I think Lisette makes some really excellent points about the things
that can happen when you board your ferrets.  I have 4 ferrets, and the
boarding reactions are amazingly different.  It might help some of you
if I shared their reactions.
 
Mishka is a very timid ferret by nature; for the first 4 years of his
life, he spent his time running away every time he heard a loud noise
in the adjoining apartment!  Oddly, he loves beating up the other boy
ferrets so he can impress all the girls with his prowess (he's a late
alter that still thinks he's "fully functional") Mishka *Loves* to be
boarded at the local shelter.  I think he thrives on the routine.  He
always looks fat and sassy when I pick him up.  Of course, he's a
gorgeous DEW that loves to be held, and I suspect he gets a lot of
attention when he's there...
 
Brenna is a little heck-raiser!  I got her at 10 weeks as a rescue from
a backyard breeder.  Brenna *hates* other ferrrets (everyone but Mishka,
who she tolerates because he's much bigger than she is, and Buttons,
who's her friend)!  She dislikes them to the point that she's tried to
attack other ferrets while we were at the vet's office.  I've boarded her
twice, once at the same place that Mishka *loves* and both times, she has
stressed out to the point where she developed nasty intestinal issues and
has had to be on medicine for weeks afterwards.  Once she even got all
the other ferrets sick, and it was *horrid*!!!  My vet says that Brenna
just can't be boarded with other ferrets, that it stresses her out too
much.  Brenna must either stay home or come with me.  The ferrets at the
shelters she was at were *not* sick -- this just happened because she was
very stressed.  She hates being separated from me so much that when I had
the pet sitter visit, and I was explaining about the schedule they're on
and how long I would be gone, that Brenna hid under the rug and wouldn't
come out to see the sitter, then promptly had horrible diahrea for 3 days
afterwards.
 
I just wanted to make the point that I think some ferrets *can* be
boarded really succesfully, and some can't -- but boy, finding out that
yours is in the latter category can be a terrible experience!!!!
 
Best of luck to all,
Melissa
 
PS - one of the things that seems to perk Brenna up when she is stressed
is a daily dose of pet tinic, prescribed by my vet.
[Posted in FML issue 3901]