I think a great name for a ferret is "Astro." As in the dog on the Jestons cartoon, and as in anything having to do with stars and outer space. Re: ferrets that don't want to use the litterbox I have noticed that my ferrets are embarrassed when you see them in the litterbox. They seem to want to do their stuff unobserved, just like you and me. The process of eliminating leaves an animal vulnerable for a moment, which is why I think it is instinctual to want to do it unobserved. So if I put a ferret in a litterbox when I see him about to have a mistake, I walk away or turn away quickly. They watch where my eyes are looking. Sometimes I'll put him in a litterbox, and he'll run out of it, only to go to another box in a less-observed area. I also think my ferrets like to put their mistakes in a corner near a rug (i.e. the bathroom) because they like to wipe their butts on the rug. ;) Squeegy still feels rotten. It breaks my heart to pick him up and feel all of his bones through his skin. Does anyone think ECE is epidemic amongst ferrets? I am a cynic at heart. I think it is a terrible, painful thing for a ferret, and the owner too, in a different way. And I think a serious bout of it must shorten a ferrets overall lifespan. I need to be stopped when I feel this negative. Lori, Squeegy the weakling, and Hoover the sweeter-than-ever [Posted in FML issue 1726]