>From: Ulrike <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Ferret emotions > >I strongly believe that ferrets feel and show emotions. I have seen >it over the years and see it every day, how deeply some ferrets bond >amongst one another and how deeply some have bonded to me. I see their >happiness. I have seen sad and frightened ferrets. I believe some >ferrets will grieve when they loose a companion even though mine have >always been okay. But I can't believe that a ferret can reason to the >extent that it thinks "my owners have dumped me, and I don't want to >go on". If that was the case, how would they distinguish between >being dumped or left somewhere while the owners go on holiday? Just >wondering... First, I find myself strangely relieved that others have carried around a despairing ferret - romancing as one person said- and that they feel they cannot get rid of said ferret once it has rebonded. At least I no longer feel so alone or- Well, crazy. I may not have particularly *wanted* Sarah or Lizzie, but I will be damned if I- as someone said- break their hearts again. Now as to how the ferret would know about vacations... I have no idea. Perhaps what was said to the ferret. Perhaps because going on vacation is not as long. I think that most ferrets may wait and wait, but once it becomes obvious hat their human is not coming back, *that's* when they start to decline. anne [Posted in FML 5511]