I have severe chronic asthma.  I know from my own experiences that each
ferret is different.  It actually seems to depend on their skin and
sometimes the time of year.  I had 3 female ferrets and I had no problems
with the first two.  When I got Suzi, I had a few days of wheezing and eye
swelling, then it cleared up.  About a month ago, I got a big male .  I
started wheezing a lot, and began to wonder if I'd made a mistake.  After a
few weeks, though, it cleared up again.  My doctor feels my system adjusts
to the animals in my home.  I have birds, too, and I do fine, although the
tests lit up like a light for chickens!  I have a friend who has many
ferrets and I always have a severe reaction when I go to his house.  I think
my system builds up a tolerance to what I am exposed to at home.
[Posted in FML issue 1869]