Hi.  I've just recently subscribed to the list, but have been a ferret owner
for 8 years.  One of my past roommates was extremely allergic to cats and
was also asthematic.  It seems that her reactions to ferrets were heightened
when she'd been around something else earlier in the day that could set
her off.  e.g. if she had been on a farm (work related) activity and them
(oops, then) came home, she may have to use her medication or have an
asthma attack.
 
We found that weekly bathing of the ferrets with a citrus shampoo, e.g.
VIP flea shampoo or STOP FLEA shampoo usually kept things under control
for both my roommate and kept the munchkins fluffy, soft and smelling
wonderful.  weekly changing of their ferret clothes also helps keep the
smell and other allergic reactions to a minimum.
 
On a related note, it was found in a recent study at Johns Hopkins Allergy
Center that it is not the dander in cats that people are allergic to, but
their saliva.
 
They suggest that wiping your cat down weekly with a damp cloth to wipe the
saliva off the cat's coat will help with allergic reactions.
 
Happy ferretting and good luck with the allergies!
 
[Posted in FML issue 0649]