To Cindy C Sooy: I was very sorry to read about the fate of your ferret so
many years ago.  Fortunately not all of us have had such heart wrenching
experiences.  I have two dogs and two cat.  The two that concerned me the
most were Dexter (aka Goober), a 70 pound black lab, who is very gentle but
also very large and clumbsy and Rupert (Rup there he is!) who spends every
summer evening hunting in the woods at end of our property.  My concerns
were soon laid to rest.  No one is same from the wrath of Lucy and the
Dexter and Rupert seem to get the worst of it!  Lucy's favorite past time is
bungy jumping from Dexter lips and other appendages that I will not mention.
A few times a week Rupert is an unwilling participant in ferret
wrestle-mania and he is never favored to win.  There is little real conflict
in our house- hold and then Lucy is usually the one to go into time out so
that the others can sleep, eat or just lick their battle wounds!
 
To William T. Waters (hyper ferret): I can sympathize with you!  Lucy is not
the sweet cuddly little critter that every one else writes about!  She is
full of spit and fire.  She's never ready to go to sleep when we are and
won't be put out of bed.  She has her ways and sometimes we wonder about her
but my babies keep me young and make me feeled loved in a way that no human
being can.
 
To Shannon and/or Mike: I have discovered that bitter apple is very
effective as long as you use it on a non-pourous surface.  Lucy liked to dig
in my houseplants so I sprayed the carpet around the pots.  No luck.  Then I
started to spray the pot itself (the carpet was absorbing it and the smell
dissipated quicker).  Success!  I only had to spray the pots two or three
times and she hasn't gone near a plant in over a month!!  My advice to you
is to wear slippers.  Good Luck!
[Posted in FML issue 1457]