I have severe chronic asthma. I know from my own experiences that each ferret is different. It actually seems to depend on their skin and sometimes the time of year. I had 3 female ferrets and I had no problems with the first two. When I got Suzi, I had a few days of wheezing and eye swelling, then it cleared up. About a month ago, I got a big male . I started wheezing a lot, and began to wonder if I'd made a mistake. After a few weeks, though, it cleared up again. My doctor feels my system adjusts to the animals in my home. I have birds, too, and I do fine, although the tests lit up like a light for chickens! I have a friend who has many ferrets and I always have a severe reaction when I go to his house. I think my system builds up a tolerance to what I am exposed to at home. [Posted in FML issue 1869]