> Is a dramatic weight loss normal in spring?
 
Yes, for some ferrets.  Some ferrets show a massive weight gain in the fall
and then lose it in the spring.  Others keep a constant weight.  If your
ferret put weight *on* last fall, its not surprising to be losing it now.
If she didn't put weight on in the fall, then it would not be normal to be
losing weight now.  It certainly isn't the case that all ferrets do this, or
even that the majority do.  I think 2 of our 5 put on winter weight, but one
has a far more extreme change than the other.
 
>Does the weight loss cause a change in personality?
 
It's more that the weight *gain* changes the personality... A ferret who is
putting on weight for the winter is likely to also become much more laid
back and lethargic (just slowing down and conserving energy for the winter -
a psuedo-hibernation of sorts).  They sleep more, are less energetic when
they play... They also will tend to tussle/wrestle/fight less, and may be
more of a lap-ferret.  When the ferret loses the extra weight, they will go
back to being their exhuberant, energetic summer-time selves.  So yes, there
can be a change in personality, and this can make it seem as if they are
suddenly becoming more aggressive in the spring.  (What they're really being
is simply more energetic - they play more and explore more, as well as fight
more.  And they shouldn't be any more agressive than they were the prior
summer - its just a return from the winter-time lows...) Like the amount of
weight change, the amount of behavioral change will vary between ferrets.
 
>At the time I took heart in that info, my oldest Spice (F,choc sable,10
>mos.) has lost quite a bit of weight and has the appearance of her former
>KIT self.
 
For a young ferret, the change in the fall can easily be missed - we tend to
think of the slowing down and putting on weight as being age-related changes
(assuming the ferret doesn't become so lethargic you worry about illness).
When spring comes, the change back to what had been thought of as "kit-hood"
can seem pretty shocking.  If the ferret is acting like they were when they
were a kit, rather than acting *more* aggressive, or losing *more* weight,
then it is likely you simply thought you were seeing a maturity-change last
fall, when it really was a seasonal change, and the ferret is fine.
Obviously, if the weight continued to fall, rather than stabilizing at
kit-like (or, rather, last-year-like) levels, you need to consider other
possibilities.  But that doesn't sound like a problem here.
 
-rochelle
[Posted in FML issue 1556]