To Charles Voelkel and Jennifer Carlisle:
 
Don't be concerned about your ferret's behavior after baths.  We called
it the ferret bath dance.  I think all ferrets do it after a bath - it
seems to dry them off faster.
 
My guess is that with their fast metabolisms and relatively light
coats, they lose body heat very quickly.  When wet, they lose it even
faster, so they need to dry off faster and keep moving to keep warm.
 
My ferrets loved getting rubbed down with towels after their baths.
They'd crazily attack the towel, vigorously wiggle their bodies through
the towel, and chatter uncontrollably (that's how I discovered the
"towel game" described in the FML a few issues ago).  They hated the blow
dryer, but I'd use that on them (gently and on low heat) if it was
particularly cold that day.
 
I've noticed that my ferrets always seemed a lot more hyper when it was
cold out.  I thought it was their way to keep warm.
 
Linda
 
[Posted in FML issue 0816]