Yes, our blaze female, Maila, is also quite deaf.  I realized it when she
was quite young and easily startled.  She would frequently puff up and
scream when approached from the rear.  I've since learned to always give her
visual or sensory cues that I'm in the area.  She has become more easy going
about it now.
 
As for discipline, well, you really can't.  The only things I can do are the
"scruff and hold-down" or a slight bop on the nose.  But she doesn't care
anyway, and it only makes her mad enough to go poop in front of the door.
She just takes extra vigilance.
 
A couple of other things I'd be interested in about Valentine: Maila's head
and feet seem to be way too large for her body.  Is this this true for
Valentine or blazes in general?  Also, Maila has a strange quirk I've never
seen in another ferret: when she's held (with both hands) in a vertical
position, she swings her head waaaay back and moves it around.  She also
does this on her own if she's investigating something.  Sometimes it leads
her to roll over several times.  I'm wondering if this is related to an
inner ear problem due to hear deafness.
 
She is also an expert raisin-dunker.
 
---
Randy A. Brown
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[Posted in FML issue 1575]