In our experience most of our guys have passed away from late sixth year
into late 8th year (with more within the upper half of that range).
Taking it more narrowly most here have been well into their 7th year
through the early part of their 8th year.  A few have been younger and a
few have been older.  We consider 5 years old to just be late middle-age
as the 50s are for humans -- therefore too young an age to die for most
and extra sad when that does happen -- but we do increase medical testing
in the fifth year even if there is not an obvious need as a precaution
which we have found makes sense.  It may be that we could have more with
even longer lives if we did more surgeries for those past 7 and a half,
but knowing that the projected further lifespans tend to reduce a good
bit after that we are less likely to operate in that age bracket (though
we have made exceptions for some causes).  Hope that helps.
 
(Tip: when someone gives health advice it's always good to find out what
age ranges and quality of life their ferrets experience with those
treatments, and why.  Our current oldest is going to be 8 very shortly
and she dashes around the house like a far younger ferret despite several
medical problems (an unusual auto-immune problem which causes a friable
small intestine, insulinoma which has been ongoing for her since early
last summer, a R adrenal growth as her larger problems, and there is the
possibility that she may have begun lymphoma since we are in a lympho
clump here and her scent has changed in a way that it worrisome); she is
on 4 month Lupron depot for the least serious of those problems, and is
on long-term Prednisone and Proglycem for the others.  The result is a
very rapid, very active, very happy, very silly, very tricky almost 8 year
old.  Normally, despite age we'd have more strongly considered surgery for
the insulinoma and adrenal in one so very full of life -- as I said there
are exceptions to any rule -- but she almost died in each of her last two
emergency surgeries to repair the small intestine so no one is anxious to
try surgeryagain with her.)
 
  ---
 
>Anon stated that it was more healthy for the hobs to be neutered.  I
>suggest she meant more conviniant.  The healthyest state for all ferrets,
>and i know this will upset all you ferret keepers who cannot believe
>that nature got it right when she made ferrets whole and complete with
 
Actually, there appear to be some medical problems to which ferrets may
be more prone if they are not whole, but there are some very scarey ones
that they are more likely to encounter if they are not neutered such as
malignancies of reproductive organs and fatal anemia.  I do not know of
ANY studies which actually compare levels of health or longevity in
ferrets relation to whether they are whole of not whole, and without
reputable studies such claims in either direction are without foundation.
Sorry, but that's just reality.
[Posted in FML issue 3723]