I knew that ferrets are clean animals, but I didn't realized how clean
they like to be until yesterday.  Bell got to go for her first walk around
campus.  The temp.  was in the low 60's and when I first put her down on
the sidewalk(on a leash of course), she immedietly tried to climb my leg
with the "Pick Me Up NOW" look on her face.  I thought that she was just a
little scared but thats not what it was.  I let her go on the grass and
she had a field day.  She refused to walk on concrete-I think that she is
so spoiled by carpeting and mattresses that the concrete was a cold shock
to her that not everything is soft and fun to roll around on.  She spent
about 20 minutes exploring every tree and blade of grass in her reach.
She didn't go in any mud or dirt, but when I brought her back inside, she
spent a good 10 minutes per paw licking, rubbing on the carpet, licking
some more, rubbing on the carpet some more.  Then, when I called her to
come over to me, she gave me a look that said "why don't you buy me some
shoes, you know I hate to be dirty." Then, when I gave her a treat(for not
trying to break free from the leash), she said "Its a good thing you gave
me a treat or there would have been no kisses for you tonight."
   All and all, I think that she enjoyed romping in the grass, but I was
worried sick that she would escape and that that would be the last of her.
On the flip side, there were tons of student outside yesterday and I
think that she converted some of the "ferret-ignorant" to ferret lovers.
The most unique comment that I got about her--
some guy thought that she was a "lowrider cat"
[Posted in FML issue 1165]