There is no doubt in my mind that ferrets grieve and have emotions ...
I had two females from the same litter - Sugar and Taz. Taz loved
sugar, and would have nothing to do with my other ferrets. They both
had adrenal problems, and each lost both adrenals in two separate
surgeries over a years period .... Sugar also had heart problems. When
Sugar passed, Taz tried everything to rouse her - licking her ears,
nudging, and looking up at me like "please help; do something", before
resuming her efforts ... finally she just threw herself down next to
Sugar and rested her head on her. When I felt she had "accepted" it, I
removed Sugar for burial.

By that evening, Taz had the first of several Addinsonian crises ... I
spent the next 3 weeks running her back and forth to the to the vet for
emergency treatment. She would not eat, had to be hand fed duck soup.
No amount of cuddling, singing, stroking, or attention from me or the
others would console her .... she kept looking, would realize that
Sugar wasn't around, then, another crisis. I finally had to let her
go.... 

then there was my oldest ferret, Dudley. When his special friend
Peaches passed away, he lost interest in everything, slowly declined
despite the other ferrets and the vet and my efforts, and passed away
also. When any of my other ferrets has passed, the others all moped
for a few days, but gradually resumed their normal activities.

When I or one of the business have been sad, upset, sick, mine all try
to comfort the affected one - they lie across a sick member to warm it,
I have seen them push food at the ill one, move away from the duck soup
to give them access, help the ill one stand upright, or nuzzle and
comfort ... when Dudley had a rough recovery after surgery, Peaches
only left his side long enough to eat and relieve herself - and when he
recovered, she went back to her normal activities, only sleeping with
him at night.

I can't believe anyone could doubt that they have emotions, and
grieve ....

[Posted in FML 5511]