With all due respect to our learned friend Bob C.'s exhaustive research into the origins of ferret domestication, I am afraid that he, like many, has missed the alternate, and frankly, a little frightening implication of the term "Ferret Domestication." It is not that ferrets have been domesticated, no no no. Although that is an interesting question in its own right, as Bob has so kindly demonstrated over the last few days. My interest (I should say growing concern) is with the ferrets ongoing attempts at domestication. Domestication of what, you might reasonably ask. Why, the domestication of *us*, of course. Their ongoing attempt to breed a human sub-species totally devoted to the comfort and survival of mustela furo. Is this merely another conspiracy theroy? You be the judge. Fact: Selective breeding by means of Ferretus Interruptus. Remember those times when you put Barry White on the CD player, and got out that special bottle of wine you were saving, and that special little black lace frilly thing from Victoria's Secret? You had nearly accomplished your mission objective when all of the sudden, a weasel appeared beneath the covers and started playing "Bite the Toes." It was no co-incidence. It was a deliberate attempt to manipulate your reproductive behavior. In some cases, it was an attempt to limit the availability of an undesirable reproductive partener, one who lacked certian genetic traits that might predispose any offspring from your union to fail to cherish cute little ferrets and to devote a large portion of the household income to their care, by scaring that undesirable partner half to death Fact: The Attraction to Cute Little Hats. It is known to Mustela Furo that certian human genetic traits that will ultimately prove of use to our ferret overlords are found on the same chromosome as, of all things, the attraction to cute little hats on animals, especially sombreros. By flooding pet store ferret sections and ferret-interest publications with cute little hats for sale, mustela furo can easily identify which humans carry the desired chrosomal material, simply by noting which humans bought the cute little hats. Yes, it is a short term sacrifice to sport a cute little hat, but it serves an inportant long term goal, so the ferrets wear them with only token protest. Fact: Have you ever noticed that **RIIIIIIIP SQUEEEEALLL!!!** HUMMMMM................... THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM THE FLO, THE FERRET LIBERATION ORGINAZATION. NOTHING HAPPENED HERE. YOU FEEL FINE. RETURN TO READING THE MANY FINE INFORMATIVE POSTS BROUGHT TO YOU DAILY BY THE FERRET MAILING LIST. Alexandra in MA (Hey, you weasel punks! Gimme back my keyboard!!) NOTHING HAPPENED HERE MRS. SARGENT-COLBURN. YOU FEEL FINE. [Posted in FML issue 4731]