Hi Gang,
Just wanted to add my two cents before the caged ferret issue is put to
rest.  I know I am probably setting myself up for a flame but I'm going to
say it anyway.  My girls are caged at night and when I leave the house only
because they harass the dogs and cats and I feel that eventually they will
get tired of the onslaught or sometimes they just don't want to be messed
with.  I don't believe that my animals would intentionally hurt the ferrets
but they are a lot bigger and don't really know their own strength
(especially Dexter)!  Therefore, I make sure that the others SEE and HEAR me
discipline the girls for biting them so that they will know that their
attacks have not gone un- noticed or unpunished and they don't feel that they
must take matters into their own hands!  Other than that they roam free.
 
Now comes the part that I'm sure some of you won't like...I don't want to
protect my animals (any of them) from EVERYTHING!  You can't!  Life in
itself is a risk and I believe that in order to experience life you will
have to take a few risks!  I love my babies but I would rather have them
live 5 FANTASTIC years than a lifetime of nothing special!  I treat my
animals as if they were my kids and I weigh the risks accordingly.  What is
the worst that could happen and what are the odds of it happening?  for
example, my fence goes in today but that does not mean the dogs will never
run free again.  They're greatest joy is running in the woods behind our
house and I would not take that from them!  I will just let them have their
time late at night when everyone has turned in for the evening (11pm or 12
am).
 
Animals are not much different than we are and they want/need to experience
new things in life to remind themselves that they are ALIVE!  Just think of
the extremes that we as people have gone to to get that adrenalin rush!  I
want all of my animals to live a full life but on their terms not mine!
When their time comes I want them to be able to look back and think "I've
lived a full life with few regrets and now I am ready to go home".
 
God bless and love to all,
        Irena...Lucy, Chelsea, Tabitha and Rikki's mom
[Posted in FML issue 1599]