Hello fellow FML-ers, Rabies requires a fluid exchange in order to become infected, so your ferret would have to bite or be bitten by a rabid animal to contract rabies (like a bat, for instance). Distemper however can be shed into the environment by an infected animal, which means you can pick it up on your shoes and bring it into your house. Like my vet always says: Distemper is 100% fatal in ferrets, vaccine reactions are almost never fatal. If your ferret stays indoors and you are careful not to let ignorant people handle them, you can get away with not vaccinating for rabies. However, it could be deadly to your ferret to not vaccinate for distemper. I work at my vet's clinic part-time and we recently had an dog come in with end-stage distemper - boy, was I ever glad my fuzzies are current on their vaccines! I personally believe that, to go by the manufacturer's recommendations, we are over-vaccinating our animals. Some vet's also believe this, but studies in cats and dogs have not be completed, and no studies in ferrets are planned. Once my ferrets are over 2 years old, I only vaccinate every other year. But that's me, you have to do what you think is best for your own fuzzies. That's my two cents... Dooks to all, Serena and the Wrecking Crew: Conan the Destroyer "Who, me?" Elvis the Bear "Can I help? Can I, huh?" Little Miss Crockett "Give me a raisin and nobody gets hurt." Mathayus the Scorpion King "Hey, I was playing with that!" [Posted in FML issue 4115]