- 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?

I myself was a cat person for many years.  At 14 months old I fell in
love with a kitten, Murphy, and was owned by him until his death when I
was 16.  My mother also has told me that I had a cat protector,Sam, when
I was an infant.  He wouldn't let my mother wake me to nurse, but would
go get her if I was awake.  We also had parakeets when I was little.

While I was growing up we had several cats and dogs, not to mention
turtles, rabbits(the cat brought them home alive), fish, hampsters and
gerbils but not much in the way of unusual.  Now having a younger
brother, and being a tomboy of sorts, we had the obvious things, frogs,
toads, newts, and salamanders most of which were set free again before
they died.

I didn't find out about the really interesting pets until I was in
college.  This is where I met my first ferret.  Knowing what I know now
about them, I know that she wasn't well taken care of, and I feel sorry
for her.  However, I am trying to raise my children to be knowledgable
about all pets.  So my house will probably get pretty interesting over
the next few years.

~Nikki~
[Posted in FML issue 5270]