>They are percieved to be underdeveloped socially to some owners.  In
>other words, they are missing social cues so as when to quit playing,
>when others are not in the mood to play, and the opposite..  when the
>rest are playing these ferrets are found to be aloof.
 
I haven't been keeping up on the deaf ferrets postings lately, but I read
this one and wanted to reply.
 
In addition to owning a deaf ferret with WS, I am an audiologist who works
at a large institute for the deaf with a school, research facilities and a
clinic.  I've worked with deaf children for some time, and they are often
socially behind their hearing peers.  Deaf individuals, human or ferret,
do not hear the audible cues the rest of us do that indicate joy, anger,
etc.  Humans miss the tone of someone's voice while ferrets miss the
clucks and hisses.  Deaf ferets are just behaving the way their deaf
human counterparts do.  Deaf people range from brilliant to mentally
handicapped, just like everyone else.  I'm sure the intelligence of deaf
ferrets would have the same range.
 
Karen Schaaf
[Posted in FML issue 3795]