Regarding the recent postings on feeding carpet-sharks. Research (references on request) has shown domestic ferrets have a limited period in which they learn to recognize something as edible; this period varies slightly with the individual ferret, and is strongly correlated to the sense of smell. By the fourth month of life, food preferences have, for the most part, been "typed"; the longer the length of association for a particular odor, the stronger the preference. After the fourth month, it becomes increasingly difficult to get the ferret to recognize new odors as food. Even if new foods are excepted, they are not preferred. This is important for three reasons. First, it illustrates how important the olfactory senses are to the beasties, which makes sense considering they are a fossorial carnivore (Are you listening pet-food manufacturers?) Second, it explains why it is so difficult to get ferrets to accept new types of food. Third, it is powerful evidence that explains why most North American ferrets cannot establish feral colonies. I have noticed my own ferrets having a preference for certain foods; even when I mix them, they tend to eat the parts they like, leaving the rest behind. So I did an experiment in which I powdered some of the preferred food, mixed it with water, and sprayed it on the non-preferred food. At first they looked at me like I was nuts, and turned their noses up at the moist food. I repeated the experiment with a more concentrated solution (of preferred food), but this time I oven-dryed the moist mixture. I also tryed just sprinkling the preferred-food powder on the other food, then shaking it up to coat it with powder. In both cases, they still preferred one food over the other, but they would accept the new. When the coated non-preferred food was mixed with preferred food, they didn't pick it out. To overcome the problem of food acceptance, you could use the same method as described here. Once they accept the new food, you can gradually reduce the smell of the old until they learn the new smell means food. If your fuzzies are young enough, you can introduce your beasties to new food smells while they are still young, so they might accept different foods later. Every couple of days, serve a different dish. This will not only help to solve the problem of getting the little guys to accept new food, but it will make the ferret's lives more interesting. Imagine being forced to eat the same food day in and day out... Remember ferrets are carnivores (I don't mean to offend any vegetarians out there, but they are CARNIVORES!) I suppliment my fuzzie's diets with bits of raw beef and chicken liver, cooked chicken, and fish. (NEVER leave these foods out longer than an hour or so; I throw away what they don't eat in thirty minutes). To increase their affection for moi, I will only give these foods as treats, and feed them by hand--actually a small plastic relish fork with the tips smoothed down. When I bring the food in, I announce "Yummy", and they all rush to my side for their share. They can recognize their own names, as well as "Raisins," "Treat" (for ferret jerky), "Yummy" (for the carnivore cusine), and "No," which is better than my cat. The most important aspect of the smell-prey relationships of ferrets is that it is very unlikely for American domestic ferrets to form any feral populations. They will starve if released, because they don't recognize prey as food. This is in contrast with British ferrets who are often fed whole carcasses (baby chicks are very popular) and animal by-products. These ferrets can recognize wild game as food, and can revert to a feral state without starving. The only other scientifically documented feral population is in New Zealand, where polecats and domestic ferrets were released to control the introduced populations of rats and rabbits. (Other factors for their continued success as a feral population include the fact that the non-domesticated form of the ferret, the European polecat, is considered a native inhabitant of Britain, and New Zealand lacks the type of carnivores which could drive the feral form of the domestic ferret into extinction.) On another note, I have a favor to ask everyone on the FML. I am tired of ignorant and closed-minded people using the few published accounts of ferret attacks as evidence of the dangerous nature of the ferret. I am preparing an article to attack such prejudicial manure, and will use statistical methods to prove once and for all that ferrets are as safe (or more so) than any other household pet. What I need are references on ferret (or dog/cat/snake, etc) attacks. I already have alot, but they are somewhat dated (Journal accounts can run YEARS behind the actual events). One of the things I am looking at is the public perception of ferret attacks, and to get that, I need local newspaper clips, etc. This type of information would take me years to complile, and I want to send the paper out for review by the end of the year. Please, if you have ANY information, e-mail the source to me (date, author, title, publication, page), or better yet, snail-mail a copy (with the source information) to my PO Box. I will refund all postage and copying costs to those who ask. I know I might receive lots of duplicates, but speed is of the essence. I can weed through the duplicates; it is better to get six copies of an article than miss one the opposition might use. Please send anything. Clearly the most powerful tool of the AFB (Anti-Ferret Boneheads) is the "look what they do to children" argument. The anti-ferret lobby uses published papers from established journals as ammunition; we need the same weapons. The scientists of our side need to publish, and with the number of towns considering a ban on our fuzzies, we need to publish in a hurry. There is one item of particular interest I need to obtain. In England, in 1978, two ferrets were reported to have killed a six-month-old baby. This incident, the only reported ferret-related death I can find, is cited over and over, yet I cannot find the original report. If anyone knows what newspaper/journal/magazine it was first reported in, please send the info. I will share all data and make all findings known. Bob Moose, Stella, Daye, Tori, and Bear. Bear says, "Treat? Did I smell treat? And Bob thought I was running because he called..." Please send copies (with source data) to: Bob Church PO Box 1988 Columbia MO 65205 or e-mail to: [log in to unmask] Thanks. [Posted in FML issue 1362]