Hi First off a quick note to say I hope the ferrets on milk thing doesn't run into a huge argument. I generally would not give milk to a ferret (except in certain cases that have, for me, not yet arisen) but there are many people in the UK who feed ferrets on milk based foods. This may have long term implications but in the short term seems to work. I was aware that US ferrets seem to be intolerant while the case here is different. As for Mat and his sick babies, I have been mailing him off list and provided advice and a number of recipes for soft foods taken from the archives. Last I heard, they had stopped vomiting and stools had stiffened. Can I just say that I think Mat did well coming to the list for help and I hope his weasels live long and happy lives. He may have made a mistake but don't we all. The important thing is he cared enough to do something and spend time doing the right thing. I first joined the list when one of mine was sick and I was worried about doing so. I had heard (and have since seen) that a new comer who has made a mistake often receives very harsh and aggressive posts or posts that are far too complicated to take in. My ferret was ill because I asked the vet for a Gill jab and he claimed never to have heard of one and could see no reason why she would need one. She died some years ago now. I received a number of very helpful posts for which I am ever grateful but I also received a number of aggressive, threatening and un helpful posts. These do not serve to aid the sick animal. Equally Mat asked a very specific question, as did I all those years back but some of the posts returned were extremely complex covering a wide range of issues that were irrelevant at the time. To a new keeper these potentially hold nothing but confusion of issues and with this the potential to disguise valuable advice in a shroud unrelated subject matter. Is it not better to answer the specific question, fix the problem at hand and then move on to the wider issue of general ferret care? Just one view. W. [Posted in FML issue 4388]