In case anyone else misunderstood why I asked about feeding kits who can't be nursed, Steve and I are NOT breeders, nor do we have a shelter. I AM someone who has often had to care or help care for critters (legally -- except maybe for some of the cases that happened back in the 50s and 60s when I was a kid and none of us knew better) in an assortment of situations, from non-native wild animals while I was working for a university, to native wild animals, to domestic animals. That's how I knew about the (often very useful) trick of placing cloth in front of a syringe of dropper since it gives something which actually can be suckled so helps with the individuals who can't handle a dropper or syringe directly. The reason I asked for people to share this information PUBLICALLY is because it is the sort of info which is needed QUICKLY when it is needed so it is useful for a good number of people read about it and file it in their memories just in case. If Kim could put down how breeders/shelters/vets who are interested can obtain the skunk formula she mentioned that may help save some ferrets. Any acceptable substitutes when one doesn't have them? What are your favorite ways of providing reliable long-term warmth if you can't find a surrogate mother rapidly? I've noticed from one we got for a sick ferret years ago that the whelping pad we got can NOT have covers placed over it, and I know well from experience that there are limitations to when and how long a carry set-up inside a shirt can be used. Sorry if this sounds terse -- am sore with allergies today. Least Weasels are very special, very rare, and protected in at some of their range (possibly all -- I don't know) so the people with one in their shed should definitely call FG&W and explain what they are actually seeing. Most that I have heard about will come out and relocate a Least Weasel. They need to also find out how it got in and plug that openning if they don't want a repeat. (BTW, a person has to wonder if the rodent droppings and urine might have been worse for their water quality than the weasel ones!) Anyway, Least Weasels are nose to tail about 130 mm to 340 mm (VERY small!). Except in the south they are prone to changing color in the winter to between largely to almost completely white (but make allowances for there being the possibility of individuals who don't). It is an excellent rodent control animal. There are other weasels with the same sort of coloring pattern, btw. Dawn, try dumping the vitamins and use a great food like Totally Ferret and see what happens. If the symptoms are so mild that they just might be personal variations with the season starting to change, and normal alterations from day-to-day then try that and don't worry. If the symptoms are worse than they sounded get to a vet. Getting ferret toys made safer when ones which are clear hazards are sold sounds like an EXCELLENT way to save ferret lives and it would not be hard for a good number of people here to write to the manufacturer(s). Why not ask your petstore manager for the address(es) of the company(ies) selling the questionable toys and then people could take the high road bu writing to them with information on what sorts of toys and materials pose hazards and which are safe so that they can create better supplies. After all, they want to make money (and risking being sued for killing a ferret with a blockage doesn't do that) but creating something good enough that the ferret community talks about it is! This seems like it could be a PERFECT FML project!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Posted in FML issue 2586]