I was wondering about this as I have 4 ferrets and I know they love
there sleep for a good 20 hours before they even blink a eyelid open for
me.  But when they do get up and want to play 1 of my ferrets just lost
interest in play and dancing for me.  He gave up stealing, nibbling and
dragging his poop tray to me for cleaning.  The rest just sniff and move
on, lick his head and swing there butts at him as they play and dance and
steal from each other.  Occasionally he'll get a burst of energy and want
to play with me or the rest of the gang, but other wise he just wants to
hang out in hammock and do the blank stare out of the cage.
 
I've checked him all over thinking maybe he has a lymph node that I can
feel out or an infection, or a running nose.  His breathing sounds
normal, his heart still races like the rest, paws look good, teeth and
mouth, even eyeballs and ears.  It's like he just lost his will to do the
dance for me.  And it all seems to have started when it got cold outside
like weather changes.  I live in the midwest so weather changes kind of
awkard at times, I mean one day 20 degrees cold and the next 75 and
sunny.
 
I keep my ferrets in a room to themselves, they have no windows to
know that it's sunny outside or dark.  I keep the room at a constant
temperture of 65 degree's so that it's comfortable, not too cold and
not too hot.  I'm baffled on 1 ferret out of 4 that seem to be normal
active ferrets.  I've given him Duck soup remedy, liquid vitamite, some
electrolites to lick on.  He likes it all but still won't move like he
used to.
 
He is a male ferret about 2 years old and the only male ferret out of 4.
He does play the i'm in control game with a few of the girls which one is
4 years older then him, but I think they let it go.  He drinks plenty of
water it seems and eats all the time.  He hasn't lost interest in his
treats or his toys.  He's just lost his will to play with all of us and
rather just sleep all the time.
 
Any advice, do ferrets sleep more in the winter time ???
 
Angela
Kansas city, Missouri
[Posted in FML issue 4339]