Luckily for all of you, i think i am limited to 3 posts per evening ? [3 per 24/hr period, starting midnight, Eastern time. BIG] In response to the issue on hoarding and numbers of ferrets, in someones care. It is not the number of ferrets that you have that is the issue regarding hoarding, it is the care and attention they receive. You are the one who has to determine your limitations, but, that includes what you are willing to do to provide the necessities for their happiness, and health and well being, recreation is important for mental health in EVERYONE, including ferrets, to be continuously confined for prolonged periods of time in a cage, are taxing. Walk in those shoes for a change, cage yourself, and see how you like it, being housed for hours on end, no books to read, no television, no phone, think about those in jail cells (ah, but, i am under the impression, they have better jails nowdays). If you pay attention to what is happening in the worldly issues, depression is rampant? Why, ask yourself, is this so? Over crowding, issues, financial issues, animal issues, regarding care, and keeping, fall into those categories, too. My animals, are my peace makers, with myself, they are my life, they are what i work for, i own one new car (necessity for long distance transportation of #1 breadwinner in this home, who is NOT me) , and a used car with nearly 140,000 miles on it, that i use for my needs. Clutter is being reduced to a minimum around here, for, its use has been , forsaken, for other pursuits, and animal care is where my pursuit lay. Furniture? What furniture, we have a big screen telly, in the living room, an expensive rug that i bought for a song, and a huge 4 story cage, and toys galore, the animals run all over the carpet, do i worry...not, it cleans up quite well, and since i didn't pay the original price for it, EVERYONE gets to enjoy its luxuries :-) . What are your priorities? Where is your heart? What sacrifices are you willing to make to make this earthly place a better one? Not only for yourself and YOUR FAMILY, but for others, whom you do not even know? I have met a woman who absolutely abhors animals, and i am so glad that she has realized that about herself, for she doesn't have any, and it may be that way for her complete life, but...she is not bringing misery down upon the heads of these beings either. I have only met her once, so this is based on assumption on my part, but used as an example. i am sorry, that i feel a need to expound on this issue, but let he who is without sin cast the first stone? regards donna christen [Posted in FML issue 4079]