My husband has a pretty good knowledge of ferret history, and he always
called it a "giggle," since it so closely approximates the human giggle.
 
Two cute stories about their noises... when our first ferret, Pixie, was
sick, she didn't giggle for weeks.  The first time she did, we knew she
was on the mend.  Six years later, I still remember the phone call I got
from my husband (in a sing-song voice), "I heard a giggle, wasn't much,
wasn't loud, but it was a giggle."
 
The second comes from our current pair.  The male, Snuffy, has bonded
with me.  I don't usually laugh out loud, but more of a hissing laugh.
Snuffy doesn't really dook like a normal ferret, he makes a hissing sound
that sounds almost exactly like my laugh.  It's hilarious!  (And quite
flattering, actually <g>)
 
Debbie
[Posted in FML issue 5047]