Wolfy wrote:
how many of you, had no close pets as children, but in later life
became animal and ferret people?"

Answer- Parents did not allow any pets in house so consequently we
didn't grow up with any normal pets in the household.

Found my first pet on my wedding night which was an abandoned kitten.
She lived eighteen years and over the first twenty five years had as
many as four cats at any one time.  Took in the one and only dog in 1991
when I remarried.  A mixed breed of Australian Shepard and Coyote, eight
years old.  Darn good dog.  Died in '97.  Now have four female cats, all
strays.  A Momma cat and two daughters and the other a stray kitten taken
in a year ago March.

Ferrets.  In 1998 my wife said she wanted a horse for her birthday.  A
co-worker had a ferret he got third hand and didn't want it since it bit.
It was an old hob with a broken tooth.  Brought him home on her birthday
and gave him to her.  Said it was a small horse and Happy Birthday.  He
was four years old and we named him Popcorn.  Bought him a companion that
Christmas.  They had free run of the house during the day, but caged at
night to keep them out of trouble.  Both crossed the bridge this past
April a week apart.  Nipper missed Popcorn so much that he just quit
eating.  Was force feeding him but he passed during his afternoon nap.
Buried them side by side in out front yard next to two cats we lost
over the years we have lived in Illinois.

Now have twelve little wuzzies that keeps us on our toes.  Free roamers
in this 200 year old farmhouse.  Brought three, drove to Detroit to
rescue two that were kept in a closet, and adopted seven more from the
shelter in Chicago.  They are the joy in our life.

how many of you, had a couple of standard pets such as dogs or cats
as children?"

Answer- see above

how many of you had close contact with more unusual species of animals
as children?"

Answer- Did have a turtle I found but hid him in the garage.  Fed him
table scraps and he lived a couple of years.  It had a rear leg missing
but got around good.  Buried him in a wooden box next to a sugar maple I
had planted.

Don't know if I was born with a love of animals or grew into it in later
years.  Do know that I think the ferret is smarter that any dog or cat.
Eat, play with total abandon a few hours a day and sleep the other 18 to
twenty hours a day.  Never knew a ferret could outrun a cat and take it
down.  The younger cat is especially good about ferret play time.
Doesn't use her claws when chased down and caught.

Also hand feed peanuts to the chipmunks that live in the pump house and
under the back porch.  Have a raccoon that is blind in one eye that I
feed every night with stale cat and ferret food that is disposed of
everyday.  Has a great looking coat and loves peanuts too.

Gerald Eiden
Polo, Illinois
[Posted in FML issue 5270]