I thought that I should pass along a little gem from my niece (5 years old):
We were talking about ferrets the other night with my sister and discussing
our plans to get another ferret.  We talked about how their scent/dander
affects Tam's asthma and that we had been trying to get more information
about how neutering rather than neutering and descenting would affect the
way they smell.  We have been told by some people that descenting is
unnecessary since it is the neutering which cuts down on the odor.  (I found
out that some farms neuter their kits at 4 or 5 weeks of age and that they
descent at that time as well...4 or 5 weeks is ***TOO EARLY*** IMHO).  We
also discussed the impossibility of having an intact female around since
when she comes into heat, her pheromones would wreak havoc with Tam's
asthma.  Our niece, Angie, asked what 'pheromones' were and we told her that
that was how a female showed a male that she was in an amourous mood.  Later
on that evening, she explained to her dad with great delight that when a
female ferret was amorous, she would let the male ferret know by her "ferret
moans." (Why is it that that conjures up a picture of a slinky ferret lying
on a chaise lounge, moaning?)
[Posted in FML issue 1523]