I have to share this story with people who will understand how scary it was! Last night about 10:00 I got a knock on the door. It was a neighbor I did not know. She'd heard that I had ferrets. Well, there was a creature down under her shed and she wondered if it was mine. Well, of course, it couldn't be mine. Mine were having playtime out of their cages, and no, I didn't see them at the moment, but there was NO way they could have gotten outside. I hadn't even opened the door since they'd been out playing. So, I threw on my shoes and I ran down the hill to look at this critter. All the while I was thinking things like, "What will I do with another ferret? I need to find another cage. I wonder how it got here." I was NOT thinking it could possibly be my ferret. But it WAS my ferret. My sweetest little, kiss-giving, precious girl. I've had ferrets for about 4 years, and the house is ferret proof. It's impossible for her to get out, but here she was. When I got back home, I started going all over the house, looking for any kind of escape hole. Then I found it. My 18-year-old son had opened his window and left it open. There was the pushed-out screen on the ground below. A WINDOW! We never, ever open windows in this house. No matter how nice it is, we do not open windows. Why? BECAUSE THE FERRETS MIGHT PUSH OUT THE SCREEN AND ESCAPE! He knows this. I can't describe how angry I am at my son. He is usually a nice guy, and I thank God he's not into the kind of trouble I see some of my friend's children having, but this was blatant disregard for the safety of these innocent, beloved creatures. I closed the window and started searching for the other ferret who was out so I can put her away and stop worrying. I searched and I searched and I searched. I looked into every spot I have ever seen her sleep. I looked into every spot I can imagine. I called. I started to panic. She is not here. Of course not. The window is big, and open right at the level of my son's bed. Easy access. Then begins the search outside. By this time the reality of what has happened had begun to sink in and I was crying. I was crying so hard that I couldn't breath. Crying, sobbing, trying to call her name. A ferret lost around here will not only die. She will suffer in confusion, then die. I walked all over. Every ten minutes or so I went back in the house to see if there was any chance I'd overlooked her inside. Then back to the outside search. Then in. Then out. This went on for a couple of hysterical hours until my son came home from work. He showed up with three friends and bags of food for a party. I could barely even look at him. In as calm of a voice as I can, I try to explain what has happened. At least the guys had the kindness of heart to drop what they were doing, grab flashlights and go outside to search. That's when it happened. The sounds of the kids' voices combined with the rustle of the grocery bags woke up my sleeping beauty from who-knows-where. Out she comes as happy as can be and starts crawling around in the grocery bags. So that's my story. My babies are all home safe and sound. I feel ashamed about the horrible feelings I'd been having toward my son. I do not want to endanger my relationship with him over a ferret. As much as I love my ferrets, I still believe my relationship with my child should come before them. But I do know that if my little ferret had been gone, it would have been very hard to get over. Jodie [Posted in FML issue 3766]