>From:    Caryl Rion <[log in to unmask]>
>Does anyone out there have any problems with their ferrets attacking them
>if they are sqeaking a sqeaky toy?
 
My ferret attacks at the sound of a squeaky.  If it is a plush squeaky he
grabs the toy and does the neck breaking head shake common to preditory
animals.  i.e. grab and shake really hard which leaves the prey stunned.  If
the squeaky is a vinal or plastic toy or if he can't see the toy he bites me
instead.  Its the same motion, bite and shake.  He will come from upstairs
at the sound of the squeaky so I have been using it to call him to his duck
soup at dinnertime.  This has lessened his tendency to attack somewhat.
Since I want the squeak to be an effective call, I don't overuse it just for
my own amusement.  I'm pretty sure that the sound mimics the high frequency
sounds of prey (mice talk to each other with ultrasonic squeaks).  Ferrets
and other preditors probably focus in on the sound as a localization signal.
Somewhere in his genetic heritage my ferret probably has a dim racial memory
of associating hunting with this sound.  It's funny because it really looks
like a reflex response since he goes into his attack and all of a sudden
stops and sorta looks surprised to find himself biting me.  I haven't tried
it but I bet ferrets would come to the sound of a dog ultrasonic whistle.
 
Max
[Posted in FML issue 2077]