Chico was around 12 weeks old when we got him at PetCo. He must have been returned because he was by himself in a different cage than what they put the MF kits in. He was frantic, hanging on the cage wanting out. We had stopped in to get some supplies, but left without him. We went to Joe Tb s for dinner. A pitcher of margaritas later we threw caution to the wind and went back and got him. We made it to the store just before they closed. With no carrier to put him in we had a good time trying to hang on to him until we got home LOL! I had to follow him around the house at first because I didn't know what he was going to get into. He about wore me out! He got his head stuck in the vacuum and I rescued him. Unfortunately he brought ECE to our home and we had to nurse Rowdy and Tunny back to health. Chico got along fine with Rowdy, but because Tunny was neglected as a kit he was not as 'social'. Chico was our third ferret and leaves a huge hole in our hearts with his passing. He was fortunate to have a few years of normal health before our home got compromised with ADV. He did get a cough but got over it. He developed a huge spleen, but because of the virus it's recommended to take it out. He would get sick occasionally (lethargic and fever) and I would freak out thinking I was going to lose him because in the first few months of exposure I lost several ferrets. He started coughing again, but it was not the familiar ADV cough I was use to b so off to the vets we went. I had to leave him and he clung to me for dear life with this look in his eyes 'No, Mom don't leave me here'! I told him I would be back in a few hours and that he was going to get some oxygen to make him feel better. The x-ray showed clouded lungs and my vet thought it was probably cancer. We put him on Lasix to see if that would help. I knew he was on borrowed time so I had taken some afternoons off to be with him. Running home on my lunch hours to see how he was doing. It was a long, hard, struggle with him declining and I would have put him to sleep earlier but it was not time yet. We got him on a Saturday and he left us on a Saturday. He would have been 7 in February. I hope he is healthy and happy now playing in plastic bags and eating freeze- dried liver treats, his favorite, and it had to be Gimborn brand or he wouldnb t eat them. The little shit was such a character! Sandee, please make sure that Rowdy and Harley were there to greet him and he found ALL the others. Please visit the ADV Tree Memorial page to see his picture and Harley's. And then there were nine'& Mary and The Nine Munchkins [Posted in FML issue 4328]