Well, Ferret Math has struck at my home. I now have five of the little fur-weasels and I am loving it. Here is the story of how the two new ones came to be here with me------ There was a pet store that opened here about three months ago. We haven't had a "pet store" in town in the 25+ years that I have lived here, so naturally I had to go by. She had two ferrets, a girl and a boy I was told, in a small cage marked $300.00. I asked about them and was told that a friend of hers had ask her to sell them as she had just gotten married and found out that she was pregnant. ( I have a slight problem with someone letting go of one baby, because of another baby on the way. But that's another time). I looked at them and thought that they looked healthy and happy and would probably be snapped up in no time. Besides, I already had three and they were my limit,or so I thought. Skip ahead almost two months.... I had gone into the store several times and looked at the ferrets. They always came to the side of the cage and poked their noses through and I would pet them as best I could through the wire. They slowly stole my heart, but I was on a tight budget and so I left them. I talked to a friend that has ferrets and told her about them. She goes to the pet store and says that she will take the ferrets, but that she has no need for the cage. She is told that the sale will be all or nothing!! That the cage is taking up space and that if she doesn't take the cage, she can't have the ferrets!! My friend lets her temper get the better of her and leaves the store without the ferrets. I go by about two weeks after my friend has gone by and there are the two ferrets. Now they are pushed off into a corner, they seem to have lost some weight and who knows when was the last time they were let out for play time. Their hammie is in need of washing and the litter box needs to be cleaned. I get the attention of the owner and try to talk to her about them. She has come down on the price as much as she is willing. She would love to "get rid of them", because "they stink" and "they look like giant rats". Well needless to say that does it for me. I get together with my daughters and the ferrets are now mine. When I went to get them, the girl opened the cage and took out their food bowl, their water bottle, and the litter pan. I thought she was removing them so that there wouldn't be a mess when we started to load them into my Jeep. Oh no....."those don't go with them". Well alrighty then. As I am leaving the store, the owner takes what was their food bowl and pours the remaining food into a small pen with puppies in it. She has been feeding them dog food for the last three months!!!! No wonder they seem so small. When I get them home I realize they are both girls. They both have nipping issues and they are both under weight.Other than that they are wonderful. They are eating and enjoying their new freedom. I kept them quarantined for a week before I let them in with my other ferrets and even then I waited a day and a half before I opened the cage and let them loose. The only problem now seems to be with Jill, the female I already had. She is very aggressive with both of them but I believe it is just her establishing her dominance. They are both very lovey and like to give kisses, but they will nip every now and then too. The darker of the two has brought blood on me twice now, but she will get better with time I am sure. They other one is very withdrawn and stays in the tubes most of the time. I will let the list know when they tell me what their names should be and in the mean time I will enjoy the new additions. My husband asked if I was through getting ferrets now? My answer, "Sure.....Until the next one finds me!!!!" Suzanne with Veesie, Jack, Jill and the two that as yet are un-named. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: WOW....What a ride!!! [Posted in FML issue 4687]