I'm "reprinting" the following from Winter '94 Ferret Folio (published by
the Ottawa Ferret Association), which was originally from "The FURO Book
of Ferrets". I hope no one minds.
 
Ferret Behavior from GO to STOP
 
Young kits under twelve weeks have two speeds:
        ON
        OFF
Note that their "OFF" is so complete, and they sleep so limply, that many
novice ferret owners have thought their kits had actually died!
 
Older kits, twelve weeks to six months, also have two speeds:
        GO FAST
        GO REALLY FAST
In the transitional stage before adolescence, they are just beginning to
learn the meaning of hyper.
 
Adolescents, six months to 18 months, only have one speed:
        ZOOM!
There's nothing you can do about it. They have so much energy to burn it
can exhaust even a terrier.
 
Middle Age, 18 months to 4.5 years. The middle aged ferret develops three
speeds:
        GO
        STOP
        JUST HANG OUT
Unlike the adolescent, who careens the entire time he is awake, the middle
aged ferret will typically careen for about an hour, follow you around
adorably for three, and then call it a day.
 
Late Middle Age, 4.5 to 6 years. Back to two speeds:
        JUST HANG OUT
        OFF
This is about as sedate and dignified as ferretkind gets.
 
Old Age. Again there are just two speeds:
        STOP
        FUSS
Old ferrets, like many species, are not generally complainers, but they
can be extremely and exasperatingly picky about every detail of their lives.
 
 
 
I thought this was extremely funny, and entirely true.
 
 
 
Closet-Doors:
 
I have had great success in preventing access to sliding wall-closet doors. I
use rubber-type medium-sized door-stops, that I jam between the sliding
doors at waist-height. This creates enough resistance that my ferrets
cannot slide the doors open.
 
Nipping:
 
When I adopted my current two rascals, they were quite nippy. I played
with them very roughly, and anytime the biting was severe they got
scruffed with the accompanying "NO". It took very little time, and their
hard bites changed to tender 'mouthings'.
I have found that if one shows fear, one gets bitten (twice on the nose).
I earned my ferrets' respect by playing with them like another ferret
would (no, I don't bite them *8^) ).
 
 
George Gebara, friend to Bitsy and Homer.
[Posted in FML issue 1087]