This is kind of unrelated, but I think that if adoption fees at shelter are high enough, most people would think twice about paying $75 (or whatever the adoption fee was) for a shelter ferret. That's a meal reserved for 25th wedding anniversaries, not snakes! Then, as I was thinking this: I thought of another way to ever deal with the "snake food" proposition. (We microchip all the ferrets that leave our shelter and so it made me imagine a scenario.) If you ever have someone questionable, just tell them you microchip and immediately state in the reasons why (ownership, lost, ID, etc.) If your possible "snake-feasters" aren't getting the point and are still sitting through your speil, tell them (in your most amazed-sounding voice) that once you heard of a snake eating a ferret with a microchip. Say "And you wouldn't even believe it, but it poisoned the snake to death! Who knew?" It wouldn't be _lying_ so to speak, because I just said that statement and you can quote me. Just because I'm not being a reliable source right now, doesn't mean you can't use the phrase it if you need it! I don't post often, but darn if that wouldn't freak a reptile owner out. It's kind of like my hag of a gynecologist telling me that she had a client's baby "murdered" by a ferret once, right after I told her I ran a ferret shelter -- and yes I was 5 months pregnant. She's a hag.. a big foppish hag. Happy January! Laura [Posted in FML 5485]