Well Debbie, here goes: My boyfriend, Jason, bought our first fert, Miya, in March of '98. He had a childhood friend who had been owned by ferrets, & Jay knew how cool they were, I guess! He'd been talking about getting one for a few months, so finally I said, "Just GET one already, huh?" So he did ;o) (he should listen to me more often *teehee*)! Miya was purchased from the Petland near our home. She is a MF ferret - sable. Jason & I moved in together July '98. Not even a week after we moved in together, I brought home Nina. She was a teeny black sable (w/ a chocolate chip brown nose...oh!!!) I figured Miya was lonely *GRIN*! Nina was also purchased from a Petland, but the one near my work. She is also a MF ferret. Then we wanted a boy. I went to the same Petland I got Nina, & saw a blaze/badger/panda type baby boy OHHHH! He had white toes on all except one of his back feet, a white bib, no mask...he was UNIQUE to say the least! I fell in LOVE (when DON'T you fall in love w/ these guys???) & brought Jason to meet him. I brought him home that day. This was February of *last* year '99 - the day after Miya's first birthday. We named him Jack because we had 2 girls & a boy - "THREE'S COMPANY" teehee!!! Then we wanted to even out the # & the sexes...so in September we decided to get another boy. Since before we got Jack I had decided our next kid would be from a shelter...but Jack stole my heart so I just HAD to have him! But this time we were FIRM...actually, to be quite honest, I had fallen in love w/ another UNIQUE pet store ferret, but he was sold before I had a chance to buy him ;P - so THEN we were FIRM about getting a shelter kid! I called up FAIR & got the phone # to the Greater Chicago Ferret Association & made an appointment for after we got back from Florida. I had expressed an interest in a 1-2 year old male. When we arrived (w/ Miya, Nina, & Jack along with us for "water testing") we were presented w/ Rascal, an estimated 3 lb, 1 1/2 year old MF bald-bellied CUTIE! He had a bald belly from being fat - his belly dragged on the ground! He was the only "single male" available for adoption, but I have no complaints! He is the sweetest thing you'd ever want to meet, & now weighs in at 3 1/2 lbs (wint er weight!!! It has NOTHING to do w/ us spoiling him, OH NO!) Tazzums (his most popular nickname) is a chocolate. (For) now our family is "complete"...we (currently) do not have any "excuses" up our sleeves to warrant an addition (or two...) other than the fact that I now volunteer one night a week at the GCFA shelter where we got Tazzums (Rascal). All those shelter kids are callin' me!!! Ahhhhhh! So that is my ferret math tale (or is it, tail?) - 4 ferrets in less than 2 years! We COULD fit 2 more in that cage... Amy, Jason, & the brat pack == Visit Miya, Nina, Rascal, & Jack (along w/ Jason & Amy) @ http://www.geocities.com/petsburgh/park/9394/home.html [Posted in FML issue 2918]