This is not about ferrets per se, it is about Aspartame and the newly found dangers. If you feed your ferrets any treats however that are "Sugar-Free" this includes diet soda, please consider this. A friend of mine has just returned from lecturing at the World Environmental Conference on Aspartame. (Marketed as NutraSweet, Equal, and Spoonful. This is a lengthy article so I will not be including it here, but anyone can e-mail me privately @ [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> and I will forward the who letter to them. In essence, when the temperature of Aspartame exceeds 86 degrees F the wood alcohol in Aspartame converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. The methanol in Aspartame converts to formaldehyde in the retina of the eye and can cause blindness. Now, I know we are all intelligent people and we are not about to start scourging our cupboards of artificial sweeteners, but please take this into consideration if you are a giver of treats to your fuzzies that may contain this substance. Happy Holiday Seasons to All, Cherie [Moderator's note: I'd be interested in the letter. It's my understanding that the dry form is quite stable -- it's once it's in liquid, such as in diet sodas, where breakdown becomes an issue, if I understand it. BIG] [Posted in FML issue 2528]