This is the first time I post on the FML, although I have been reading the
posts for some time.  I have a missing ferret story, that fortunately ended
up happily.  My ferts name is "Scalia" and he is an inquisitive 2 yr.  old
albino.  Last April, I had just finished one round of exams (I go to Law
School, hence the ferrets name), and had a week between.  So one Saturday I
decide to go out partying with some friends.  I had studied all day and was
frankly pretty fed up.  So I showered and left pretty quickly.  Turns out
that I didn't secure the back door too well when I left.  At 5:00 the next
morning I felt a chill in the apartment.  I went downstairs and found that
my back door was open.  Scalie was nowher to be found.  For the next day I
was going nuts.  My apartment complex gives way to a large wooded area on
one side, a busy street on the other, and a residential area with many dogs.
I asked all my neighbors if they had seen him and scrounged around the
wooded area with one of Scalia's squeaky toys-nothing.  Then, these guys two
doors down ask me if I'd lost a ferret.  Turns out they had a party that
night, at about 10:00 Scalia just wandered over there and was hanging out
around the people milling outside.  One of the guys had the foresight to
pick him up, but the only place they could stash him was in a barbecue
grill.  Michaela, who is an animal freak and works for the apartment picked
him up and kept him at her place.  Needless to say I picked up a soot
covered Scalia, who seemed rather glad to see me.  My friends disparangly
refer to him now as a "party rat"
[Posted in FML issue 1531]