Well since I've been lurking in the shadows way too long it's time I introduced myself and my crew. I'll start with myself and then get to the important people. My name is Tina, I'm from Provo Utah, and I've had ferrets for about a year now, boy I didn't know what I was in for but wouldn't change a thing. The first ferrets I had real contact with belonged to my roommate but I found a baby at the pet store while getting food that I had to give a home to. Thus ended my simple life, Spaz was now on the scene. I had recently had a severe injury that left me jobless and homebound for the last year and a half so Spaz helped me to combat the depression that comes from an active person being forced into inactivity. Spaz is a MF sable female that was named for her actions and personality. Next on the scene was Maggie who I got through a rescue about a year ago. She was three years old and I don't know where she came from. When I got her she weighed about a pound and her hair was thin from the cheap food she had. She hadn't been let out of her cage for about two years and had never been with other ferrets. Since I've had her she's learned to play with toys and other fert siblings though it took about 9 months. Nipper come when my roommates ferret died and was supposedly for her but she didn't really want her and I loved her from the start. She is a MF sable with the longest coat I've ever seen, it makes her look twice her size. Thinking that three ferts were plenty I settled in to enjoy them when ferret math struck. Again I was going to the pet store to get food and there was these two little eyes connected to an almost black face the wrapped my heart at first glance and I came home from a weekend trip with JJ. JJ is a MF almost pure black ferret who, as the youngest, has put new life into all of the others. I've told others that having ferrets is like having cute two year olds running around but even they suprise me sometimes. A few days ago I went looking for the crew and couldn't find JJ or Maggie. After a half hour of searching I happen to see Nipper go through a hole in the side of the couch that wasn't there two days before. Inside the couch were the two missing ferets but also a shirt that I noticed missing the day before. I checked the couch out and found that there was no way for my babies to be crushed short of putting the couch down on them so I made it easy for them to get through the hole and so I can get them out if I had to and let them have their new "toy" back. Just so you know, because of plywood under the seat because of broken springs there is no sinking when some one sits down so that is why I felt safe letting them play under it. Thank you so much for this list, I have learned so many things about what to do and not to do being a first time mom. [Posted in FML issue 2978]