I had an experience last night w/my ferret (Zooey) that could have turned
out pretty bad.  I took her to a community college class that I help tutor,
b/c she likes to go places w/me and check new things out.  She got lots of
positive responses (one person did insist she was a rodent though).  And she
got to tunnel around the grass, which she thought was pretty cool.  I took
her home, and was twenty feet from my darkened house (my roommates left the
porch light off), when she fell/jumped out of my bag.  She had a harnass w/a
bell on it, so I could hear her but I couldn't see her.  She seemed to
understand immediately that she was free--no leash--and she freaked out,
running all over the place and checking everything out...well let's just say
I didn't want her running across the road (she has no respect for cars).  I
have a squeaky green alligator (named Harold) that she is absolutely
addicted to.  In my room it can rouse her from deep sleep.  I'd never tried
it outside though, and didn't know if it could compete w/all the stimulus.
Well I'm glad to say boy did it ever.  She stopped EVERYTHING and ran up to
me and glued herself to my pantleg, hoping to climb up me and get that
alligator.  I don't know where she came from (somewhere from the vicinity of
the next door neighbors'), but it took her less than ten seconds to appear.
Needless to say I'm very happy about that!  The last time she got out--the
cat knocked over the barrier on the porch--she walked down the street and
around the corner, crossed a somewhat busy two-lane 30mph street (I doubt
she used the crosswalk) and walked right into a hardware shop.  At least now
I know I have a way of "ferreting" her out if I lose her, although I can
imagine my neighbors might get annoyed by me "squeaking" up and down the
street (it's a pretty loud alligator).
 
~MJR
[Posted in FML issue 1530]