When we have a 'new' family addition that doesn't eat very much, the first things I think of are different food, hairball partial blockage, bad teeth/gums, and of course depression. After checking teeth and gums and ruling that out, if the stools are skimpy then I try Petromalt (or other hairball preventative) at the dose of 1 inch 3 times a day for 3 days. If I've ruled out a blockage then I try different brands of grocery store type foods - Purina kitten chow, Deli Cat, Walmart Kitten, etc. We normally feed about 15 types of foods including ferret foods and high quality as well as a couple lower quality foods (sometimes you just can't switch ferrets over easily and an eating ferret is better than a starving ferret IMO - I have one that eats Totally Ferret AND canned Whiskas ground Chicken). I also place a handful of little Friskies in a bowl of warm water. Mmmmm... smells good and entices the little ones to eat more. O.k. so it isn't the best but they are eating (I've tried this with the top quality brands and they just glare at me). Liquid supplements such as Resource or Restore are usually accepted as well (warmed a bit in the microwave - stir with finger to check for hot spots). I see more depression in ferrets that have come from families with children. Have friends with children visit and watch the response. A visit 2-3 times a week can make all the difference in these cases. Ferrets that are not use to being caged may not do well in a caged atmosphere. This works the other way too. Cages offer security to some ferrets. And there is always the force feeding method. I caution here though because if you are working with a parial blockage you can cause more damage than good. Be sure to rule out blockages first. Hope these suggestions are helpful. Remember what works for one ferret may not work for another. Hugs to all and have a wonderful Thanksgiving (I'm thankful for being able to help ferrets). tle [Posted in FML issue 2135]