>But are dogs and cats breeding cycles triggered by photoperiods?
 
Not sure about dogs and cats, but I'd think yes.  Mares are kept under
lights to get them into heat earlier than normal; the poultry industry
keeps laying hens under artificially long days to increase production.  I
think a lot of animals are affected
 
>The interesting thing about the above case was that it was in mid-winter
>when the symptoms returned, whereas they might be more expected to return
>with spring.
 
OK, but what lighting conditions was the ferret kept under?  If it was
under a  natural lighting (matchng the outside light cycle) photoperiod
then your point is valid.  If not, the question is what 'season' did the
lighting seem to mimic to the animals brain?  That might be harder to
figure out, since someones home lighting is going to coincide with their
personal schedule, and they might not tend to track that.
 
-Ilena Ayala
[Posted in FML issue 2227]