To David Childress: #1 Make sure you are using a KITTEN food. It is higher in proteins and fats, both of which are necessary for a healthy ferret. As for her stool being soft - it may just be a result of being brought into a new surrounding. Give it a week or so and see if it changes. #2 Your ferret may be bathed at an early age. Just make sure the water is very warm. Ferrets normal body temperature is around 102 degrees or so and tepid water will actually be very chilly to them. Use a shampoo made for ferrets. It will help control the musky odor, while keeping their eyes from burning. Also make sure she is quickly and thoroughly dried after the bath to prevent any possible colds. #3 For bedding I would recommend a few old sweatshirts. They seem to love burrowing into these and they also find them comfortable. Try a sweatshirt that you've recently worn. Ferrets seem to like anything that smells like their owner. Playtoys aren't all that difficult to find. Look for objects that cannot be swallowed or chewed apart. Stay away from any foam and/or rubber products. Rubber products are the biggest cause of intestinal blockages. #4 Biting gets a little easier as they get older. Remember that ferrets tend to bite each other harder than we would like to be bitten. Their skin is very loose compared to ours and in turn does not hurt as much when they are bitten. If *YOU* feel that she is biting too hard then take action. You can try snapping her nose with your finger and shouting "NO" or "BAD" at the same time. If you want more information I would suggest downloading the Ferret FAQ. it is put together by Pam Greene and is a fantastic source of information. If you can't find it on AOL, let someone here know and one of us will be sure to get a copy to you. Good luck with your new addition. I think you'll soon find out that ferrets make one of the best friends you'll ever know! --------- Regards... Russ Hazzon [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 1049]