Urine marking: My experience; Boo-Boo was a found ferret that I'd adopted from our shelter. Very aggressive to my other ferts. I knew nothing of his background, so attributed this to never being around other ferts (he's a DEW and deaf). He also marked. We started to suspect an adrenal tumor but it was still too early to tell. Several months later he started itching and developed "papery" looking skin and it looked like his skin had tiny scratches. In he went for surgery, and yes, his adrenal was bad. He never developed the other more "classic" adrenal symptoms, maybe if it had progressed further he would have. From what I've gathered, marking is probably a common symptom that just hasn't gotten much discussion. The vets I'd spoken to weren't quite sure what to make of it. Watch out for urine burns! I'm not saying this is the cause of your ferrets' marking, but it should be considered as a possibility. Dish digging: Great fun for them but not for us. Mine seemed to get bored with this game as they aged, though some will persist. Water dishes aren't the only victim, food dishes are just as much fun. Try getting some "crock-lock" dishes, or any type of dish that will securely attach to the side of the cage. Fix it low enough that they can still eat and drink, but high enough that it's uncomfortable and awkward for them to get their paws into. Hope this helps! SP [Posted in FML issue 2591]