Hi Ophelia, I did some research with input from a Biologist, when
I noticed all of mine were getting less active as the days started
getting progressively shorter. It turns out that ferrets and other
members of the Mustiladae family do indeed become less active as the
days get shorter, so winter sluggishness is the norm not the exception.

Note, I do not falsely extend the daylight hours by having indoor
lighting on at night. I keep night lights on to an absolute minimum
and also make sure noise levels are low so not to disturb my fuzzies'
diurnal/circadian natural rhythms. I take seriously the studies finding
evidence that artificially extending their normal diurnal patterns
pre-disposes them to major illness, e.g., insulinoma, adrenal disease
etc.

And yes I am aware that some breeders do this to bring the jills into
season. I am not sure what falsely extending the daylight hours would
do to their activity levels other than induce their breeding cycle. It
may be that people who keep all kinds of lights on at night do not
notice any difference in their fuzzies activity levels.

And thank you for the suggested strategy for travelling with a ferret.
I'll keep that one in mind!

Tressie

Tressie A. Dutchyn, MA
ID PhD student, Dalhousie University
Research Associate Atlantic Interdisciplinary Research Network for
Social & Behavioral Issues in Hepatitis C & HIV/AIDS
Department of Community Health & Epidemiology
Dalhousie University, Faculty of Medicine

[Posted in FML 5805]