The internet address posted for the black-footed ferret recent history was incorrect. A correction was sent but may have gotten lost in cyberspace. We hope you will all access this startling and sad article, The Black-footed Ferret; A Natural and Unnatural History, for a balanced view of the Federal recovery effort. It is found at: http://members.gnn.com/AcmeFerret/BFFpage/BFFhist.htm And just a couple notes; no, BFFs and polecats do not hybernate per se, but are often less active in the winter and can slow metabolism to reduce survival needs. And, yes, your ferret is quite capable of killing your guinea pig and may do so with alarming acuity. Same goes for rats, birds, hamsters and rodents of all types. Domestic ferrets, as sweet as they seem, retain a lot of those old huntin' genes from their wild cousins, although they rarely eat their prey since hunger is not a factor. Cordially, Carolyn Kinsey [Posted in FML issue 1703]