My all time favorite is Fidget, also known as Da Fidge, he is a sable boy, with a horrid background. You can see his picture at www.pertfinder.com/shelter/OH48.html . He's my first ferret of my own, and first rescue. Fidget (Then Taz) and Tinker were owned by some people who had two children under the age of two. Also two ferrets, 3 dogs, 3 cats, and several iguanas. They had the board of health and childrens'' services called on them and the words Roach Motel marked across their front door. I was informed through a friend of this. Childrens' services told them they had to part with their animals or they would be parting with their children. I went to get the ferrets. I found an apartment that was disgusting. From the moment you walked in the door, you smelled cat pee, dog crap, and ferret poo. There was feces all over the floor. Laundry spilled out from every doorway, down the stairs, and was mingled with the filth on the floorThere had been no food or water for the iguanas. The animals were emaciated. Taz and Tinker were in a cage, where they were not handled properly. Had not been fed for who knows how long, they were so scrawny. Their water bottle was empty. The litterbox (a small corner one) was literally buried under the mound of ferret potty.maggotts were crawling around in it. I tried to pick u the ferrets to put in a carrier, but Taz kept trying to bite. So I just stuffed this filthy cage in my car, thankfully I had a sheet to cover the back seat. It was night time by the time we got home. Taz mauled my thumb when it slipped inside while I tried to wrestle the cage from the back seat. it hurt really bad. When I got to our apartment, I cleaned up my thumb, bandaged it, then put on some heavy work gloves. I got the ferrets out, Tinker was always gentle. Taz spazzed, but they both wound up in the bathtub. My roomie watched them while I went outside with some bleach to sanitize their cage. It was, to say the least, naaaaasssstyyyy.Once it was cleaned, we filled the bowl with food, filled the water bottle, and put in a clean hammy. (My roomie already had a ferret, our little deaf blaze boy Voodoo) I donned the gloves again, then proceeded to wash the ferrets. Tinker was well behaved always. She was a lovely chocolate mutt. Once clean and semidry from towel snorkeling, they were put back into their cage. Of all their 4 months of life, I don't think they ever had a clean cage and they seemed confused. Then they smelled the food and went bonkers. Taz wouldn't let Tink eat, so we added another bowl. Two days later, Taz was reborn. He became Fidget. My Fidget. Tinker went to a home with kids, and had free roam of their house. She slept with the kids taking turns so each one was loved. Fidget never bit again. the third day after being with us, Fidget along with Voodoo went to daycare with me to teach ferret awareness, and proper pet care. Fidget is my soulmate. He tells me things. We understand each other. We speak the universal language of love, and it is he who started it all. Every ferret life I have since saved, is because of Fidget's love. He showed me that behind every abused (he had been hit for his biting in his previous home) and neglected creature is a beautiful, loving soul who needs to be set free from their prison of fear. Fidge is the ferret who climbed in my lap to share my cheetos, stashed my socks under the kitchen hutch, and always comes when he is called. Fidge is going to be five years old this January. We don't know exactly what date, but we celebrate it on the 15th. When he dies, which is hopefully in the very far off future (he is a Marshall ferret), I don't know what I will do. My heart will break a thousand times, my life will feel terribly empty. When I think about it, which I try to avoid, I feel a terrible sharp pang of loss. I will need Sandee to meet him up with Patches, our little 7 week old kit who went to the bridge all alone. But anyway, Fidget is now, and always will be, my favorite ferret in the whole world. Kim Wolf Mystyx Samoyeds, Ferrets and Rescue www.geocities.com/mystyx_samoyedsnferrets www.petfinder.org/shelters/OH48.html [Posted in FML issue 3573]