Hi all, Big ferrets are great! Not only can you stroke them, but they are solid enough to pat. However, I don't much like the jowly look of some of the big ferrets I've seen...just my personal preference. Now to my questions. I have two young ferrets, a brother and sister. Both will be 16wks old on 9/25/99. The boy (Boris) is big. He doubled in weight from 8 to 12 wks (1.1 to 2.2 lbs) and he may have doubled again by 16wks (BTW, I still await more guesses for Balsac's challenge). Oh and he is deaf and just about the biggest lap teddy bear ferret around (can't figure out where the deafness came from - none of the standard color markings that go with deafness - neither parent is deaf - and from what I can tell from the breeder, none of his sibs are deaf). He is also much calmer than his sister since he doesn't spook at odd noises. His sister (Natasha) is petite and a hellion (although also sweet and loving when she feels like it). I'm guessing that she still weighs in at less than 2lbs. Same food (he eats more), same exercise....I tell you folks, genetics is powerful! Anyway, Boris and Natasha haven't been neutered yet - want to let them grow up first. Boris has just exhibited his first hob behavior. He likes to grab his sister by the scruff and lay on her. She resists this and since she is faster, I don't often have to rescue her. Last night Boris discovered that stuffed toys are much more cooperative. He had the fuzzy stuffed ferret by the nap of the neck and the rest tucked up under his body. He looked absolutely mesmerized. Isn't this a bit young to be starting with this behavior? Heavens, his testis are still pretty small! Is this just a hormone surge or is this the way he'll be until he gets fixed? I don't remeber how it was with my only other unneutered male (been 16 years ago!). Oh and one more question (although I don't have much hope for an answer but sympathy would be nice!). I wake up at 5am to get ready to go to work at 6am. The ferrets get fed and get to play for awhile between 5am and 6am. My ferrets are pushing this envelope by waking up at 4am and making loud barrier banging noises. Help! They sleep in the big master bath (off of our bedrom) at night, have the run of the bathroom and bedroom all day, and the whole house in the evening when we are home. I have no place else to put them at night. They (mostly Natasha) have figured out that if they drive me out of bed earlier, they get to run around the house that much more in the morning. I usually get up and let them out so as to not make both my husband and I suffer (he usually gets to sleep in until 6am). They have me over a barrel! What we are trying is my husband is sleeping in the computer/guest room for a few days. I am letting them bang at the barrier without letting them out - hardening my heart and deafening my ears! Hopefully if the behavior goes unrewarded for long enough, it will extinguish itself. I'm also looking for less noisy barrier ideas. Currently I have an expandable kid gate with the netting replaced by plexiglass. It rattles something terrrible. I guess I should be grateful that they go to sleep at a reasonable time at night. Oh the trials of juvenile ferrets. Its a good thing they are cute!!! Max [Posted in FML issue 2806]