>From: Caryl Rion <[log in to unmask]> >Does anyone out there have any problems with their ferrets attacking them >if they are sqeaking a sqeaky toy? My ferret attacks at the sound of a squeaky. If it is a plush squeaky he grabs the toy and does the neck breaking head shake common to preditory animals. i.e. grab and shake really hard which leaves the prey stunned. If the squeaky is a vinal or plastic toy or if he can't see the toy he bites me instead. Its the same motion, bite and shake. He will come from upstairs at the sound of the squeaky so I have been using it to call him to his duck soup at dinnertime. This has lessened his tendency to attack somewhat. Since I want the squeak to be an effective call, I don't overuse it just for my own amusement. I'm pretty sure that the sound mimics the high frequency sounds of prey (mice talk to each other with ultrasonic squeaks). Ferrets and other preditors probably focus in on the sound as a localization signal. Somewhere in his genetic heritage my ferret probably has a dim racial memory of associating hunting with this sound. It's funny because it really looks like a reflex response since he goes into his attack and all of a sudden stops and sorta looks surprised to find himself biting me. I haven't tried it but I bet ferrets would come to the sound of a dog ultrasonic whistle. Max [Posted in FML issue 2077]