I'd have to agree. My husband and I are childless, can't have children at all, and own/are owned by/parent ferrets. Three of them, as a matter of fact. They are our babies, just as much as any human child would be. I know that on the day that we lose Tomoyo (our princess who war dances with such abandon that she does flips, then cuddles like no ferret I've seen) or Yuhi (the three and a half pound kiss giver that puffs up to twice his size when he plays)or Kokie (the boy we found starving in a pet store, and who surprised us both by living past the week we had mentally given him) crosses the bridge, the posts on this forum will be a great comfort. You see, each one of our trio gives so much while asking for so very little in return, that they have stolen our hearts completely, and we couldn't love them more if they were fur-less, spoke in sentences, and went to school every day. To me, these posts are very relevant. In fact, they have become nearly essential. It gives those of us with lost/sick/dying/passed ferrets the reassurance that our beloved babies are save, warm, and happy where they are. It assures us, once again, that love is never in vain, but continues past the illusion we call death. [Posted in FML issue 3905]