My sympathies to Lorraine, who has to give up her ferrets for allergies in
the family.  If I weren't thousands of miles away and living in an 850sqft
apartment with two ferrets and a cat, I'd help you because I'm going through
the same thing myself.  After six years of living with my cat, I suddenly
began having problems with asthma.  Testing showed I'd developed an allergy.
 
Just a thought, I inherited all of my mothers allergies, which include pet
hair.  Our solution, first by me, and then my mother, was to get an air
ionizer for the bedroom.  And not just a little ionizer, we both have the
large size ionizers.  She was told by her allergist that as long as she
breathed 8 hours of pure air a day, that she could be around pets for the
rest of the day.  So the bedroom is off limits to the animals; ferrets,
cats, and a dog, in my case, and as long as the ionizer is running while I
am sleeping, I am fine.  We also have numerous ionizers in the rest of the
house too, however.  Better safe than sorry.  But my allergies have never
acted up since we put them all in.  Just a thought.  :> Hope it might work
for you!
 
Shelley and the zoo crew. :>
[Posted in FML issue 1628]