It's that time of year when shelter operators start to worry about feeding the ferrets in their care or buying gifts for family members. Don't wait until December; start your giving process now. Better still, take a single needy ferret home; not two or a dozen, just one. If each person on the FML took a single ferret home with them, how many ferrets would remain in the shelters. Just one more ferret. If you simply cannot afford am extra ferret, then send some cash, buy some toys, donate some time. Give. I do not personally know of the numbers of ferrets in Missouri shelters, but I know the dear Dr. Bobbi in KC is always on the look for good adopters. Kurt and Sara Peterson in St. Louis has a house full right now and would probably appreciate a few good hearted people stopping by. I am sure if you are not in the state of Missouri, the shelters in your area could say the same thing. How about, over the next week or so, each shelter just give a simple total of the number of ferrets in there care with a contact number. I don't think there is a need to specify items you need, or that sort of thing; those could be taken for granted. Just let people know the logistics you are facing. I know with 15 living here (and having at one time many more) just the job of feeding, cleaning, play exercise and caring for problems took up a great deal of my free time. I cannot imagine how some shelter operators get by with 100 to 200 ferrets. As I said, don't wait until the holiday season to feel generous. Start working on it today. And if you can, adopt one single ferret. Just one. And just think; if we all adopted a single, needy ferret, how many would be left in the shelters? Bob C and 15 Mo' Ferret Frolicers [Posted in FML issue 3205]