Sukie's post on the warning about Vaporub was interesting and informative. I remember hearing about a zoo who would rub it on the nose of meerkats to help them accept a new meerkat into the group. I often wondered if it would work for ferrets, as I suspect that smell is THE reason new ferrets get picked on by old ones. I had a ferret who belonged to a group with a strict alpha female sneak away and sleep with the rescues for a day. When I put him back with his group, the alpha tore into him. I took other ferrets from the alpha group and rubbed their smelly areas (yes, even the butt ;) ) on him. She then accepted him, though a bit warily. I have never tried it and would not ever use vaporub on a ferret, just because it seems so irritant. I believe I remember asking (and if it was on this list, I apologize for bringing it up twice) if anyone else had ever heard of it being used in such a manner. However as there are many other ways of getting new ferrets and old to get along, I doubt anyone has had to resort to this type of thing. Even so, meerkats are not ferrets, and zoos are not always doing what is healthy or best for their animals. Laryssa [Posted in FML 6213]