I wanted to add a little to my Wolfy's Worms notes. Although we had most die between the ages of late 6th year and mid 8th year we lost more younger than that compared to older than that, so our bell curve has the lip on that younger side longer. Each of the young ones who died of lymphoma (except possibly a JL one) died during lympho clumps. Of the elderly ones who died of lympho -- they died at times as parts of clumps and there was a probably solitary one who I can think of off-hand but she may have been a straggler as part of clump. (Lympho clumps are not terribly common; we've just had ferrets a long time (24 years) so have had time to run into two. You can read a marvelous write up on Lymphoma in a pdf of an article that Dr. Bruce Williams wrote for Ferrets magazine available from http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html (BTW, almost all of the ages here are NOT estimated since only a few came as adult rescues; most of our rescues have been kits.) FYI: the severely deformed ones and some others who weren't in such a bad way who we had were from a single mid-sized farm but that was because they knew that we would take them and work with them. In general the least healthy ones we ran into were from the types of private breeders who don't care what they do as well as being originally from fur fitch stock (bad combination). The most healthy came for careful private breeders (not all late neuters, BTW). The farms fell in the middle and I am sure everyone realizes that some private breeders also will fall in the middle. i DO think -- and LIKE MOST ELSE IN THIS DISCUSSION THIS IS HYPOTHETICAL that U.S. ferrets were healthier in the old days before there was so much selective breeding for some fancies -- at least in our area. Ferrets with neural crest variation genetics used to be almost never seen. Now it is rare to find any kits -- especially pet store ones -- who don't show the telltale extraneous spotting like white body spots, incomplete and unevenly bordered mitts, splotches, bibbs without smooth margins, etc. People who weren't there and didn't have the interactions with the other area people we knew here won't realize what it tended to be like here. The were real extremes (Many area ferrets strong then, but some people -- more easily avoided back when it was a bit easier to figure out who sold their kits -- having fur fitch and some (sometimes the same ones with fur fitch stock) just letting them breed willy nilly, resulting in very short lives in very vulnerable animals.) For the most part (not ones from those bad breeders) even though the food was lousy -- we are talking Meow Mix and the like, folks -- the ferrets were pretty much all the standards in appearance (most sables and chocolates with no fancy markings on most, and they usually did not get sick until they were quite old. BTW, I do NOT think that Meow Mix is a good diet for them. I think that they weren't as genetically vulnerable as current stock so that what we each do in our own homes makes more of difference now. And, yes, that is a guess even though it has some basis behind it. Nowadays, I find that vet intervention earlier in life than then is pretty often needed. It is not unusual to need to have vet help. In our area we have been very lucky in that we had some good vets quite early on, and in the last 15 or so years we have had great vets. I think that comes largely due to the AMC and the specialized training it provides being nearby and some graduates not leaving the general area and then training other vets in their practices so the knowledge spreads. In areas where there are not as many good vets I do think that the death rate bell curve would move toward the earlier death dates because vet care matters. Yes, I know some people can't afford it. I understand that; we can't afford more room for the ferrets to bounce around in. BTW, even early on our ferrets had a lot of exercise and a lot of darkness. I had some health problems but needed to avoid surgery as long as possible due to an allergy problem with anesthesia so mostly cared for the home (which back then included things like building most of the furniture we had or rescuing yard sale pieces and reupholstering them) and worked part time, while Steve worked more than full time. When we were both out the ferrets went into fully equipped carry cages under our platform bed (which has a lip and drawers, allowing a good opening all around so that particular version has great air exchange) because we were renters and that way they not only got full darkness but weren't seen if any apartment managers let themselves in. Due to space considerations at night and when they were out playing the cages were then under a table that had a long skirt in black with brown bamboo pattern that I made (one way to hide that it was a rescue piece of furniture) so between the day under bed hours, the location of that skirted piece of furniture, and homemade bedding and hammocks inside they got a lot of darkness even back then. I think that as STANDARDS and CURRICULA for exotics vets improve I think that people will begin having longer living ferrets in most places in the U.S. (and there are people working toward this goal which is still many years away but I am not free to say more at this time, but do quietly wish them luck, folks). I also KNOW that vets who did not specially study exotics are completely able to become excellent exotics vets if they have the time and the inclination to learn, and are willing to use consultants. Also, I know that understanding medical problems ourselves as non-vets allows us to spot things earlier and that, too, allows for longer lives. [Posted in FML issue 4793]