Thanks to all who answered.  I figured out that he was playing me like
a violin!  You were right Christine.  At one point earlier on, I feared
that if I gave him each day (that I saw the weird poops) laxatone to push
out the fruit scraps; treats to test if he is blocked (if Rocky is truly
sick with a blockage he will NOT take a treat, yet he'll do anything to
get them otherwise); chicken gravy and/or ferretvite to make sure he gets
enough nutrition to maintain his weight and keep him alive and healthy,
that he would expect it everyday.  But even when I didn't give him
chicken gravy his food was untouched.
 
On Friday night I threw some of his new PV food into his large box full
of boxes, he'd get in even with the flaps open at a difficult angle,
move the boxes around, do anything to get the food....until he had about
6 pieces and realized it wasn't a treat (or got sick of it).  Also, I
realized that a ferret who could open a 9ft tall solid wood door with one
paw is not a sick ferret.  So I waited him out.  Yesterday morning I gave
him nothing (his poops, though few, were normal) and he ate a little bit
of his food.  He got a couple of treats after, and chicken gravy for
dinner.  This morning he was near his bowl in the bathtub and when I
walked in and looked down, he looked at me and moved away from the bowl.
He didn't want me to see him eating his food!!!!!  What a manipulate
little monster.  But when I left, I heard him crunching, so now he gets
reward with a treat or 2 AFTER eating regular food.
 
He does like the Path Valley food better than his mixture of TF and NG,
and the pieces are much easier to eat since they are thin and easily
breakable.  Also supposed to be good for older and neutered ferrets, has
good ingredients and has been rated best food by Ohio Ferrets Assn.  I
wish I had used this food from the beginning since it is so much easier
on his teeth.  I recommend trying it for your ferrets.  We'll see how
long this finnicky manipulator will eat this food (every 9 months or so,
he gets sick of his food, so I get a new one, which he usually likes for
awhile, etc.
 
***While I was giving him the treats, CG, etc.  he gave me LOTS OF KISSES
and he's not a very kissy ferret.  He only kisses when I do/give him
something he wants.  When I was away for 5 days he didn't kiss me for
weeks and acted very distant.
 
So Rocky's new nickname is: "Mr. Master Manipulator Mercenary Monster."
 
Shron & MMMMM
 
BTW, I'm trying to remember not to put any fruit scraps into the regular
garbage but keep them in a small plastic bag out of his reach, until I
can get a garbage can he can't get into.
[Posted in FML issue 4803]