Dear Ferret Folks-

I cannot help but notice that Ping and Puma have definite musical
preferences. Usually I notice what they *don't * like, because I am
aware of them fleeing in horror. I will start to play something and
there is an immediate "Patter-patter-patter" retreating away from the
computer room where I generally play my music on my Bose computer
speakers.

Through trial and error, I have been able to deduce what they hate the
most. It is pretty much anything by Marilyn Manson, especially his
cover of Screaming Jay Hawkin's "I Put A Spell on You." Here is the
link. (No vulgarity, even though it is Marilyn Manson.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPw1i9dAJiQ&feature=related

Oddly enough, they are willing to come as close as the bathroom and
play happily in the tub, try to knock over the wastebasket with the
bricks in the bottom, etc. when I play the original by Screaming Jay,
although it , too, unsurprisingly, contains a lot of, well...
screaming. Ferrets don't much like screaming. I can see it from their
point of view.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR81PGlBeqE&feature=related

They are happy with Johnny Cash, Amy Winehouse, Pink Floyd. They *hate*
anything by Elvis Costello, even when I play it very quietly. (Now
there is a criticism...weasels can't stand him...) You'd think they'd
be OK with Frank Sinatra, no screaming there. But no, they each find a
separate sofa and bury themselves.

Classical music is apparently OK, as long as it isn't Stravinsky. Puma
gave me an especially dirty look for "The Rite of Spring." Well, it
*is* pretty energetic in places. But Ravel, Debussy, Beethoven, Mozart,
Rachmaninoff, all cool with weasels unless I crank the speakers to
"Captin'- The engines canna take it anymore!" levels. But volume isn't
the only consideration. I cannot help buy play Billy Preston REALLY
LOUD, and they seem to like it. They jump around and dook for him, even
at the near brain-damage level that I prefer.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SiqmoZq47I&feature=PlayList&p=58E3DEFAA5F1B4B8&index=0&playnext=1>
Maybe they like Motown. Well, that would just mean that they have good
taste. But they like his *funk*, too! You'd think that any
self-respecting weasel would flee from this!
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=podVGuZS6g8&feature=PlayList&p=58E3DEFAA5F1B4B8&index=2&playnext=3&playnext_from=PL>
But no, it seems to get them particularly energized.

Do you folks also notice inexplicable preferences, too?

Alexandra in MA

[Posted in FML 5993]