Sure, they like olive oil, & it's not bad for them, but I think if the oil is a food (e.g. vegetable oil, lard), it is absorbed in the intestines and therefore does not act as a laxative. Mineral oil does act as a laxative, and both my ferrets happily eat food that has mineral oil poured over it. One of them (as well as one of my cats) won't eat commercial hairball remedy - it's like you're trying to poison them. & mineral oil's a lot cheaper than the commercial remedies, too... Thank you to those who share their funny stories. By mid-Feb in New England the world is grey & burdensome & we need something to laugh about.... Milly, I laughed out loud picturing you following some alarmed soul while going on & on about the virtues of ferrets. [Posted in FML issue 2593]