Q: "'I do not define the following as ferret abuse (provided there is no danger of direct harm): ... 3) long toenails'....I respectfully disagree." A: Now why would you want to break a long-standing FML tradition and give me respect? ;-) I did say, "provided there is no danger of direct harm," right? That's ok, it is still a good question. A ferret snagging it's toe is not abuse; it is an accident. IF ferrets snagging their toes illustrate a pattern of neglect by their owner, THAT would be abuse. Even short toenails will snag on threads or fabrics because it isn't the length of the toenail which causes the problem, but the CONDITION of the toenail. The toenails that snag are those which are cracked, split, broken, rough or otherwise damaged, REGARDLESS of length. Most snags are not at the END of the nail (the part typically clipped away), but near the middle or base of the claw. When I was going around the USA measuring polecats and ferrets, I also looked at museum pelts. Most still had the claws attached to the skin. One thing I noticed was the claws (toenails) all looked manicured. I am serious; they were all fairly short and polished to a very high degree. Few (actually, none that I can recall) showed any sign of splitting or damage seen in domesticated ferret claws. When I was looking at feral ferrets from New Zealand, I noticed the same thing; clean, mostly shortened and polished claws. Now, I seriously doubt if the ferrets and polecats are lined up at strip malls for nail treatments, so we have to ask ourselves, "what is the difference?" There are two; 1) CUTTING toenails (claws) will actually cause splits and snags, and, 2) wild polecats and ferrets continuously dig in rough soils. The next time you cut a ferret's nails, save the cut ends and look at them under a hand lens. You will find the edges to be rough, and there will be the occasional split and crack. Parts will even look like they have been "peeled." I think these cracks and splits are future snags in the making. Once cut, a topology is created which actually encourages snagging. With a ferret allowed to dig in hard and rough material, the same thing happens to the nail as when you use an emery board; they are polished smooth. In other words, a nail topology is created which minimizes snags. Now, I am not advocating long nails; nor am I suggesting people stop clipping a ferret's claws. I am simply suggesting that if you see a ferret that has long toenails, say in a magazine spread, you should not automatically suggest abuse. *I* cut my ferret's toenails ONLY when necessary, which isn't very often since I started allowing them permanent access to a block of hard sandy soil. I fill a Rubbermaid dishpan with sandy and rocky soil, wet it down, tamp it in, then dry it for a week or so. In the middle, I stick in a short section of dowel, which I remove once the material is hard. This is the "starting point" for the ferrets, who become obsessed with digging at this spot. It takes a day or so for the dirt in the dishpan to be dug up my my group, so I always have 3 or 4 more waiting in line. The result is, my ferrets no longer dig at carpet, and they have bright, rounded, shortened, polished nails that rarely snag on anything. The bad news I get to vacuum every day. An alternative might simply to be buffing the cut ends of a ferret's claws after clipping in the hopes of repairing those splits and roughened areas which cause the snagging. One important thing; if you do not provide some means of shorting a ferret's claws, they will continue to grow faster than they wear away, which could potentially cause problems, including nail splitting and snagging. Suggestions: 1) always use very sharp or new clippers and replace them often; dull, rusted or old clippers cause more damage to the nail during cutting. 2) Smooth or buff the cut ends of the nail, especially in ferrets that always seem to get snagged. 3) Give the ferret something to dig, which not only satisfies the digging instinct, but also allows the ferret to naturally smooth and polish their nails. Saves a trip to the strip mall for nail treatments.... On a personal note, I really appreciate these sort of follow-up questions. I have no problem in clarifying something, airing opposite viewpoints or even admitting mistakes. Often, a follow-up question will spur additional comments forgotten or edited from the original post or allow sometime to suggest a better alternative. Please, keep the questions AND their follow-ups coming! Bob C and 16 Mo' Diggin' Dummies [Posted in FML issue 2981]