Niki & Nancy Regarding the discussion on stinky ferrets: Nicole had bought her baby ferret only a week ago, right? And the ferret was only a few months old. I seem to recollect from my own experience, and in reading various sources, that it can take a month or so after neutering for that strong musky scent to disappear. And by the way, I have this cloth carry bag that I let baby Rikki play in now and then before he was neutered. Almost three years later, it still smell skunky--and I washed it! So although it is true that ferret spray dissipates in the air in minutes, if the smelly oil is well established in cloth, no telling how long it will linger. BTW, Why are breeders still descentinhg ferrets? I had my male descented in Australia because I didn't know better. But the prevailing wisdom in ferret circles there is that neutering is what gets rid of the odor, and that (barring infections or chronic blockages) the anal glands should be retained in case the ferret ever needs them for self defense. Thus I had my female, Emma, neutered but not descented, and she doesn't smell any more than Rikki does. They both generally smell fine, because I give them frequent baths (no skin problems or dryness). All the best from Istanbul, Sue Kocher [Posted in FML issue 1275]