I'm so confused...............To Dr, Williams and all of the other vets on line and people that have had these fuzzies for many long years............ I have had 5 in 6 years and have always given them a bath once or twice a week and have never had any with dry skin or problems where their odor got worse from too many baths. I use a flea shampoo mixed with equal parts of Pert (Shampoo and Conditioner combined) for children (non-tear), Dr. Bonner's peppermint liquid soap, and Avon skin so soft bath oil. I always rinse them 3 times to make sure most of it is off of them and then I towel dry them (providing I can keep hold of them). I currently have 3 with some of the softest and sweetest fur I have ever seen, felt or smelled. And they don't have dry or scaly pads on their feet. I have met several other ferret owners and their fuzzies and mine have better coats and don't stink! So my question to all of you is..........Am I doing it all wrong? None have ever gotten sick because of this bath routine and like I said before..........I've been doing it the same way with 5 fuzzies for 6 years! And to all of those that like munchies.............we need to teach the other ones that there's more to life than raisins! Mine love any fresh fruit or raw vegetable they can get their paws on! Raw potatoes are their favorite! Bananas and peanut butter is something they go nuts over and they will come on a dead run from any hole if I mention the words.... melon or apple! They won't touch any meat, fish, gravy, cooked food of any kind or eggs..... but they love cheese of any kind, bread and salt free crackers (with dips of course - but not onion flavored or Salsa). It's not easy having something to eat around them because they will flat climb all over us until they get a bite! Normally their main diet is Totally Ferret food, although they all are getting mighty pudgy. Maybe I should switch back to Iams Kitten chow, huh? haha Cheers from the sweet smelling food thieves - Stinkey, Brandy, Rascal and their Mama too! [Posted in FML issue 1122]