Hi I just want to share my favourite theory, concerning "nibble licks" with you all. I think it is a grooming behaviour. I see it as a ferret family thing, showing affection. The trick is to learn the ferret the difference between human skin and ferret skin. In my experience this can be done by telling the ferret when it hurts (Ow! OUCH! Fy!(Swedish expression)) and/or trying to divert the furballs attention before the CHOMP part. My ex-girlfriend once adopted a young (less than 1year) sheila who was frantic about grooming. She could start at your feet and lick and gnaw her way all the way up to your head if you dared, wasn't to ticklish and had the patience. Then she started again at your feet. This was the time to get concerned, because almost always she ended it by biting just a little to hard. Like she was inviting to play or telling you: OK now you pet me! The trick was to see this coming and start playing before it happened. As she got older and more certain about her place in the family she got more relaxed and didn't have to go to such extents to show her affection. One reason for my grooming theory is that much of the gnawing comes on the "side bumps on the ankles" (Sorry I don't know the English word for this) as if the ferret thinks: Boy this fur need's grooming, you cant have lumps like this on your skin! Don't fret I'll bite it away. X-based EMAIL to/from UNIX-systems please send to: [log in to unmask] (EMAILS sent to [log in to unmask] will end up on a Macintosh) Jonas Nygards tel work (+13 281789) home (+13 212226) Robotics / Autonomous Mechanical Systems University at Linkoping S-58183 Sweden Jonas : http://idefix.ikp.liu.se/rames/JN.html R/AMeS: http://idefix.ikp.liu.se/rames/rames.html [Posted in FML issue 1361]