"how many of you, had no close pets as children, but later in life
became animal and ferret people?"

This would be me.  My parents are most definitely not pet-people.  And
we were a sailing family so pets didn't really "fit" since we were often
away on trips on the boat.  I had a couple of gerbils as a kid and that
was it.

As a teen we had a couple of cats but they were more "Mom's cats".  When
I got out on my own I got a cat.  Then a second cat.  And a dog a few
years after that.  It wasn't till just eight years ago that I became a
ferret owner.

Over the years now I've lost a dog, four cats and three ferrets.  I know
have one dog, two cats and seven ferrets.  And I'm closer to them than I
am my family.

I would say I definitely made up for my pet-deprived childhood :)

- Laura and The Seattle Seven at http://www.ferretocious.com
[Posted in FML issue 5268]