When I had my first ferret, Sammie, I was an avid scuba diver. Most weekends I was headed for the lake or the gulf. I thought nothing of leaving the cat and dog with food and water for the weekend, but when I got a ferret I realized he would need overnight care so he would stay at my mom's house. Sammie had originally been owned by my brother's EMT partner, who kept him in a cage with no toys and only a towel to sleep in, a water bottle and a bowl of food. He slept a lot, but when he came to me I let him out to run. He typically hid somewhere or found his way outside (twice) before I discovered the small hole in the screen door about two feet over my head! Then he went to sleep! (I spent a lot of time walking through the surrounding woods and neighborhood with a flashlight in one hand and a food dish in the other back then - in 1993.) So, imagine my surprise when I call my mom one Sat. to see how things are going with Sammie and she tells me how mopey he is. I run through all the uh-oh stuff and then tell her to let me talk to him. She puts the phone up to his ear (this is considered normal behavior in my family) and we talk. Mom said that he perked up and was fine for the rest of the day. So, I called him the next day to say I was going to be home soon. From then on, Sammie got a phone call anytime I was gone and it helped him to hear my voice and know that I wasn't dumping him. I also leave a pair of socks and t-shirts that I have worn when I go away. They have my scent and can be kept in zplock baggies if the trip is more than a couple of days. Seems to help some. -- renee :) It's amazing how much can be accomplished if nobody cares who gets the credit! Ferret Emergency Response, Rescue & Evacuation Team (F.E.R.R.E.T.) http://www.ferretemergency.org [log in to unmask] International Ferret Congress http://www.ferretcongress.org American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org [Posted in FML 5513]