To Tara Wheeler:
Regarding your screaming Ferret (who continues even after you pick him
up!!) Yes I CAN relate to this!!
     His name is "Mitts Dillon" and I got him several months ago. He is
only 4 months old. He was 6 weeks old when I first got him and I could
literally never put him down or he would scream!!!!  As soon as he noticed
in the morning that I was awake he would scream! If I got up during the
night and walked passed his cage he would scream!!!  So I took him to alot
of places with me for quite some time and hardly put him down (Which I'm
sure did not help the situation but made HIM and ME feel better at the
time!!)   Weeks flew by and he still screamed......
    I have a few "theories" as to why mine did that, the main one is the
fact that he was taken from mom and her nurturing (the way only a mother
can do <G>) and if you think about it, from the time they were born they
are 100% of the time with her, that is all they know. Then one day they are
removed from mom, and get operated on and then recoupe a SHORT time and
then shipped out to a store were they meet all new faces and places. All
this in 6 weeks (or less!)- I guess if it were me, I would screams to be
held too!!!
        But in actuality most babies adjust and "mix in" with in a short
time and do okay, I think mine was more sensitive then most.  The one thing
that I found that really helped was a play mate!!!  When Dillon was old
enough to socialize with older ferrets I found a group of mine that took
him right in (now he drives THEM nuts wanting to play all the time!!) and
he hardly ever screams anymore.
   So if yours does not have a friend to play with when you are not home,
may-be you should think about getting another one ....  They love to have a
friend to play and snuggle with when mom or dad are not home!!
                       Mary Mccarthy
                          F.F.U.N.Y
              (Ferrets and Friends of Upstate N.Y)
                  -Rochester,Buffalo area-
[Posted in FML issue 1225]