There's several things to be more cautious of with older ferrets. Ferrets are very, very creatures of habit and the older they get, the more sensitive they become to environmental changes. Abrupt changes in environment can be devasting to an older ferret. Something as innocent as a new cage, even though it's better designed for elderly joints, can be a major stress factor. So make any such changes slowly. In the cage example, you'd want to place the new, opened cage in their play area to let them explore it for a few days during their out time. Then, place things from their current cage in the new cage, like unwashed bedding. Put their food bowl and litter box in the new cage during playtime for a week or so, always returning them to their old cage after playtime. Give them several weeks to learn to feel that the new cage is something that belongs to them before moving them in completely. Bear in mind, that your ferrets like things just the way they are. The house and everything and everyone in it belong to them and they don't want things moved around, or moved out, or meddled with! And the older they get, the surer they are of that. Oldsters are more sensitive to food changes also. Tummies are a little easier to upset. You'll want to introduce them to a "treat" soup, if you haven't already, so that when they're sick, you'll already have a nutritious liquid diet that they'll readily accept. The ideal soup for this is a simple kibble soup made ONLY of their regular kibble and water. Avoid additives that will alter the flavor that might be prohibited for elderly illnesses. Ensure - type additives are the number one thing to AVOID, as it's wasted volume, no animal protein, filling the tummy without providing balanced nutrients. Bob Church's recipe is great, also (if you don't mind buying blenders often and have the time to round up all those ingredients and whip it up... but I'm way too lazy for that, lol). Kaytee & Iams aren't my favorite ferret foods (see the food comparison chart at http://www.ferretstore.com/ferfoodcomch.html). Part of that impressive 35% protein is counting the soy flour and kibbled corn, proteins that go straight through a ferret without providing nutrition. The ANIMAL protein percentage of Kaytee is probably closer to 28%, which is just fine for older ferrets. If they've been on it a long time and are healthy, I would NOT make any major changes. (We feed Totally Ferret, Superior Choice &, believe it or not, Exceed cat food from Sam's Club which is very close in content to Eukanuba Kitten for a third of the price.) (Our cats are fat & sassy eating Mazuri Ferret Diet, which I don't consider suitable as a primary food for ferrets, but it makes a good treat for those that like the flavor.) You'll have to watch them a little closer for pulling stunts that their more brittle bones can't handle, like blocking off places they used to climb safely. And when they can't seem to make it to the litter box quick enough, you'll need to cut down one side lower and maybe even replace litter with just paper towels to provide more stable footing. Watch for dental problems. When their mouth gets sore, they won't eat properly. Reddened gums around teeth indicate an infection that needs antibiotics and teeth cleaning. Weekly "brushing" with an enzyme cat toothpaste will help prevent a lot of that. Debi Christy Ferrets First Foster Home Practical & easy training, care, & maintenance articles available at http://www.geocities.com/ferretsfirst/ [Posted in FML issue 3787]