I just know I am going to be flamed for writing this, but first of all, please write it publically instead of sending it to me. My email box can handle very few emails. I am a smoker--have been for many years. But no one smokes around my ferrets. My ferrets live in my kitchen and no one smokes in the kitchen/dining area. Its just a rule. They have free run of basically two tiled rooms--yes we tiled over a hardwood floor just for the furries as its easier to clean up after them and they dont dont pick up dust or something from rugs. My ferret Shelby has a cough which btw is not caused by smoking; it sounds like a hairball, but nothing comes up--we had him on amoxil and I walk the floor with him when it sounds bad. Sounds like my kids--thought I was past this stage. All I am saying is dont smoke around your furries or your children for that matter. Oh, by the way, none of my children smoke--ages 40, 38, and 26 and none of their children smoke. I know this is long and involved. But I ask smokers not to smoke around their little ones two and four legged alike. All I am saying is please dont rake smokers over the coals; we get enough anyway. I am a good mommy both to my fur-children and children. The things that drive me crazy is when the idiot that lives next to me sprays his garden and lawn with all sorts of pesticide and nothing can keep that smell from invading the house. There are lots of other things that cause coughing and asthma in ferrets. I am probably not making much sense as I am writing this at 3:45 AM CDT. [Posted in FML issue 4270]