Hi, We have two ferrets, one is apprx 2 years old and one is 1.5 years old, both spayed girls. They've been both showing awkward signs of licking my girlfriend and I recently. The older one is a lap ferret and is constantly within our vicinity, basking in our love and attention. The younger one, however, doesn't usually stay with us in long intervals - that is until recently. All she does is come over and lick us everywhere - particularly on the feet (not the sole) and forearms. Unless she gets distracted or we physically move her, she keeps licking and licking. She got so excited once that she nipped both of us pretty hard on the arms. We're concerned because she also seems more irritable. Her health and appetite seems to be fine - she's active and alert. We thought she might be licking our sweat, but she started this behavior before it got warm in New England. My girlfriend read once on the FML about this licking behavior, particularly in the dry areas of the human body, being linked to symptoms for either insulinoma or lymphoma - she can't remember. Does this behavior sound familiar to you? Is this a symptom of any illnesses? We also thought she's irritable and licking because she is in heat, but she is SUPPOSED to be spayed (She's a Marshall ferret). Another thing we thought was she is deficient in specific nutrients, and is an animal instinct to compensate for the imbalance (like licking rocks to get minerals). Any ideas are appreciated. Thanks very much. [Posted in FML issue 3047]