Boy - its almost 4:00 and I just got reading all the FML's after my
vacation.  Whew!  I noticed people had been talking about ferrets in movies,
how about books?  I read a lot of science type fantasy - the sort that
usually takes place in a medieval type time period and have noticed several
references to ferrets.  In one the castle was being besieged.  The
"ferretmeister" came to the castle owner/lord with a ferret that had a
broken back and said the ferret had dragged himself back that way - the Lord
immediately realized that the enemy was tunneling and the day was saved.
Also while there have been no actual ferrets in any of Robert Jordan's Wheel
of Time series he uses more than a normal number of ferret references,
"ferreting out information" "as bad as having a ferret in your pants", etc.
Lately it seems I've seen a lot of references about zoo's not taking very
good care of ferrets.  As I posted before that's the same in our local zoo.
Someone posted a reference about give their zoo that burned down some rescue
ferrets - I say think twice.
 
I noticed Fran and a number shelters seem very full lately - I can't take
any ferrets but would certainly be happy to transport ferrets from shelter
to adopter or shelter to shelter if that would help.  I could do this in an
area centering on southern Michigan.  So Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, western
PA, southern Wisconsin would all be close enough for a weekend transfer trip.
 
Also has anyone ever noticed whether age factors into the dominance thing?
When I got Boris for Giesela things went pretty well (both under a year).
Babysitting Cowboy never went well enough to let them play together but the
last time Giesela was a lot less passive about it and when I picked up a
friends ferret from the vet and brought it home for a few hours Giesela was
attacking the cage and make a screeching noise that sounded like tearing
metal!  She seems to be turning into a territorial little @#*^$.  I think
getting another ferret now would be extremely difficult.
 
Heartfelt sympathies to all the sick and recently departed ferrets and their
grieving parents
 
Mary, Boris and Giesela
P.S.  Dr. Williams - congratulations on LtCol!!!!!!! (Capt, MIANG)
[Posted in FML issue 1666]