Oh, I have missed the list.  I have had to lurk for a while since I have
been busy with summer school and being short handed at work.  All the
ferrets seem to be in good health.  Max has since started eating again
and is just as big and fat as his brother Fred.  I am watching Bebe
closely though.  She has always been small, but now that she is about
six, I am more concerned with her health.  She did have the runs and
lack of appetite, but chicken gravy seemed to help.
 
I remember the multitudes of ferrets acting as a coat, but I do not
recall what it advertised or when.  After and exhaustive search of the
Internet, I failed to find any reference to it.
 
About whether caring for animals as a "hobby" or not.  I suppose it's
simply how you define the word.  I agree with Karen that if it were
defined as something done on the side at one's leisure, then no, caring
for our pets or any animal is not a hobby.  However, since there can be
many interpretations of words, we've tried to standardize our use of
language in things like dictionaries so we can all be on the same page.
(Consider how one ex-president argued, "It depends on what your
definition of "is" is.) I think prevailing definition is one that
denotes a hobby as something enjoyable and done for love not money.  As
for being attacked, what a shame people felt the need to be mean about
something as silly as your interpretation.
 
I don't know if I would call a lot of what goes on on the list as
bickering.  How about "spirited discussion"?  If you go into a group
expecting to all have the same ideas you'll be sorely disappointed.
We're not Stepford clones.  People will have different opinions and
views; that is what is so great about a list of this nature.  When it
gets down to being personal and name-calling, THAT is when there is a
problem, but BIG does a great job of heading most of that off.  As for
people who leave the list.  If they leave over silly things like that
(which I bet few really leave) then what is the loss?  If it weren't one
little thing, it would be another.
 
Judy, keep the story coming, you can't leave us in suspense.
 
James, Melissa, Kassidy & Jasmine
 
Loving:  Bebe, Fred & Max
Missing: Wheezer, Pym, Rikki, Jako, Riley
[Posted in FML issue 4552]