>When I fell on Bubba I would welcome advice on how to defy gravity and
>how to make me more agile and stabilize my equilibrium.
 
Hence, barriers and ferret-proofing.  Face it, folks like you and like
me who have mobility handicaps DO have to take not only the same ferret
proofing precautions as anyone else, but also a few extras.
 
I don't think that the people are really attacking you.  I think that
they are just saying what I said yesterday: the chances in most homes
of accidents, escapes and preventible deaths can be reduced greatly
with ferret proofing, so their point is NOT anything about you, sir,
but rather that they hope that you will read about ferret-proofing and
use it.
 
I also have a mobility handicap.  When it happened I began needing not
less but MORE ferret proofing in our home (at the same time as needing
to make thing more accessible for my own use); that required help but,
you know, that's just life.  In fact, I very recently bought some more
barriers -- a weaselgate someone was not using (which just arrived so
THANK YOU and I still have to open the box as per directions for best
way to open), and some sections of the MF playpen which were praised
for this use on the FML.
 
It honestly is a royal pain in whazzoo to alter a home to fit changed
mobility needs.  I understand that.  To also alter it to meet the needs
of ferrets is doubly hard.  I also understand that; I live it.
Never-the-less, the way to not have accidents and to not have ferrets
escape IS to ferret-proof.  It is a HUGE GIFT OF LOVE TO THE FERRETS TO
FERRET-PROOF because it keeps them alive and safe.
 
I think that is all that people were trying to get across: that ferret
proofing would work.  it just that the choice of wording on both sides
got in the way.  To me, ferret-proofing is a topic without sides, because
it is such a huge help to all.
 
Here are some places where you can find some really useful
ferret-proofing tips to help your ferrets and to save you from the
sorrow of preventable accidents and escapes:
http://listserv.cuny.edu/archives/ferret-search.html
http://www.ferretcentral.org
_Ferrets for Dummies_ by Kim Schilling
  and there MIGHT (that is a "might") be some in
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org
 
We've had ferrets in our family for 23 years and STILL find ourselves
using these resources regularly (esp. the FML Archives and FHl Archives
both of which get used almost daily, not despite our level of experience
but because of it).
 
If you go to more barriers and more ferret-proofing all will benefit
from the reduced accident and escapes, including you but mostly them.
That's all they meant, I think.
 
Sukie
Some assorted many topic things that I current value to learn with,
think about, honor, or relax with if you need to clean your brain
palate for a while:
http://www.ferretcongress.org
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/newseries.shtml
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/iraq/casualties/
       facesofthefallen.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/casualties/
       facesofthefallen_freedom.htm
http://tingilinde.typepad.com/starstuff/2004/09/give_and_son_an.html
http://homepage.mac.com/davidahmed/makingmusic.html
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=571&e=5&u=/nm/
       music_lungs_dc
(Did you know that loud music can collapse a lung?  I didn't.)
[Posted in FML issue 4625]