Dear Silly and Annoyed: I am truly sorry you find the members of this list to be fanatics. I am sorry you think of all the people that have lost their loved ferret companions, that choose to reach out to others on this list for support, are "silly" and "annoy" you. You may choose to ridicule the Sandee posts, but I can assure you, many others find comfort and strength behind the caring efforts of that particular individual. You even took the time to flame the Rainbow Bridge threads. Fine, you are entitled to your own opinion. Do you feel better knowing how many others you hurt? HELLO- what you said HURT others. Personally, I have not yet lost a ferret. I am a new ferret owner, and I am extremely thankful for this mailing list. I know that if I am fortunate, each of my furbabies will live approximately 6 years. I also know that I can turn to these individuals for support, knowledge, encouragement, and understanding no matter what the outcome of each of my furbabies lives. I also try to take a few moments of my time to write to those that have sick ferrets, or worse, have a death in their family (and yes, our ferrets are a part of our family). I am not able to respond to all FML posts, but I try my best to provide support to those in need or grieving over their loss. Please, before you consider something silly or annoying, look inside for some compassion and understanding. Your words hurt others. Mellisa [Posted in FML issue 3908]