>Does anyone use smell or light to try to attract a deaf ferret?
 
Yes indeed...
Each ferret is idividual.  I have two ferrets that I know can smell
watermelon or coke 15 feet away at least.  But I also have a couple ferrets
that don't seem to have such keen senses of smell.  All of my ferrets are
attracted to light... as in a beam of light shined onto a surface.  A
bright, focused light from a flash light, or a lazer pointer shined on
the ground near a ferret will attract most ferrets, and they will try
to "chase" the light.  I have coaxed out deaf ferrets from beyond
refrigerators, etc by using a light and having them follow it out once
they begin to show themself.  I have a site that talks about training using
light and smell with deaf ferrets... there is also an offshoot page for
testing ferrets for deafness at:
http://www.geocities.com/woflysluv/deaf.html
 
Wolfy
Please visit:
http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/
for information on deafness and ferrets:
http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/deaf.html
take a peek at upcomming "so you have allergies":
http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/allergies.html
[Posted in FML issue 3118]