In actual fact ferrets do not *chew*. (that is a term I use because I am too lazy or short of time to go into detail) *Chewing* is the action of repeatedly masticating a piece of food into tiny fragments as it mixes with saliva so it can be swallowed. The function of ferrets' teeth is to *cut* flesh, much the same as scissors do, and to crush bone. The upper and lower carnassials (back teeth, or cheek teeth) have a fit that is so close that they do so beautifully. The action that we see of a ferret repeatedly (I'm not sure how well you may be able to understand my description here) going "yang, yang, yang" first on one side and then "yang, yang, yang" on the other side of its mouth is the action needed to *cut* the meat and crush the bone into pieces small enough to swallow. This action "sweeps" bacteria from the whole surface of the teeth and encourages the flow of saliva to further clean the teeth. It is also a very enjoyable and satisfying action for a ferret to perform. When fed a meal of kibble, the ferret cracks the kibble once or twice before swallowing it. There is no contact with the the teeth other than at the cutting edge before it is swallowed. The tiny fragments still remaining in the ferret's mouth mix with saliva and "stick" to the teeth. If you realise that much of the kibble is composed of carbohydrates, you'll see that this is not a good environment to sustain a healthy mouth. Over time, the kibble also wears down the teeth and can even crack them. I still use the term "chew", however, because I can't think of another single word that decribes a ferret eating a raw meaty bone. I don't think yang" is in any way a good substitute. Shirley [Posted in FML 5414]