THANK YOU NANCY, With regard to your enlightening post on HSUS: This is true! While in the late 90's great strides were taken to promote the companion ferret via HSUS, and LIFE with the help of Ann Davis, was scheduled and did give a pre event presentation at the HSUS Conference in FL (yes I was one of the panel speakers along with Dr Jean Wardell and others), that acceptance of the ferret as a companion animal was short lived. In fact, folks who were involved in the ferret embrace at HSUS were demoted, removed from office. It was a short lived dream as the movement was in place to move HSUS into a PETA based organization. IN fact, I believe you will find that in the recent past they have merged. There is a GREAT and GRAVE difference in animal WELFARE ADVOCACY AND ANIMAL ACTIVISM AND FOLKS SHOULD LEARN THAT WELL. The ASPCA is the closest humane friend the ferret has and the ferret community needs to work to build a stronger relationship with them,l make sure they have the educational tools they need, before even those ties are broken. Just my 2 cents form an old timer. Alicia at Ferret Wise [Posted in FML 7022]