Thank you all, each and everyone for your help and suggestions concerning
our upcoming Ferret Olympics in Seattle this Sunday the 28th.  And to those
who would like a report on the results and generally what happened, please
be informed that I shall be happy to post the results here, BG approving.
 
Since the Ferret Olympics are at an out-in-the-open beach park, we are at
the mercy of Seattle's liquid "sunshine." Because of that, if it turns out
to be a rainy Sunday, the Ferret Olympics will be rescheduled for the
following Sunday July 5th, same place, same time.
 
On another note, Ferrets NorthWest would like to make some initial progress
in identfying various sounds that would be attractive to a pet ferret.  Our
objective is to be able to recommend the characteristics of an
audible/inaudible frequency mix that will stimulate a ferret to come to that
sound signature in a hurry.  We think that being able to reproduce such
sound frequencies, say from a hand-held, mouth-blown device, could make the
recovery of a lost, wandering pet ferret so much more effective than, say, a
squeeker toy with its limited range due to low volume and its lack of
specific frequencies that fall in the ferret's exicitation spectrum.
 
To this end we will start our ferret hearing response trials this Olympics.
We will use a battery-operated tape recorder to reproduce various sounds
that have been pre-recorded on tape and then amplified/played down thru an
insulated wire tube of about 5-feet in length, and 4-inches in diameter.
The sound tubes will originate inside an insulated box that will contain the
tape recorder, so that the stimulating frequencies will be grossly
attenuated to the external world, save thru the sounding tube.
 
How many and what kinds of ferrets will show a positive response to such
sounds is our first cut.  The second cut is seen then as identifying by
spectrum analysis those individual frequencies and beat frequencies that
have caused the greatest excitement in the ferret, as seen by the speed and
total distance traveled by the responsive ferret up the sound tubes as
these sounds are presented.
 
The first trials will include the sound signature of a hand-held, mouth
blown predator call.  This predator call has been successful in bringing to
me, through the sage brush, the wiley coyote.  Although not held in high
esteem by many, I regard the coyote as one of the most amazingly efficient
and intelligent animals in the animal kingdom.
 
I would ask you, the owners and keen observers of your ferret's behavior, if
you can identify what sounds have most stimulated your ferret to some sort
of observable reaction to that sound.  Some have indicated the sound of the
refrigerator door being opened, the sound of a partialy empty box of ferret
food being shaken, the squeek of another animal or squeeker toy, the cry of
a newborn baby, the scream of a joyously happy and playful juvenile girl,
all of these having an observable effect of the pet ferret.
 
Thanks again to all of you for your helpful hints and recommendations.
 
Edward Lipinski,  Der Frettchenlustbarkeitsfuehrer, wishing you
"Frettchenvergnuegen !" [G.] Joy of Ferrets !
Don't miss these Olympics.
[Posted in FML issue 2348]