Wolfy Asked... - how many of you, had no close pets as children, but later in life became animal and ferret people? - how many of you, had a couple of standard pets such as dogs or cats as children? - how many of you had close contact with more unusual species of animals as children? As a child, we always had animals as pets. We had the standard dogs, cats and birds, as well as some of the more unusual ... I did have a pet descented skunk once :-) And when we were stationed in Texas .. we used to go out into the fields near our home and catch ground hogs and Horned Toad Lizards :-) We stayed away from the rattle snakes that were always invading our gardens! I would have to say I was born into a family of animal lovers. My Dad was raised on a Dairy Farm and they raised chickens as well. So as a child, some of my fondest memories were of being able to spend some of my summers with my Grandparents on the farm. Then when my grand father passed away, my grandmother eventually sold all the milk cows and chickens. But then .. an Uncle took over the cow barn and turned it into a horse barn and he trained race horses. I got my love of horses from him. I bought my first and only horse right after I got out of high school. I was lucky enough to get a job that I loved in the horse industry after that. I worked on a Hunter/Jumper Horse Farm for a while and then got a job working with a trainer of Saddlebred Horses. I did that for several years until I had a bad accident and had a filly that I was working with go over on top of me, rupturing several discs in my back. That ended my training career :-( I eventually had to sell my horse due to my injurys. I was always bringing home strays ... even those I had to drag home, LOL. I have always been surrounded by pet cats, dogs, rabbits, birds of all kinds, mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters, fish, my horse, snakes and lizards. Mom was a big animal lover and never said no to what any of us brought home and Dad would indulge us, as long as WE took care of them :-). I wish my Mom had still been alive when they legalized ferrets here in Mass. She would have loved these little guys. Right now I have 7 ferrets (just lost #8, an old guy that I had rescued/adopted that was very ill and not a candidate for surgery). I was able to give him 7 good months after taking him in. Also have 6 birds (4 Cockatiels and 2 Sun Conures) and 2 rats :-)) {{{{HUGS}}}} Dianna I LOVE my Ferrets: Mickey, Munch, Little Bear, ISO, Cricket, Tippy and Buddy & Birds: Bea Bea, Trooper, and Nicolas (+3) Emmett, Dakota and Lily & Rats: Missy and Maggie And my Rainbow Babies, Always and Forever in my Heart ... Mookie, Joey, Mouse, Chance, Stormy, Muffin, Marsha and LeLou [Posted in FML issue 5271]