Well, the Fuzzbutt Rodeo Clowns look like they are gonna increase in numbers, temporarily! This week, I rescued a pair of ferrets from a home where they were no longer wanted. One looks healthy, but severely starved. The other also looks starved, but she's also almost completely without hair. First, how quickly should I allow the ferrets to increase their weight? I put food in their dish (which was empty when I picked them up) and the immediately scrambled all over each other to get to the food. Should I also include liberal doses of FerreTone and FerretVite? Should I place some FerreTone on their food to get them to eat even more? I've been assured by the parent of the child that had responsibility for them, that their vet said the ferrets were healthy (yeah...healthy for starved ferrets). They have both had all of their shots, but they are coming due for their next set. The one missing the hair is said to lose her hair on a regular basis, then grow it all back. They are both full of excessive energy (practically bursting with it, in fact!) and are very curious and romp around their quarantine area with great enthusiasm. They climb all over me when I go up to spend time with them. I clipped their uncared-for nails last night and gave them their 'Tone and 'Vite. Could the nekkid ferret be losing her hair just from stress and poor diet? Is there a way to detect or observe adrenal disease for a non-vet person? If she has been losing, then regrowing her hair regularly, does this indicate anything special? My vet gave me an appointment for the end of next week, but I am curious if maybe there might be an emergency here that needs more immediate attention. I will be keeping these two until they are no longer animated skeletons and I am assured that the bald girl has grown (and *kept*) her hair and they get their shots and things. At that time, I will look for home for them. They are excellent little fuzzies...no biting...not even a nip! The bald one climbed up my daughter's back while we were busy clipping the boy's nails and sat on her shoulder, making sure she didn't miss anything! :) I'm thinking of naming the boy (fully-haired, with an extremely LONG neck!) Mongoose, since he looks a lot like one a saw on TV and the girl may be called Lady Godiva...for obvious reasons! :) Of course, if they can learn to hide in colorful barrels and distract raging bulls and bucking broncs, all while laughing and goofing off, maybe they will become part of the family business! :) Todd and the (We wanna see the New Kids Behind the Box!) Fuzzbutt Rodeo Clowns! --- [log in to unmask] "users.success.net/toddl/" [Posted in FML issue 2521]