Hello, sorry that family demands kept me away for so long, but I'm trying to fit in my ferret help demands, too. Have addressed 47 notes to small mammal curators to try to survey problems of other mustelids in zoos, and have begun organizing materials and thought for the handy guide. The following is not a true outline, but more rough organizational notes about some things to include. I know I'll come up with more, but want others to comment on anything I might have overlooked here. It would be a big help, since there are bound to a number of things I've overlooked. Marking with waste products with anal or ear glands Vocalizations when upset hissing chittering other "cursing" screaming when determined or curious when playing laughter' beeps pitch and status in group Body language Facial ear mouth eyes Tail positions hard base up piloerected wagging social position in group back position when arched when straight when twitching or poorly supported piloerection tail only back of neck all over motion hopping dancing slamming into walls determined run determined investigation with or without digging determined stash/rearrange mode making cute using your guilt to train you problem postures and behaviors sore back leg problems foot problems when starting to be overheated get me to the vet right now dehydration, severe diarrhea injury persistent vomiting, gagging, constipation, or known ingestion of rubber, plastic, or other item which can cause blockage respiratory stress infection collapse or exhaustion severe reaction to too much or too little heat seizures Why cylindrical objects may be too attractive to males and what to do about it Why your ferret grooms you, marks you, or may mark itself with your scent licking sneezing, snorting and head rubbing removing those objectionable skin bumps on you with incisors Basic training tips Ferrets' strong aural abilities use of praise using normal ferret behaviors to work to desired behavior using tricks such as standing up to exercise an infirm or elderly animal noticing and working around handicaps visual hearing mobility retardation Normal household dangers having a safe room or cage ingestion hazards blockages poisoning furniture hazards landings, stairs, and other large falls getting in walls getting out playing with electrical cords suffocation from sticking head in object or becoming wound in plastic bag or ingesting hazardous item toilets drains or heating vents possibly dangerous toys opening cabinets, drawers, etc. machinery stoves motors dishwashers and clothing washers getting into other machinery bedding wood chips and respiratory disorders cloth eaters galvanized metal dishes male penile bone becoming caught in cage wires claw rips Play and cuddling Well loved and reasonably safe toys Amount How to tell when ferret has had enough tickling, cuddling, etc. "Come under here with me" Clothes climbing and burrowing Getting ferret out from beneath furniture Nursing and basic medical care Disclaimer Finding a good to great vet Tapping into the knowledge of other vets Exams and injections young kit (Would a breeder, PLEASE, give me an assist here? Otherwise, I have to skip this section except to note that Brown has found 2 to 3 week intervals rather than 4 week to provide best canine distemper protection with initial vaccinations.) at about 6 months young adult over 3 and 1/2 years 5 and over Basic care bathing and dry skin internal and external parasites claws teeth feeding too much calcium, too little zinc use moderation too many sugars too much fiber laxative aids treats high protein and high fat Brewer's yeast why a lot of diet is still guess work ear mites neutering and spaying Symptoms with multiple causes Hair loss as a symptom fever as a symptom increased size of one or more nodes as a symptom exhaustion, collapse Signs of aging Tumors (benign and malignant), and cancers lympho insulinoma adrenal other Dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, related starvation Gastric and intestinal blockages Making life more comfy for a sick animal Getting around ramps baby oil blackheads concentrated nutrient diets massage range of motion exercises in warm tub heating pads or other ways to stay warm ways to stay cool Ways to make the jobs more manageable When you have to force feed When you have to rehydrate by subcutaneous injection When you have to monitor diet or for another reason must keep shifts or check on regular basis How the alpha animal may be able to assist you What am I missing? What would you like to see covered in sections? Nancy, yes, ferrets are very aural, which is not unusual for an animal which had wild ancestors evolved to react to the sounds of many types of animals in pitch black burrows. If you have consistency in your speech they learn many nouns and verbs, and some adverbs and adjectives. Our favorite story about this happened once when Hjalmar put some of his fruitcake in one of his favorite hiding places. I said something to Hjalmar along the line of "Hjalmar stash Hjalmar's fruitcake?" --all of which were known words and Fritter got up from her resting place and checked Hjalmar's (not her's) favorite hiding places till she found his fruitcake and ate it. When possible we use consistent nouns and verbs, order our sentences in noun-verb-object order, use only a few moderators such as "good", and exaggerate the way we vocalize like with a toddler. This consistently gets amazing results unless the ferret is in a "don't distract me now" mode. Re: ferret which bisected room: that's great! We've seen treats placed in a straight, short line but not with such a surprising location. Paula, While I have never read of a ferret being hurt by caffeine we did have one once with a hidden heart problem so you might want to buy the decaf cola for your critter and keep the amount small to prevent sugar jags and reduce tooth decay. Geri, Meerkats are in viverridae like the mongoose (with which the CA Fish and Wildlife people have occasionally confused mustelids). Mustelidae includes skunks, polecats, weasels, ferrets, mink, otters, stoats, martens, fishers, tayras, grisons, wolverines, badgers, striped weasels, stink badgers, etc. There are 25 genera, and the last I heard the family arose a good while after the viverrides so the similarities may be from relation or parallel evolution. Nancy, your list doesn't include Ann Jeglum who saved Bandit, Hanan Caine (908-580-0506) who was with the AMC and is now at Basking Ridge Animal Hospital in N.J., Dr. Rosenthal of the Animal Medical Center in N.Y. C. -- one of the nation's big research clinics with a full oncology floor, and many major veterinary schools. John, we have seen folks who were allergic to ferrets, and BOTH my hubby and I react to unneutered males but not to other ferrets (I am also allergic to mink.). Our guys are well. Meltdown had a temporary gastric blockage from (by color once it passed) either stealing too much banana or getting a hold of some styrofoam. She could stay partially hydrated so Hanan supplemented that with sub-Q ringers, began antibiotics, and we monitored her carefully. If it hadn't cleared but she wasn't in danger next step would have been to look at it and hopefully dislodge it with a barium enema. If it got serious there, of course, would have been an emergency op. Since signs began on a Sunday night and they are ones with which an owner must jump quickly her binge was a tad expensive, but not as bad as it could have been, and we only lost a couple of night's full sleep. New owners: DO jump quickly when a ferret is persistently gagging, or dehydrated, or fevering, or has eaten non-food items, etc. since not doing so could result in losing the critter in 24 to 48 hours, and since the problems caused by a severe blockage which is not attended to promptly can quickly become too severe for even surgery to work. I was recently very upset about losing my Uncle Jay and asked Meltdown to "fix Mommy". She very tenderly cuddled and kissed me till I was calmed down again. As long time subscribers know, she (and others) have made a point of comforting us before. Love, Sukie, Steve, Meltdown, Ruffle, 'Chopper, the living helicopter, Spot, and Meeteetse [Posted in FML issue 0503]