I had a ferret that used to do this.  I THINK one (if not the main) reason
they do this is because they are BORED in their cages.  If I saw Bouncer
doing this, and I hadn't let him out yet, I would immediately let everybody
out to do his traditional "Oh Joy!  Oh Rapture!  I'm out of that silly
cage!" war dance and dooking.  His cage (that he shares with two girls) is
4'x3'x3, and full of toys.  He would just decide (I guess) that enough was
enough, and it was playtime!
 
Anyway, that's my theory, and I'm stickin' to it.
 
As for fuzzies and heat, my vet tells me that if a ferret gets overheated
and doesn't get cooled off quickly enough, he can succumb within ten
minutes from heat shock.  If you live in the North, make sure you have 2
or 3 2-liter frozen water bottles and a fan blowing.  That way, at least
the fuzzies can get close to the bottle and stay cool.  Wrapping a sock
around the bottle will also help, because the condensation from the bottle
will stay cool, and even dampen the fuzzies fur a bit.  The sock also helps
insulate the bottle so that it won't melt as fast.
 
Hope and/all of this helps!
 
Lisa Cruz and the Zoo
[Posted in FML issue 2765]