Hi! I am fairly new to the FML, and I have to say, some of the posts have had me in tears! The attacks on Rochelle are cruel, to say the least. Sure, pet owners need to have responsibility with their finances, but sometimes there are things going on that we are not aware of. Please stop attacking this wonderful Oregon woman!!! Rochelle, I rescue ferrets in a FFZ and take them to ferret-friendly places. A few months ago, one of my rescues (Sebastian) started going way down hill, and fast. He lost a lot of weight, his energy was depleted, and his eyes were almost lifeless. At the time, I was being transferred to a pet store to work and hadn't had a pay check for several weeks. I told the vet this when I brought him in and she gave me a huge discount on the check-up. When that was done, she informed me that several diagnostic tests would be needed (blood tests, ultrasound, etc...) to see what was wrong with him (she is a fairly recent ferret vet, so things don't jump out at her yet). The total costs of those diagnostics was more than $1000!!! Guess how much I paid? $128. The 28 was for the medicine that perked him up. She wouldn't accept a penny more. There are some vets that are very understanding. I'm no saying you will find a vet to treat your baby for almost free, but (like others have already said) some may be more than willing to set up a payment plan. Shop around. You don't really want to get rid of your kid. You know it and so do the rest of us. Please don't let him go until you try VERY HARD to find a friendly vet. Praying for you and your fuzzy baby, Tamara (and Edelweiss, Sebastian, Bernadette, Frieda, and Widget [and three adoptables: Aria, Wingnut, and Andromeda]) [Posted in FML issue 4451]