I'll be in Texas for the next week watching Elizabeth get some fire-fighting awards and generally making a pest of herself. I'll do anything to get out of Missouri....even visit Texas! ;^) Q:"...And I want to give my new ferret a cool name. As Bhor, you must have a few good and unusual ones for cute little baby ferrets. How do you name yours?" A: Just pull ne out of one of my former lives. I've always been partial to ancient Aztec names, like Neccidmaninhall, Seadabignozonyerface or Whadagrossbutt. Ok, I made those three up. Most of my ferts are adopted (like me) and I never change their names. Ok, once I changed Spaz to Razz, but that was the only time. So for me, whatever name they come with is fine. Carbone and Lady Noir refere to black or darkness because they are black sables. Real inventive. Moose, Stella, Daye are all part of "Mustelidae," and Tori is part of "putorius." Real punny. Bear got his name because he was sort of furless when rescued, and also because he was a big oaf (he was almost named Yeller Feller for the same reasons). Tui was named by Sam, and is a Moari word for a bird--since Sam and Tui comes from New Zealand, the name is appropriate. G.W. stands for "Great White" as in the great white shark; he's the largest albino I've ever seen. Right now, he's even bigger than Bill the Zen Man's Swedish monsters. (Sorry Bill, but G.W. is *twice* the size of Carbone!!! He could eat the taco dog.) The name came because he loves to sleep on his back, and his neck and mouth reminded me of the poster for "Jaws." It is never safe to go into the computer room, his favorite lair. Chrys is Greek for gold, a color he once was but is no longer. And Amber is a color she still is. Original, yes? Jezabel got her name because she would sleep all day and play all night, and what better name for a woman of the evening? Q:"Help! My ferret's gums are bleeding around the canines? Any advice?" A: Never squat neckid in front of your ferts. Especially if you are a guy. Bleeding gums can mean several things. Is a tooth broken? Did they chew on something that cut their gums; you know, like when you bite a chip wrong. At least some times the bleeding is minor and unimportant, but sometimes it can signal serious gum disease. Look for discolored gums, nasty smell or swellings. This can be signs of either an infected gum or bone. Unless you know for sure the problem is the gum and not the bone, see a vet and don't wait. Bone infections can be long term, impossible to cure events and could cause your ferret to go into septic shock at the worst, or lose their teeth at best. As for a gum infection, minor ones happen all the time, just like in people. Usually it is a symptom of plaque (tartar) and can be scraped off by a vet dental tech. The stuff is a result of mouth pH, carbohydrates (kibble), and a general lack of chewing material like bone. I control dental plaque in my fertbunnies by allowing them access to softened chicken bone. Works like a charm, and I have 5-8 year old ferts without a spot on their teeth. Some people I know actually brush their ferret's teeth; I tried it once but gave up on it because my toothbrush was too big to go in their mouth, and it tasted nasty afterwards.... Perhaps someone with more experience in scaling or brushing teeth can also respond. Bob C and 19 Mo' Homewreakers of Fertdom [Posted in FML issue 2601]