Dear X - Actually, cysts are fairly common, but they are mundane and not worth a lot of mention. The cysts that we see in ferrets are generally swollen scent glands, whose ducts have become blocked - so they swell. You are not aspirating water, but the secretion of the gland, and over time, these cysts continue to enlarge and secrete. You are generally faced either with surgery to remove it, or just repeated aspiration. Aspirating earlier is always better, before it has a chance to grow even larger, but surgery is still the best option, especially if they are multiple. It is unusual for ferrets to be bothered by touching the cyst, but if this is the case, then all the more reason to remove in entirely. The good news is that these items are only very rarely malignant, so excision should be curative. With kindest regards, Bruce H. Williams, DVM, DACVP Join the Ferret Health List at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list [Posted in FML issue 3437]