Years ago 3 of our boys who have since passed on would go kinda nutty for Bath and Body Works Plumeria scented anything. They weren't biters but if I had the stuff on, they would do the lick-lick-chomp! They would also steal articles of clothing that had the smell. I'd find some of my favorite shirts hidden away in their hidey holes with the boys sleeping in/on the shirt. They didn't hate the smell, they wanted to eat it! Maybe it has something to do with the Bath and Bodyworks line in general? I know they blend many of their scents with hints of this one and that one so maybe it is a common base scent that seems to get some of them going. I've never really had any reactions from any of our guys over anything else except Fenris, who LOVED Herbal Essences shampoo and would climb all over your head just going nuts as soon as we got out of the shower. Once my hair was dry he would lose interest and go find something else to do. We've had a couple of similar swollen belly with lethargy experiences over the years the anonymous poster mentioned. One time it did turn out to be a monster gas bubble that affected Loki so badly she had to be put on an I.V. for 2 days because she wouldn't eat or drink and even began vomiting, and well, you know how quickly they will become dehydrated. We ran through loads of tests after tests only to discover the monster bubble on the x-ray. It was pretty crazy and took a couple of weeks for her to finally fully recover..... FROM GAS!! Can you believe it?? Neither could we. Neither could the vet! It's funny that something so simple could actually become life threatening, you know? Our other experience with the swollen belly/ lethargy symptoms with Izzy actually ended up being his liver, so if your vet hasn't done any bloodwork yet see what he thinks about doing a Blood Chem-CBC +T4. That will tell you if there are any kind of organ problems, anemia, infections, blood disorders, thyroid, ect. It is really good for helping pinpoint the specific problem and also for eliminating out what is not the problem. On to children and shelters....We have a 4 year old and an 8 year old who have grown up with not just ferrets but dogs, cats, fish, iguanas, hamsters, rats, ect. Our kids were taught right from the get go how to treat animals. I have never run a shelter but I have been a volunteer since I was a kid and we also foster from time to time and every experience we have, I feel enriches our children that much more. I have found myself a few times dumbfounded at some of the other parent volunteers that I have encountered over the years. Oftentimes they will leave it to the shelter operator or other volunteers to educate and direct their children. For some folks it is simply because they are unsure of the rules and procedures, and things that are common sense to us simply do not occur to them, such as doing the ferret shuffle for example.. and for others it is just easier to let someone else deal with their kids and then ask "what did they do?" when there is a problem. We have many children in our neighborhood who come over to play and of course the want to play with the dog or the ferret as soon as they see them. It might be helpful for shelters to have an experienced child around if one is available to help explain the rules and demonstrate how to act to new children. I have noticed that oftentimes the especially special needs kids respond better to our 8 year olds directions than to us adults which does make sense. She's really good at it too. She and our 4 year old will often reprimand me for playing too rowdy with the ferrets! I will roll them around on the floor in the crinkly sack, or gently slide them across the linoleum in the kitchen which they love and the kids get me for it every time. They will say "Mommy you can't play with them like that! If you slide Nibbler too hard she could crash into the cabinets and get hurt!" I really can't argue with them because this is what I have taught them. To be gentile. When other children are over, our 8 year old tells them first off that they can't hold the ferret but that they can pet it while she holds it if mom says it's ok. Then she goes through the motions of demonstrating to the other kids the proper way to pet the ferret, while explaining this is how to hold the ferret while sitting down, these are the rules, etc. You must be very gentile because they are like a baby puppy or kitty and can get hurt or dead if you aren't careful. If you are mean to the ferret you don't ever get to pet it again. (That is our 8 year old's rule. She came up with this one on her own and she gives no second chances.) They aren't allowed to hold the ferrets unless they are seated on the floor, and my husband or myself must be present to supervise (we also explain and demonstrate)or nobody touches the ferrets or the dog. We also make sure that there are no more than 2 children at a time, preferably one child per adult so things don't get out of hand. I have learned over time that sending them home when they start getting unruly is the best way to go for us. It sinks in very quickly that there will be no tolerance for being unruly and not only do they not get to play with the ferrets, but they don't get to play at my house at all. We're not mean about it, just very firm and make sure to explain why they are being sent home and that they can come back another day but for today, they are done. Some parents completely agree and some take offense but that's just kind of how it goes, right? I'd rather have somebody think I'm mean and overprotective than to have one of my pets injured or worse. If the kids know the rules and that your boundaries aren't flexible and what the consequence is they adhere to the rules very well, even the special needs kids. It was actually an adopted special needs kid who helped us devise this strategy. He was all in all a sweet kid but he could be impulsive and hyper at times and could have violent tendencies when he got upset. Not so much towards the animals but towards other people. He didn't respond very well to timeouts, or no, we aren't playing with the ferrets today because you are being too rowdy, etc. but it only took sending him home twice when he started getting out of hand to calm him down. Then after that when he started getting owly all we would have do do is say "Frankie, can you be nice, or is it time to go home?" and he would either shape up right away or he would tell me "I need to go home because I can't get along today and I think I need to be by myself." Perfect! Once we established this, he was much easier to deal with. With any kids the key, I think, is to make sure they know the rules and to try and be preemptive, but sometimes you can see it coming and sometimes you can't. Even with kids you know very well. I agree with Alexandra, Ardith, and Wolfy. They added some great methods that we also use such as you don't pet any animal without asking permission first, and no nose to muzzle, training with a stuffed animal, walking through rules and procedures, etc. With the kids that are around alot, I sometimes go through and have them make little "Ferret Books" with paper and crayons. We go through and write down simple things about how to handle and care for ferrets and then draw pictures. Then we staple it together like a real book. It is amazing how much they pick up from this and they are usually very proud of their artwork and accomplishment. Also it helps to keep them occupied! Like Alexandra said, We must have a billion years of experience among us. So lets chime in with some ideas! :) Yvonne [Posted in FML 6583]