Re: Ferrets from Hell, itchy skin Ferrets can scratch themselves with relative frequency normally and when they scratch they do it vigorously, I can hear is at least three rooms away as they thump their foot on the floor. However, they do have a high fat requirement and you can safely add fat to the diet. You might use a prepared fatty acid supplement such as Ferrotone or Linotone in the amount of 1/8 tsp daily. I am also a fan of meat fat that is raw (more nutritious), but if that makes you nervous, you can feed it cooked (liquified) in the amount of 1/2 tsp -1 tsp daily. Eggs are also a good source of fat and protein and we have several ferrets on eggs that have gorgeous coats. You can very lightly scrambel the egg and give about 1/4 to 1/2 egg a day. They like the taste of garlic, so you might add a little to the egg. Have Fun Dr. Brown Re: Robin with ferret that died of urinary obstruction. I am very sorry for your loss, it is even more difficult when it is unexpected like that. Fortunately, urinary calculi (stones or "sand") is a less common problem than it used to be, but it still happens. The better quality cat foods seem to be helpful. But is still can happen even with those. In males, it is most difficult because of the small diameter of the urethra and difficulty in catheterizing them. Sometimes they have kidney damage also, which makes it more difficult to survive all they must go through to get cured. This brings up a pet point of mine, and that is the necessity of frequent veterinary exams once ferrets reach 3 years of age. I HIGHLY recommend having your pet examined at least every 6 months and at least once a year have some minimal laboratory work done. We have diagnosed an enormous amout of problems in ferrets BEFORE they reached the dangerous point by frequent checkups. This is not to guarantee there will never be surprises in between checkups, but this type of preventive program greatly reduces those surprises. YOu did the very best you could and obviously sought help when you needed it and you should be commended for doing so. He was fortunate to have had such a loving home, even if it was for only a brief time. Susan Brown, D.V.M. [Posted in FML issue 0792]