I thank god for the one bit of training I did do with all of my ferrets. I trained them to come to a squeaky toy just like many other have done on the FML. I think that probably saved my little Gracie Girlie. The other day I came home from the Grocery store and was unloading my car. I took my tiny Chihuahua, Bella Mia, with me outside to get the rest of the groceries. I had left the front door opened because we were only going few feet to my car. Well, Bella decided she wanted to go visit one of her favorite neighbors. As absent minded as I am, .I forgot the door was opened and went across the street with Bella. 10 minutes later, me and Bella returned home to the open front door. I totally panicked and checked all of Gracies favorite sleeping spots but she was not in any of them. I went around the inside the house with her squeaky toy and she didn't come. I was upset but tried to stay calm. I went outside again and looked all over, but it was evening and dark out so I started using her squeaky toy. But she still didn't appear. Bella had returned to my neighbors again so I turned around to go get her when I heard a little knock on my small porch behind me. At first, I was going to ignore it, thinking it was the wind. But then I turned and there was my sweet little Gracie Girl climbing up the back steps onto my porch. I was so excited I started to cry. But she remembered the sound of her favorite squeaky toy and came right to it. I don't think I ever would have found her if it wasn't for the toy. She is one of my ferrets who doesn't like to go outside much so she never got use to the property. She would have never have found her way home. We have lots of raccoons and cats and some dogs in our neighborhood. She never would have survived. Thank God for the invention of the squeaky toy!!!! I am also one who loves Gordons stories about his ferrets. He seems like an avid ferret lover and would protect his ferrets at all costs. Maybe the person who posted is someone new and didn't know his type of humor. His stories have always been great and I find myself looking forward to his posts. Sometimes you have to sit back and wait and see what other people have to say in answer to some of these posts. Then you may learn how benign they really are. I understood his humor about the dozer guys because I am use to him. I also want to say how sorry I am for the Va. Beach shelter woman who has and still is suffering. I feel so bad for her. It is hard enough for the few ferret shelters there are without having an ignorant animal control agency destroy a shelter in the way Va. Beach did. Last of all, I hope everyone has fun at the symposium. I would love to be there. Please someone get LOTS of pics for us all to see!!!!!!! [Posted in FML 6149]