I would also like to know other reasons for tail hair thinning out. I have a ferret that is one and a half years old. Now some of my other ferrets are now shedding. I don't see that this one is, but may have without me realizing it. He is a hair thinner and drawn than usual (he does this during seasonal changes). Anyway his entire tail seems to lack the under coat, and only has the long guard hairs? Its very thinned out. There are no black heads or orangy flaking of the skin from oils in the pores. The upper base of the tail or near his back is full of fur. The rest of his body is full of fur. Carpet Shark Scott seems to think its a drastic seasonal coat change. I am a bit worried. He never did it to this extreme before. He is a bit too young for adrenal I think and exhibits no other possible signs (its been a month or so). But if he doesn't have rat tail, or adrenal, what could it be? How likely is it a seasonal change? Can stress do this? Sean has been very active this summer and has had less contact with Rocky. He used to be with him all the time. Now he plays with him for a good hour in the morning and pets and holds him intermittently through the day. He used to sit and watch tv with him all the time. So Rocky has gotten used to a new house, Smoke the resuce who he hates and we have to keep seperated (he wants to kill him), a new baby, and now this summer Sean being quite busy. His behavior seems good. We give him lots of attention and play time. Wolfy Please visit: http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/ for information on ferret deafness: http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/deaf.html [Posted in FML issue 3495]