Why do some ferrets love to chew cloth?  And why do many of those ferrets
have their favorite kind of cloth to chew?  An anecdote my father-in-law
(a retired scientist) told about an unrelated animal may provide some
insight....
 
Some years ago, it had been noted by a number of farmers and ranchers who
raised pigs, that the pigs had a habit of chewing on charcoal.  Agricultural
scientists were called in to try and find why the pigs were doing this -
was there some nutrient missing from their diet that the charcoal provided?
or was it the taste of the charcoal that the pigs liked?
 
The scientists took the charcoal and broke it down into as many of it's
individual components as they could.  They then offered these components to
the pigs, to see which of them was the nutrient the pigs wanted.  The pigs
refused every one.  The scientists took whole charcoal, and powdered and
liquified it at various consistencies, to try to find the taste the pigs
preferred.... the pigs refused everything.  And yet, the pigs would
continue to happily munch charcoal nuggets.
 
After several months of research, with the pigs refusing everything except
the whole charcoal chunks, the scientists finally concluded that the reason
the pigs liked to munch on charcoal was recreational.... they liked the way
it crunched.
 
I've had several fabric chewing ferrets here.... and every one of them has
preferred a particular kind of fabric - usually tightly-knitted or flannel
fabrics.  And I think I know why, now.  If I can get close enough to
listen, without disturbing the ferret while she's chewing, I can hear
a distinct squeaking sound as the fabric rubs against the teeth.  <g>
 
Carla Smith  <><
WhyNot? Ferrets
http://www.whynotferrets.com
ICQ:  29478475
member, Rio Grande Domestic Ferret Club, El Paso, TX
"Every pet deserves to be loved, and to have someone cry over them when
 they're gone."
[Posted in FML issue 2925]