To Paw Paw: Is the moose okay? ;-)
 
Re:Flying to Orlando
Groups flying on the same flight can often get really good rates (or a
smaller discount if going on different flights; I think it's a minimum
of 10 travelers per airport).  Staying over on a Satuday night can also
make a huge difference.
 
Re:NYC/FML get-together--don't forget us New Englanders :-)
 
Re:males & females
I don't see a whole lot of differences, but here are some observations
about my Three Muskyteers:
 
Most Developed Ankle Hunting Instinct: Cinderella, the only female, aka
Princess Anklebiter; she also initiates human-ferret play the most.
 
Most Developed Nesting Instinct: No contest, goes to Harry, who collects
assorted hardware and plastic bags under the kitchen cabinets.  Every now
and then I see a plastic bag disappearing under the cabinets as if by
magic, and then Harry's little head will pop out a few minutes later.  I
often find the 3 of them snoozing under the drawers among the nuts and
bolts and shredded plastic bags.
 
Most Polished Begging Skills: Ralph, unless it's a banana, then it's Harry.
 
Most Intense Stare: Cinderella, no contest
 
Most Finely Honed Skill at Charming People and Getting them to Fall in Love
with her: Cinderella
 
Most Compulsive About Storing Possessions: Ralph.  If a squeaky toy is
removed from its proper place in the kitchen cabinet, Ralph will immediately
replace it.  Max the dog hasn't seen a squeaky toy for months.
 
Best Snugglers/Cuddlers: Harry is the only one who will fall asleep next to
you, though all three will snuggle for a while, then it's off to do
something more important!  The most fun is squashing them together and
cuddling all 3 at once.
 
**
'Cannibalism' is a judgment call on our part.  It makes perfect sense for an
exhausted mother animal to eat babies who have died and get nourishment from
them, rather than letting them go to waste.  It has nothing to do with them
being inferior to humans-- the recent story about the cat rescuing her
kittens from the burning building (and *many, many* other stories about very
heroic animal mothers) should leave no doubt about the mother/baby bond in
animals.  Animals do, however, have a much more realistic sense of how
closely death and life are related, something missing in modern human
culture.
 
**
Re: blatant neglect or cruelty
I think it's great if the person is approachable (usually with neglect more
than cruelty), but sometimes the only recourse is to contact whoever
investigates cruelty complaints (I personally would consider beating up a
baby ferret cause to complain; the person shouldn't be breeding).  Also, the
pet store person neglecting their ferrets sounds to me as if a complaint
might be in order.  I think if someone is treating their animal okay, then
they should have nothing to hide.  Cruelty doesn't generally cure itself.
 
**
Happy holidays to everyone who celebrates Passover/Easter (every day is a
holiday for the fuzzbeans); love to anyone's ferret who is sick; and my
sincere sympathy to anyone who has recently lost an animal friend.
 
--Ronnie
Cinderella, Ralph & Harry ("can we stay up late and wait for the Easter
Ferret?")
[Posted in FML issue 1530]