think it's not so much a trick as a game he likes to play, but
it impresses people.
 
He also takes cues from the other ferrets.  If they hear the signal that
they are going to get out of the cage (tapping on the barrier) they get
all excited and start running up and down the ladders.  It takes him a
minute longer, but he doesn't respond until he sees the other ferrets
running around, or feels the hammock swinging with their rambunctiousness.
He also doesn't come running when we shake the raisin can unless he can
SEE the raisin can.
 
Anway.... He's a complete sweetie (in case you can't tell he's sort of my
favorite- don't tell the others!) and I wouldn't trade him for anything.
I'm sure being deaf has something to do with his personality, but I'm
certainly not advocating purposly breeding deaf ferrets.  Breeders, by
definition, should breed for desirable traits.  Generally deafness is not
desirable.
 
Leigh
[Posted in FML issue 3113]