Hi all,
 
   Have just been sitting back and reading lately though I felt the need to
offer some thoughts, actually I had a question to ask.
 
   I need some comments on this, being a new owner.  Renegade mildly displays
some difficulty using his hind feet.  Though this is only shortly after he
wakes, seems like he wakes up faster than his body, are the majority of the
young ones like this if they wake up quickly?  He does not have any other
symptoms and plays very actively, see the story below.
 
   In response to Deborah See regarding Terriers.  My parents have a Afghan
Hound.  My initial thought was that they should get along fine, the Afghan
is very docile.  When I first took Renegade over to meet the folks and play
we carefully introduced each to the other, thoughts quickly changed.  The
Renegade nipped the Afghan twice, wanting to play, that is when the Afghan
started huffing through his mouth.  He got to go outside very shortly after
that started, he sat and loudly barked at the back door for quite some time
our scolding him having little effect.  I remembered they are also hunting
dogs (Europe I think), but that was odd behavior for him.  The playful cat
on the other hand was almost scared to death of him, running and hiding
anytime Renegade would so much as look in his direction.
 
   Secondly I thought that was a wonderful question Debbie, my thoughts
exactly.  Don't get me wrong anybody, I don't in anyway want to see them
hurt.  I have been a longtime fan of BFF's, they are most likely the primary
reason I own a domestic.  Maybe it's just near time for someone to start a
BFFL, I would definitely read it in addition to the FML.
 
   Next, to Wayne Rothe in response to litter training.  I might not be the
right person to answer this, as I am a fairly new owner, though maybe more
boxes might help.  If your house is large enough maybe she is just getting
distracted, Renegade gets distracted from one end of the couch to the other.
When I get home from work I place him in his box in the cage and watch from
the other room before I will let him out, just to give him the hint.  He
also seems disinterested being more excited to be let out and play.  He will
go for over an hour while he is out playing without going, though he has had
a couple of accidents lately.
 
   Latex toys... I have found that Renegade loves a latex toy I got for him,
it is a clump of grapes.  I think I understand the dangers, the only time he
gets to play with it is on the couch when I am near.  He will sit in the
corner and gnaw on it for 20-40 minutes before bouncing over to the other
corner, spending the same amount of time with it there.  I also think if you
let your friends play with these toys you need to understand that at the
first sign of a tear it gets replaced with a new one!
 
   Sorry for the length, I'll make this last item.  Titled "Bull (Ferret)
Fighting"
   Renegade has a favorite blanket that I cut into smaller sections such that
he could use a couple of pieces to sleep with in his cage, some while he is
out, and a piece he insist on playing with.  Well, the other day he was
playing submarine in a fairly deep cup of water and getting the play piece
extremely wet.  After he was done I picked it up to set it aside to dry, he
looked at it with the 'were is it going' type of excited smirk.  He
proceeded to chase and jump at it, while I played Matador swinging it out of
the way, lunging right into a pile of pillows.  Renegade and I kept this up
for about 5 minutes till I turned my head and  noticed my roommate, who was
talking or at least trying to talk on the phone, laughing so hard his face
was turning red.  That was about the time I started laughing myself.  Poor
Renegade bounced around doing the 'War Dance' for nearly 10 minutes, jumping
over my chest, onto my head, sticking his head into my sweat pants pocket,
looking for it. Chuckling and hissing along the way.
[Posted in FML issue 1205]