I have two male carpet sharks (Boing and Speedbump), about 8 months old.  We
just got a third (Li'l Beeper) that is now 8 weeks old.  They all seem to
get along okay but there's one thing that's sorta weird.  Boing will grab
Li'l Beeper by the scruff of the neck and carry him off under/behind the
couch.  Is this some sort of parental-type behavior, or is this something I
should panic about?  We've had Li'l Beeper for two weeks now and he hasn't
been hurt by the others (if anything, he's been doing the butt-kicking), but
I was curious what motivates this kind of behavior.  He's kept in a separate
cage because of his size, and his playtime with the other two is supervised.
But I don't know whether I should be laughing my ass off at seeing him being
toted around like a mother dog and her puppy, or if I should be doing some
scruffing myself.  Any thoughts?
 
Just tried Marshall Farms food for the first time a few weeks ago.  I'm NOT
impressed.  None of my ferrets like it and it made Boing's feces look like
something that had me rushing to the ECE FAQ.  I've since switched back to
8-In-1, which seems to be their favorite so far.  One of the local pet
supply warehouses carries two brands that I don't remember seeing in the
list's food discussions--L'Avian and Merrick.  Does anyone have experience
with either of these and how they compare with the other "top" brands?  I
keep hearing about Totally Ferret, but no one around here carries it...if
someone could pass on a number I could call, I'd be very grateful.
 
I'm also looking for breeders in the Midwest who have dark-eyed whites.  So
far, I'm 0-for-7.  This has now become a quest for me.
 
Thanks in advance,
  Chuck Renaud <[log in to unmask]>
[Posted in FML issue 1561]