Hello everyone! as always i sit and enjoy reading the FML, (for the most part) my heart goes out to all of you who have sick ferrets and to you who have lost them, i can very well understand the pain , i have had lots of animals horses dogs birds etc, but nothing hurt me so bad as when Truls went trhough his surgery for intestinal blockage, there is something very particular about the feelings between ferret and its human mom/dad, it breaks my heart, i wish you all the best and keep you in my thoughts. i also would like to comment on lipinskis "bonding procedures" i wrote a post that was rejected by BIG (i cant say that i blame you, of course ) so i will keep it under control .IT seems to me that a ferret tied up outside and left alone WOULD DIG AND DIG AND DIG IN TOTAL DESPERATION!!!! his only instinct would be to hide from dangers and try to keep warm. to me that is nothing but CRUELTY to animals, they dont have any choice or any way to prevent this , but can only deal with it the only way they know how... if i would to put my dog out on a field or such and tie him up, leave him alone and get him the next day he would react the same way, showing submission any way he knew how, and be very grateful to be back indoors, that doesn't mean that i have cured any behavioral problems he may have had, but simply broken down his spirit! i've seen enough beaten and misstreated animals and it is amazing the loyalty and submission they give in return, even children react the same way!!! that does'nt mean it is how we should treat any living creature!! i dont suppose that anything i say will change lipinskis ways, thit is my opinion, but i just think it is so sad. to get of the subject i also would like to know how i could get Truls back up to his normal chubby self again, after his surgery he eats less than he used to, i dont want to give a lot of treats to increase his weight, becouse it seems that he just doesn't have a lot of apetite, and i dont want him to substitute his food with treats, i give them a few drops daily of ferretone mixed with virgin olive oil ( 1 part ferretone 3 parts oil) i read somewhere this was good..? and 1-2 times a week a little petromalt. Liza has always been a slim lady, but she too is eating less, could it be natural summer behavior? any advice would be most welcome, in fact that LUMP recipy has me curious, but if any of you know what to do to increase their weight, and promote their apetite please let me know. also i have heard many different opinions regarding giving baths to keep their odor down, but i have to say that they seem to smell stronger after their baths than they did before, i usually give them baths/earcleaning when they seem to need it usually every 4-5 weeks unless they have been into a mess. nail klipping 7-10 days, i am probably weird thinking that i like the way they smell!!! Also a reason for all these cancer problems might be the heating process in the food + preservatives that are being used in all foods including ours, i dont really see what could be done about that (and then this is my theory) but i know that some herbal remedies could be usefull in treating virus and some virus related cancers , anybody know about how ferrets react to herbal treatments? do they have any intolerance against some herbs? so greatful for this FML anyone out there who lives in Las Vegas...?? please send me an e-mail , also i dont have a lot of money but i would be happy to help out at a shelter in Vegas anyway i could, cleaning cages, caring playing and loving etc. loving Dooks Josephine [Posted in FML issue 2400]