Wolfy  Asked...
- how many of you, had no close pets as children, but later in life
became animal and ferret people?
- how many of you,  had a couple of standard pets such as dogs or cats
as  children?
- how many of you had close contact with more unusual species of
animals as children?

As a child, we always had animals as pets.  We had the standard dogs,
cats and birds, as well as some of the more unusual ... I did have a pet
descented skunk once :-)  And when we were stationed in Texas .. we used
to go out into the fields near our home and catch ground hogs and Horned
Toad Lizards :-)  We stayed away from the rattle snakes that were always
invading our gardens!

I would have to say I was born into a family of animal lovers.  My Dad
was raised on a Dairy Farm and they raised chickens as well.  So as a
child, some of my fondest memories were of being able to spend some of
my summers with my Grandparents on the farm.  Then when my grand father
passed away, my grandmother eventually sold all the milk cows and
chickens.  But then ..  an Uncle took over the cow barn and turned it
into a horse barn and he trained race horses.  I got my love of horses
from him.  I bought my first and only horse right after I got out of high
school.  I was lucky enough to get a job that I loved in the horse
industry after that.  I worked on a Hunter/Jumper Horse Farm for a while
and then got a job working with a trainer of Saddlebred Horses.  I did
that for several years until I had a bad accident and had a filly that
I was working with go over on top of me, rupturing several discs in my
back.  That ended my training career :-( I eventually had to sell my
horse due to my injurys.

I was always bringing home strays ... even those I had to drag home, LOL.
I have always been surrounded by pet cats, dogs, rabbits, birds of all
kinds, mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters, fish, my horse, snakes and lizards.

Mom was a big animal lover and never said no to what any of us brought
home and Dad would indulge us, as long as WE took care of them :-).

I wish my Mom had still been alive when they legalized ferrets here in
Mass.  She would have loved these little guys.

Right now I have 7 ferrets (just lost #8, an old guy that I had
rescued/adopted that was very ill and not a candidate for surgery).
I was able to give him 7 good months after taking him in.  Also have
6 birds (4 Cockatiels and 2 Sun Conures) and 2 rats :-))

{{{{HUGS}}}}
Dianna

I LOVE my Ferrets:
Mickey, Munch, Little Bear, ISO, Cricket, Tippy and Buddy
& Birds: Bea Bea, Trooper, and Nicolas  (+3) Emmett, Dakota and Lily
& Rats: Missy and Maggie
And my Rainbow Babies, Always and Forever in my Heart ... Mookie, Joey,
Mouse, Chance, Stormy, Muffin, Marsha and LeLou
[Posted in FML issue 5271]