A. wrote:
>Not to cast suspicion -- I've never owned a fert that panted as a sound of
>their innate repertoire -- but ferrets will pant if they are too hot (and
>their temperature threshholds are less than ours).
 
To set your mind at rest: we have household AC and use it.  Over the 18 or
so years that Steve and I have had ferrets we've noticed that not everyone
seems to be able to hear the sound, probably not a surprise given some of
the articles out there on hearing loss in the general population from loud
sounds.  EVERY ferret who has ever shared our lives has done it, but not
every house guest has been able to hear it.  It's very soft for most though
a few rare individuals get loud with laughter at times.  Jumper gets loud
when he's had a major tickling session, but many times we've had households
with no loud ones.  It's a good hearing test, actually, but -- sadly --
many don't pass.  (Yet another reason I cover my ears during previews in
movie theaters, and am glad that I worked for rock concerts in my youth so
that I was behind or well to the sides of speakers instead of in front of
them.)
 
Lisa, I laughed so hard with your Fezzik laughter story!
[Posted in FML issue 3159]