to Jason Creager: Our vet recommends spaying/neutering after 6 mos of age to allow the necessary hormones to organize and activate the brain. I also wrote a paper on this for an endocrinology class. Apparently, removing these hormones by neutering too early leads to health problems later in life. My first two ferrets were neutered and spayed when I purchased them at 7 and 11 weeks and both had major problems in what should have been their golden years. Bilbo had a melanoma the size of a golfball removed from his abdomen as well as insulinomas and eventually went blind and deaf. Butterscotch had insulinomoas and cushings syndrome. Not that I'm suggesting that all ferrets will have these problems, but why take the risk? My two babies will be neutered before they're 7 month old. (as is required by the breeder as well). >From what I've read, males come in season in December until July and females from January until August. So, you shouldn't need to worry about your male coming into season if he's neutered before Christmas. Good luck! Cindy Beren and Pippin too! [Posted in FML issue 0928]