Dan, What you say makes plenty of sense. I haven't had the same experience with my blazed silver mitt (Cronan) because after 8 months I still can't figure out if he is deaf, partially deaf, or not deaf at all (whereas our little black-eyed white, Attila, was clearly deaf and had fooled us for the first couple of days only because of her accute sensitivity to visual cues to the extremities of her peripheral vision). Sometimes he seems to hear, sometimes he doesn't seem to hear a thing, and sometimes he seems to hear within certain ranges. He sleeps very soundly, though, and sounds will not wake him up. Touch will, however, and within instants he will be fully alert, excited and up to all manner of mischief. However, as I say, he hasn't pulled a "dead ferret" snooze on me yet, but he also seems to be hyperactive and boundlessly energetic, so that might be a possible reason. Myron, the albino (who hears exceedingly well), has pulled a couple of dead, limp ferret stunts on me. Curiously, though he was an overly mischievous heckler of his fellow furries when young, now that he has reached adulthood he has mellowed considerably. He has become a very thoughtful and curious ferret, and usually he is less interested in playing with other ferrets than in exploring his universe. Whereas Cronan is clearly an endomorph, a natural fighter who takes great pride on his own strength, Myron is more of an introvert. I don't know whether ferret temperament has anything to do with the stunt or not. The first time Myron pulled the "dead ferret" stunt I freaked too. Nothing I did seemed to be getting him back (yet he was warm!). Until I pulled out the ferretone and brought it close to his nose. Then he remained catathonic for a wee while but his nose sniffed, and his tongue started to --veeery slowly-- flicker, flicker some more, then drag itself tentatively towards the tilted ferretone cap. In fact, the tongue had been doing its business normally and quite actively for quite a few instants before Myron actually stirred and opened his eyes! But he continued licking the ferretone for as long as it was profered... Cheers, Jaime [Posted in FML issue 3080]