I am a new subscriber and I am absolutely thrilled with all the information
being passed around here!
 
I have been a ferret owner for 4 years.  I hate to post anonymously, but I
live in one of the three states where ferrets are still illegal.
 
Our ferrets (sable sprites), sisters, by the names of Tigger and Sabine are
Marshall Farms Ferrets.  Gwen M. Daley had listed some concerns she had
about Marshall Farm Ferrets and wanted to know if anyone else had
encountered these problems.
 
Well, firstly, she mentioned that her ferret Lulu had the little ear tatoos
(plural).  We have seen at least 3 ferrets from Marshall Farms who only have
one small black dot (tatoo) on one ear, this is typical I think.  So Gwen,
if Lulu has more than one tatoo she may not be a Marshall Farms Ferret.
 
Sabine and Tigger came to us from an abused home and were very thin and
scared when we got them (at a year old).  They had been purchased in Reno
(where the average price is $100 per fixed, descented ferret) and locked in
their cage for weeks with little food.
 
Tigger is normal in every ferret way, but Sabine is a little odd.  She does
display the nipping problem that Lulu has.  She will walk up to almost
anyone (except us) who has bare legs and bite them.  Sometimes she will bite
arms.  She never bites hands or faces, and she has never broken the skin,
but almost.  She bites people randomly and we never know when she's going to
do it, so we have become extreemly carefull about letting her be around
strangers.  When she is not exhibiting this behavior she is the nicest,
sweetest, most docile, and the most beautiful ferret around.  She is really
really small, barely 1lb.  She has the most beautiful face.  I had assumed
she bit because she was abused as a baby but now I wonder...................
 
Tigger NEVER bites, not even in play and if she nips our hands by accident
she gets upset and stops playing, she'd rather lick someone to death!
 
The question I have is about fur loss.  Sabine has lost most of the fur on
her tail and it doesn't seem to be growing back.  Tigger has lost the fur on
the bottom of her tail only (where she drags it on the floor).
 
Could this be a vitamin deficiency????  They both have fleas and have been
on "the program" for 3 months which has really helped.  I'm a bit concerned
about the hair loss and it's only on the tail, I wonder if any of you have
had any similar problems???
 
Thanks in advance for any and all advice, I'm glad to have finally found
other ferret owners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[Posted in FML issue 1470]