Kathleen, I've been lurking here for some weeks now, but your post about your ferrets attack on Gremlin has moved me to write to you. I know that nothing I or anyone says will lift your heart after this tragedy, however I felt I had to try. Unfortunately people make mistakes, its a fact of life that you just can't get away from. What counts is that your son has learnt a valuable lesson (the consequence of his actions), and I bet you've learnt that sometimes "extra" precautions need to be made. I think you're really brave and strong to write to the FML about your experience so that we can all learn from it. I also greatly admire you for tracking down an injured kitten and nursing him in your home. Most people would have turned the other way. Feel good in the knowledge that you did your very best, and that little Gremlin got to experience some love in his short life. I'm writing this in a spirit of compassion, it's not intended as a criticism in anyway. I know how it feels to loose a pet in such a way - my childhood guinea pig was took by foxes as I forgot to close his hutch one day. You can't turn back time and do things differently, all you can do is continue loving all the other animals and make sure such a thing never happens again. My thoughts are with you at this time, Bron [Posted in FML issue 4491]